The “Two-Excellence” Female Captain of PVTrans OFS

Ms. Mai Thi Hoai Huong – Director of PVTrans OFS during a visit to the Sao Vang CPP platform.

Learning to Grow, Changing Course to Succeed

The years following her university graduation, spent researching the application of radiation in biotechnology, unexpectedly paved the way for Mai Thi Hoai Huong to step into the oil and gas industry. Her thesis focused on the use of nuclear radiation in biomedical applications — specifically, developing antibacterial biofilms for burn dressings. Around the same time, the Dalat Nuclear Research Institute was collaborating with DMC and Vietsovpetro on a project using microbiological–physicochemical complexes to enhance oil recovery.

Thanks to her background in biology and understanding of nuclear science, Huong became a natural bridge between the research team and the oil and gas enterprise — a fateful connection that opened the first door to her future career. When the project concluded after about three years, her research work ended, but the oil and gas sector had already “welcomed her in.” From there, she shifted her career path, leveraging her scientific foundation while furthering her foreign language skills and studying law to better adapt to the corporate environment of the petroleum industry.

“University teaches us how to learn and self-learn,” Huong reflected. “When I work and realize I’m lacking something, I study more — and that’s how opportunities keep opening up.”

Born into a family of teachers, Huong credits her parents for instilling in her a serious attitude toward learning from an early age — the foundation of her confidence when transitioning into a completely new field. “I’ve always loved learning,” she said candidly, “and I’m grateful to my parents for nurturing that spirit.” Her continuous effort to study and grow made her shift from biotechnology research to oil and gas project management a natural evolution rather than a forced transition.

Sipping her tea, Huong recalled the many crossroads she had faced in her career. When asked if there was ever a moment she knew she had chosen the right path, she smiled gently and shook her head.

“Life has many turns, and you can’t know immediately which one is ‘right.’ A decision is right as long as it fits the moment it’s made. That’s why I always think carefully before deciding — so I won’t regret it later.”

For her, once a decision is made, she commits fully, focusing on the journey’s outcome instead of dwelling on “what-ifs.” That philosophy explains much of her calmness and pragmatism today.

If one were to describe Mai Thi Hoai Huong in three words, they would be “Simple – Realistic – Disciplined.”
“Simple” doesn’t mean plain — it’s the ability to turn complex issues into something clear and manageable. “Realistic” reflects her grounded mindset — tackling problems as they are, not as one wishes them to be. And “Disciplined” comes from her belief that time is precious, so “everything must be accurate, and once started, it must be finished properly.” These principles have guided her in steering PVTrans OFS steadily through many challenges.

Transforming Management for Breakthrough Growth: From “Upstream” to “Shipping” and the Sao Vang – Dai Nguyet Milestone

Huong’s eyes gleamed with pride as she spoke about PVTrans OFS and the innovations she and her leadership team have implemented. Despite the immense difficulties faced by the oil and gas service sector following the COVID-19 pandemic, PVTrans OFS has maintained strong, consistent growth.

Between 2020 and 2024, the company continuously met and exceeded all business targets. Over five years, revenue completion consistently stayed above 105%, while profit surpassed plans by 20–30%, with certain years seeing remarkable spikes. The year 2023 marked a turning point — profits reached 3.6 times the annual plan, a record-breaking leap achieved through strategic accumulation and a bold move into international maritime transport.

When asked how such a relatively small unit — with only a few hundred employees — could sustain such stability, Huong smiled and said it came down to collective effort and, most importantly, the willingness to adapt to change.

By late 2022, as PVTrans expanded its shipping fleet, PVTrans OFS proactively proposed a restructuring plan to align with new market dynamics. The company decided to maintain its core upstream services — operation and maintenance of FSO/FPSO units, central processing platforms (CPPs), and wellhead platforms (WHPs) — while expanding into ship management and marine transportation.

The leadership recognized that staying too long in a “comfort zone” would lead to stagnation — the loss of talent and growth opportunities. Venturing into the international shipping market was a calculated yet courageous decision, leveraging PVTrans OFS’s reputation, expertise, and resources.

“We started by ‘restructuring our mindset’ — changing the way we work, or changing who does the work,” Huong explained.

The year 2023 marked PVTrans OFS’s debut in managing its first oil product tanker assigned by the parent company, while still upholding its strong performance in upstream operations. This diversification brought challenges: upstream operations are stable and highly standardized, whereas shipping is a volatile, fast-moving market that demands agility and mastery of international laws and standards.

To prepare, the company implemented two initiatives simultaneously:

1. Mindset readiness — helping staff embrace change and new challenges.

2. Professional training — organizing hands-on maritime training and hiring experienced seafarers.

Naturally, there were personnel shifts during this transition, but Huong viewed it as an opportunity for skill growth.

“The indicator I value most,” she smiled, “is not just the percentage of growth — it’s how much income we’ve increased, how many people have advanced, and how many new jobs we’ve created.”

Modern Management, Empowered Workforce

Alongside strategic transformation, Huong has boldly applied modern management models to streamline the organization and enhance workforce quality. One standout example is the project-based management model.

Since 2020, instead of a traditional departmental structure, PVTrans OFS has operated around individual projects or contracts. Each member of the Board of Directors acts as a project leader — given the authority to make timely decisions within company guidelines. Functional departments still provide support and oversight but respect project autonomy. This flexible framework has yielded clear results: a leaner structure, faster decision-making, transparent management costs, and improved productivity, all leading to higher employee income.

The company has also pioneered a competency framework for engineers and crew members — a key step in ensuring quality and fairness in HR management. Post-pandemic, the industry faced an acute shortage of skilled labor and growing competition for high-level talent. To maintain client trust and uphold autonomy in personnel deployment, PVTrans OFS standardized qualifications for every position.

“We’ve quantified about 80% of evaluation criteria — the remaining 20% are soft skills, which are inevitably subjective,” Huong said.

Every employee knows precisely what technical, safety, and language standards they must meet to be certified. Those who fall short receive targeted training; those who meet the standards gain transparent promotion paths and form a ready talent pool for future needs.

This system is not only a commitment to service quality but also a foundation for fairness, reducing subjectivity in promotions and appointments.

The Sao Vang – Dai Nguyet Legacy

Listening to Huong passionately describe her company’s management innovations, one cannot help but recall the Sao Vang – Dai Nguyet (SV-DN) project, one of Vietnam’s largest and most advanced gas and condensate platforms. PVTrans OFS won the O&M contract for the project in 2018 and has successfully maintained it with Japanese client Idemitsu ever since.

Huong reminisced about the nearly two-year pre-operations phase before the platform officially received its first gas in 2020 — a period filled with intense preparation.

“We recruited personnel early and enrolled them in comprehensive training programs — from theory to simulator sessions. They participated in test runs while the platform was still being fabricated onshore, and later joined offshore commissioning for the first gas,” she said.

Each stage of workforce development was synchronized with the overall project timeline. Thanks to this careful preparation, PVTrans OFS’s O&M team met all of the Japanese contractor’s stringent standards.

“Operating a gas platform like Sao Vang requires precision and strict discipline — proof that our team has truly mastered new-generation technology,” she emphasized.

Five years on, the Sao Vang – Dai Nguyet project has achieved Zero LTI (Lost Time Injury) and maintains an exceptionally low turnover rate — under 3% annually.

Huong attributes this to three core principles:

1. Fair and sustainable income — ensuring financial stability for staff.

2. Clear career development paths — offering growth opportunities for all.

3. A culture of respect and transparency — empowering employees to speak up.

At Sao Vang – Dai Nguyet, team-building and engagement activities dissolve the traditional “boss–employee” gap. Leaders from both Idemitsu and PVTrans OFS often join engineers in workshops and team events, creating a warm, family-like workplace where everyone feels heard, valued, and recognized for their contributions.

Ms. Mai Thi Hoai Huong with the operation team of the Sao Vang – Dai Nguyet project.

The Spirit of a Female Leader: Overcoming Pressure with the “Two Excellence” Mindset

Transitioning from career discussions to personal life, I asked Ms. Huong about her experience as a female leader in an industry dominated by men. Indeed, the image of a woman leading a team of captains and seasoned offshore engineers made me wonder: has gender ever been a barrier for her? She smiled warmly, “Honestly, I’ve never found gender to be an obstacle at work. The job description doesn’t say male or female — as long as you can meet the requirements, you can do it.”

That confident yet humble demeanor explains why her colleagues call her “Captain” with admiration but also see her as an approachable “big sister.” PVTrans OFS staff shared that when negotiating or working with partners, Ms. Huong always maintains the composure and authority of a leader, while preserving her feminine grace. Clients and business partners, whether in formal meetings or informal gatherings, always treat her as a professional equal — gender has never been a dividing line.

She admits she’s not a good drinker and often declines alcohol, but makes up for it by engaging through countless topics — history, culture, cuisine, science, or humor. Those casual exchanges not only break the ice but also build genuine connections. Her soft-spoken approach, in fact, becomes a leadership strength — fostering closeness and empathy, especially when team members come to her with challenges. The “boss-employee” gap is thus bridged naturally.

Yet, what weighs most on Ms. Huong’s heart isn’t work, but family. Despite her busy schedule, she always reminds herself she’s a woman of the family first. Both she and her husband have successful careers, but they take turns caring for their two sons throughout each stage of their upbringing. “My biggest regret is never having enough time with my children,” she said softly. Knowing her sons became independent early, she tries to make up for it by being fully present whenever possible.

Even after late meetings or distant business trips, she drives home through the night just to greet her sons the next morning — sharing breakfast and preparing lunch boxes before school. For her, the quality of time matters more than quantity. “Out of sight, out of mind” — she believes that’s true, so no matter how advanced technology gets, she still prefers in-person connection with her loved ones. She doesn’t use social media and rarely watches TV, instead cherishing simple family rituals — preparing breakfast together, weekend cooking, reading, watching movies, and sharing laughter.

“My sons see me as their best friend — that’s my greatest joy and the key to my balance between work and life,” she said with a smile. Her two sons, aged 18 and 25, still tell her “I love you” every day, still share everything with their mom. To her, those tender words are like drops of sunlight — small but powerful sources of energy nurturing love and warmth at home.

Against that backdrop, it’s easy to see why Ms. Huong was honored with the prestigious “Two Excellence” title — Excellent at work, devoted at home. Achieving this balance is never easy for modern women. When asked if this title creates pressure for women today, she looked out the window, where the afternoon light was fading, and answered thoughtfully:

“First, calmly accept what you cannot control; have the courage to change what you can; and, most importantly, be wise enough to know the difference.”

Her response reflects a mindful life philosophy — to focus energy on what truly matters instead of worrying about what’s beyond one’s reach. Ms. Huong believes that if a woman can balance both career and family, that’s wonderful. But even if she excels in just one — contributing either to her family or society — it’s already a remarkable achievement.

“I’m lucky to have a supportive family,” she said gently. “I’m not sure I’m excellent at both, but I try to be better every day — and I try not to let expectations become my pressure.”

On her computer screen is an image that has remained unchanged for years — a small sprout growing from a crack in dry stone. To her, it’s a daily reminder:

“Just one drop of water, one ray of light, and life can bloom.”

Life and work are never smooth sailing. There are times so harsh that giving up seems easier. But with a bit of faith and light within, even the impossible can happen. That’s how she overcomes hardship — not through grand gestures, but through quiet, persistent belief in herself.

As I said goodbye after our conversation, I couldn’t help but admire her resilience and dedication — the strength of a small but steadfast “captain.” In Ms. Huong, I saw the embodiment of the modern Vietnamese woman: dynamic, innovative in her profession, yet gentle and devoted in her family life. She radiates an inspiring energy — of continuous learning, courage to change, and commitment to others.

The “Two Excellence” title awarded to Ms. Mai Thi Hoai Huong is more than recognition of her ability — it symbolizes the harmony of intellect, integrity, and love that defines both her leadership and her life.

(Source: PetroTimes)
https://petrovietnam.petrotimes.vn/nu-thuyen-truong-hai-gioi-cua-pvtrans-ofs-733498.html