Mekong Capital

Chad Ovel grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and studied at Carleton College. He began his career in Vietnam at age 22 with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Indochina Program in Hanoi, where in 1997 he worked on conservation of the Phong Nha Ke Bang forest ecosystem in Quang Binh Province.

Lê joined Mekong Capital in 2003 as a research assistant in the investment advisory department and worked on executing and managing three investments in the firm's first fund (MEF). She later served as head of the investment team, leading the investment in Chế biến Gỗ Đức Thành and overseeing its post-investment management until 2007, and helped establish the firm's talent recruitment initiative for portfolio companies. Since 2007 she has overseen Mekong Capital's operations, including investor relations, communications, finance, talent and culture, office administration, IT, external relations, portfolio valuation, and environmental and social management.

Ashley Trang Pham is an Investment Director at Mekong Capital, which she joined in 2021, advancing from Specialist to Senior Specialist and then to her current role while working with management teams on operational improvements and growth. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2015 and holds Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Enrolled Agent (EA) certifications. Before Mekong Capital, she worked at Wisniewski Wealth Management in Dallas and as an equity research analyst at VCBF (Vietcombank Fund Management).

Ellen Van is an Investment Director at Mekong Capital, where she leads fundraising for the firm's impact fund, focused on restoring the natural ecosystems of the Mekong River region and improving the well-being of local communities. She holds a Master of Commerce and a Master of Professional Accounting from the University of Sydney, and previously worked in financial advisory roles at the Commonwealth Bank and Macquarie Group in Australia. She joined Mekong Capital in 2020 after returning to Vietnam.

Lại Hà Thu has more than 10 years of experience in finance and strategic management. She began her career in investment banking at Credit Suisse in New York, advising on financing and M&A transactions, and later served as Director of Corporate Finance and Investor Relations at Seedcom in Ho Chi Minh City. She joined Mekong Capital in June 2021, where she works with the firm and its portfolio companies.

Khanh Van is an Investment Principal at Mekong Capital with over 15 years of experience in private equity, venture capital, and corporate finance in Vietnam. She began her career at PwC (2006–2009) as an auditor and advisory consultant, then joined Mekong Capital in 2009, working as a finance and accounting consultant before moving into the investment team. Between 2022 and 2026 she held roles including Finance Director at Con Cưng and Taisun and Director of Private Equity Investment at Thiên Việt Securities, returning to Mekong Capital as Investment Principal in January 2026. She is an ACCA Fellow and holds an MBA from a U.S. institution.

Nguyễn Minh Cường is an Investment Principal at Mekong Capital, where he works on sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and closing investments as well as managing exits. He previously spent over a decade in finance, including roles at PwC Vietnam and KPMG Vietnam providing financial advisory services such as valuation, M&A support, and auditing, and has been involved in entrepreneurial ventures.

Sophia Trang Chu is an Investment Principal at Mekong Capital with expertise across retail, education, agritech, and logistics, including expanding store networks and improving operational performance. She graduated from the Western Washington University School of Business and spent over a decade in management consulting, investment banking, and financial auditing, including roles at EY Consulting and PwC. Before Mekong Capital she worked on projects such as business due diligence, corporate restructuring, and market development strategy for clients in telecommunications, real estate, and fashion manufacturing.

Stan Amijee joined Mekong Capital in November 2025 as an Investment Director, where he leads deal origination and execution with a focus on high-value export-oriented crops linked to smallholder farmers. He previously worked at Criterion Africa Partners, a forestry investment manager, and before that was a Senior Investment Manager at British International Investment, executing direct and indirect investments in food, agriculture, and forestry. He holds a BSc in Computational Biology from the University of Warwick and a Master's in Finance from the London School of Economics.

Trung is Head of Communications at Mekong Capital, which he joined in September 2025, overseeing the firm's internal and external communications and advising portfolio companies on media strategy and crisis management. He has over 20 years of experience in journalism, PR, and communications, most recently as Global PR Director at Vingroup, where he worked on VinFast's international launch, and previously as Communications Director for Tam Anh General Hospital Group and VNVC Vaccination System. Earlier in his career he was Assistant Managing Editor at Zing News and a reporter at Thanh Nien and Tuoi Tre.

Hai has over a decade of experience in market research, strategic consulting, and business data analytics. Before joining Mekong Capital, he was Head/Director of the Market Research and Consulting Platform at FiinGroup (an affiliate of Nikkei Inc.), where he led industry research and market entry strategy projects across sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, consumer retail, agriculture, healthcare, and education. At Mekong Capital, he serves as Head of Portfolio Data Analytics, working with portfolio companies to turn market data into actionable strategies.

Nguyen Thi Minh Giang serves in an advisory capacity at Mekong Capital, focusing on portfolio company transformation, leadership development, and organizational culture. During an earlier 12-year tenure with the firm, she worked with the leadership teams of more than 40 companies. She also mentors Mekong's leadership on values and culture and connects the team with experts and fundraising opportunities.

Nga is a human resources consultant at Mekong Capital, where she supports the firm and its portfolio companies in building leadership teams. She has 16 years of experience in executive recruitment and HR consulting, previously serving as Country Director for Vietnam at Odgers Berndtson and founding RGF Executive Search Vietnam in 2012. She holds a Master's degree in Human Resource Management and Development from the Institute for International Social Studies (ISS) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.