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In an industry with long development cycles such as agriculture, capabilities cannot be built overnight. At the same time, technology, data, and markets are requiring businesses to transform faster than ever.

According to Mr. Trần Trọng Gia Vinh, Independent Member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Human Resources Committee of Thanh Thanh Cong – Bien Hoa Joint Stock Company (AgriS, HOSE: SBT), the belief that “People are an organization’s assets” goes beyond attracting and retaining talent. Businesses need to identify the right people, create the conditions for them to realize their potential, and translate individual growth into the organization’s long-term capabilities.

Mr. Trần Trọng Gia Vinh, Independent Member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Human Resources Committee of Thanh Thanh Cong – Bien Hoa Joint Stock Company (AgriS, HOSE: SBT)

AgriS is entering the next phase of its strategy toward 2030, targeting VND 60 trillion in revenue while continuing to expand its high-tech agriculture ecosystem.

Agriculture Requires Capability; Going the Distance Requires Passion and Perseverance

AgriS is aiming for greater scale at a time when technology and markets are changing rapidly. From a governance perspective, how do you view the people challenge facing agricultural businesses today?

The agricultural enterprise of the future cannot rely solely on traditional capabilities. AgTech, FoodTech, AI, data, biotechnology, supply chains, international business, and commercialization are becoming essential capabilities.

As the business grows, what concerns me is how prepared the Executive Management and the broader organization are for these new requirements. They must continue operating the current business while simultaneously changing how they work for the future. Growth needs to go hand in hand with the development of the people responsible for delivering it.

From the Board’s perspective, setting growth targets must also involve listening closely to the Executive Management: Where are the bottlenecks? Which capabilities are still lacking? What does the organization need to prepare in order to turn strategic ambitions into execution capabilities?

Agriculture has its own rhythm. Technology may change within months and markets can shift quickly, but a raw material area, a crop cycle, or an R&D program takes time to demonstrate results. Some capabilities can be added quickly, but a genuine understanding of agriculture must be accumulated over time.

Someone may be highly capable in technology, finance, or commerce, but once they enter agriculture, they still need time to understand raw material areas, crop cycles, farmers, and the value chain behind every product.

“Working in agriculture requires capability, but going the distance requires passion for the industry, commitment, and perseverance.”

Meanwhile, AI, data, and automation are forcing businesses to learn and transform faster. AgriS’s challenge is to build a team that is fast enough to master change, deep enough to understand agriculture, and resilient enough to pursue long-term value.

Sustainability follows the same logic. In agriculture, ESG is reflected in how a business uses resources, develops raw material areas, works alongside farmers, and considers the long-term impact of every decision. When ESG becomes part of strategy, the ability to execute ESG must also become an organizational capability, beginning with how each individual makes decisions in their daily work.

Talent Alone Is Not Enough

AgriS defines “People as the Organization’s Assets.” Does this mean the Company should try to retain every talented employee?

“People are the organization’s assets” should be understood more broadly than simply retaining people. Retaining talented individuals is important, but fit is ultimately what determines the value of the relationship between an individual and an organization.

“At AgriS, I look at fit through three dimensions: the ability to deliver results, the ability to adapt to the pace of change, and commitment to the long-term journey of agriculture. A talented person may help the business solve one challenge. The right person can accompany the business through many challenges.”

I deeply appreciate the individuals who have contributed to bringing the Company to where it is today. At the same time, an organization must build a system strong enough to continue developing without becoming dependent on any single individual or position.

The experience and capabilities of talented people need to be shared so that colleagues and the next generation of employees can grow with them. The organization must also proactively identify and develop talent, while bringing in external capabilities when needed.

For externally recruited employees, hiring talented people is only the beginning. Their fit must be proven in practice, where individual experience meets the organization’s way of working, strategic requirements, and the long-term characteristics of agriculture.

As the organization continues to evolve and successive generations of employees take on new roles, how can AgriS ensure that the capabilities it has built are not lost?

The maturity of an organization is reflected in how it prepares for each transition: recognizing the contributions of those who came before, supporting those who take on new responsibilities, and ensuring that the broader team clearly understands the direction ahead. When succession and transition are thoughtfully planned and responsibly implemented, business operations and strategy execution have a stronger foundation for continuity and stability.

The knowledge of previous generations must be translated into systems, methodologies, and data so that those who follow can continue to build upon it.

“A mature organization is not one that never experiences changes in people. It is one where, after every change, knowledge remains and capabilities continue to grow.”

This is also how we view succession. Succession does not begin when a position is about to become vacant. It is an ongoing process of identifying, developing, rotating, and creating opportunities for people to build a leadership pipeline capable of taking on greater responsibilities.

From Individual Capabilities to Organizational Capabilities

What foundations is AgriS building to turn individual capabilities into shared organizational capabilities?

An organization cannot simply expect people to develop on their own. Businesses need to build the infrastructure required to identify capabilities, develop people, and preserve organizational knowledge.

AgriS is implementing the OneHR project with Ernst & Young (EY) on the Oracle Fusion Cloud – Human Capital Management platform across 30 entities in five countries. In parallel, the Company is working with Talentnet on an Organizational Capability Framework project to establish a job-grade system and market benchmarking framework.

These initiatives are designed to standardize workforce data, identify capabilities, and build development pathways for people across the organization.

The value of these projects must ultimately be demonstrated through tangible changes. From a management perspective, the tools need to help the business clearly understand how effectively resources are being utilized and enable timely, evidence-based decision-making. For employees, they need to understand what their roles require, how their contributions are evaluated, and what development opportunities are available to them.

As technology and ways of working evolve, employees may naturally have concerns about the future of their roles. Businesses need to clearly explain what will change and help their people learn new ways of working. When people understand the transformation and are properly prepared for it, they will have greater confidence in navigating the change.

From Developing AgriS People to Building Human Capital for High-Tech Agriculture

AgriS operates across multiple markets and many parts of the value chain. What kind of environment can the Company create to attract and develop talented people?

Talented people need to see that by joining AgriS, they can learn, be trusted with meaningful responsibilities, and create contributions that matter. Compensation is important, but it needs to be complemented by the quality of leadership, opportunities for mobility, and the chance to participate in international projects.

“We want AgriS to be a place where talented people find challenges large enough to create meaningful value, and where people with potential find an environment strong enough to help them become exceptional.”

Developing People to Create Sustainable Value

If you were to summarize AgriS’s human capital strategy in one message, what would it be?

I would still begin with something AgriS has always believed: people are the organization’s assets.

An asset only truly creates value when it is placed in the right role, given opportunities to develop, and aligned with the organization’s direction. People management therefore needs to ensure the right people, with the right capabilities, at the right time; create the conditions for them to perform at their best during their journey with the organization; and translate the value they create into long-term organizational capabilities.

In agriculture, this also requires passion and perseverance. AgriS needs people who are fast enough to evolve with technology and markets, deep enough to understand agriculture, and persistent enough to pursue long-term results.

“People may come and go through different stages of an organization’s journey. What must remain and continue to grow are knowledge, capabilities, and stronger generations of people.”

AgriS is building capabilities for itself while also contributing to the development of people who understand agriculture, can master technology, and know how to balance business performance with long-term value for farmers, communities, and the broader ecosystem. Developing people is, in itself, building the Company’s capacity for sustainable development.