Motherhood, leadership and new ambitions: Nguyen Bang Lang, an MBA student

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Motherhood, leadership and new ambitions: Nguyen Bang Lang, an MBA student

Nguyen Bang Lang had professional success. She then became a mother. At a time when she had every reason to slow down, she chose to invest in becoming more capable of creating change.

Bang Lang began her career in marketing before finding her calling in sustainability. Today, she leads Corporate Sustainability & External Relations at AEON Vietnam, working across ESG strategy, stakeholder engagement, government relations and cross-functional collaboration.

Through her work, she came to recognise that meaningful sustainability transformation requires more than the efforts of sustainability professionals. It takes business leaders who can integrate sustainability into strategy, operations and everyday decisions. That realisation led her to consider what she needed to achieve greater impact.

My goal isn't simply to become better at sustainability. It's to become a stronger business leader.

Becoming a mother added another dimension to that ambition. As she thought about the future her daughter would inherit, her desire to contribute to meaningful, long-term change became even more personal. Rather than waiting for a less demanding stage of life, Bang Lang decided to pursue an MBA.

Making room for new ambitions

It was during her pregnancy that Bang Lang began seriously considering postgraduate study. While on maternity leave, she prepared her admission and scholarship applications to RMIT Vietnam. She was awarded an MBA scholarship and attended her first class when her daughter was just seven months old.

Balancing a demanding career, motherhood and postgraduate study required careful planning and commitment. Yet Bang Lang never saw her new responsibilities as a reason to put her aspirations aside.

I never saw motherhood as a reason to postpone my aspirations.

The scholarship held particular significance. Beyond financial support, it reinforced her belief that purpose, preparation and perseverance could open opportunities, even during a major transition in life. RMIT's MBA offered the flexibility she was looking for. She could continue working while studying and select courses aligned with her long-term professional aspirations rather than follow a predefined major or minor.

For Bang Lang, the decision was not simply about earning another qualification. It was about deliberately developing the capabilities she would need for the next stage of her career.

Nguyen Bang Lang was awarded an MBA scholarship.

Bringing experience into a community of learners

When Bang Lang entered the MBA classroom, she brought years of experience in sustainability and business, along with real organisational challenges she was navigating at AEON Vietnam.

She also found herself learning alongside professionals from different industries, each bringing their own experiences, perspectives and approaches to solving problems.

That exchange is central to how she approaches her studies.

Every week, Bang Lang brings real workplace challenges into the classroom, examines them through academic frameworks and considers how others might approach the same issues. She then takes those insights back to work, creating a continuous connection between learning and practice.

But learning is not a one-way exchange. Bang Lang brings her experience in sustainability and organisational transformation, while classmates from different industries contribute their own perspectives. Together, they form a unique learning community where diverse experiences enrich discussions, challenge assumptions and open up new ways of thinking about leadership and business.

Leading by example, beyond the classroom

Now in her third semester, Bang Lang continues to build towards her ambition of becoming a business leader capable of creating broader impact.

But her aspirations extend beyond her own professional development.

She hopes her experience will encourage other women who are navigating the demands of their careers, families and personal ambitions to recognise that these different roles do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Nguyen Bang Lang at the MBA induction

I hope my journey can encourage other women to believe that they don't have to choose between being a professional, a mother or a lifelong learner.

It is also the example she hopes to set for her daughter.

As a member of RMIT's postgraduate community, Bang Lang brings not only her professional expertise but also a personal perspective on ambition, responsibility and lifelong learning.

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11 November 2026

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