Tuan Van Hoang Tran

Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management

“Curious, global-minded leader leveraging technology and science to solve complex problems and improve lives.”

Hometown: Haiphong, Vietnam

Fun Fact About Yourself: I recently joined the Vanderbilt Tango club. It is totally outside of my usual comfort zone, but I have discovered a whole new interesting world. My teacher says I am a fast learner, and I love every minute of it!

Undergraduate School and Major: Minerva University, B.S. in Business (Managing Operational Complexity).

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Digital Marketing Lead, Minerva Project.

What has been your favorite part of Nashville so far? Why? The Vanderbilt campus. I have attended many university events outside of the business school, from classical and jazz concerts to basketball and football games. There are world-class performances at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music almost every week, and I go there frequently. The campus is also a beautiful arboretum. Outside of that, I have also really enjoyed the Nashville Symphony and Nashville Ballet.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Vanderbilt Owen’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school? Being part of a major university with significant history, resources, and momentum in academics, innovation, and sports. Before my decision, I also talked to current students, and was amazed at how welcoming, supportive people are and the opportunities that they have here. Besides that, I was also particularly interested in Vanderbilt’s deep expertise and strong reputation in healthcare.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Vanderbilt Owen? Healthcare Strategy and Leadership, which feels like a front-row seat to how healthcare is moving in the US. Taught by a healthcare analytics CEO, we analyze all the sub-sectors within the industry. Every class features a guest speaker leading a major healthcare organization, spanning providers, payers, biopharma, entrepreneurs, and reformers like Mark Cuban (I even got to hear him speak and meet him in real life!). Beyond strategy, I’ve also had the chance to reflect on how my own values will drive the change I want to see as a leader through writing my personal leadership credo.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In my previous job, I worked on higher education innovation, seeing firsthand how technology can be used as an accelerator for academic transformation to benefit learners. During the pandemic, I joined the company when educational institutions globally were forced to switch to online modalities, leading to a surge in demand for our services. Working under the Chief Business Officer, I scaled our marketing technology and sales pipeline, and created new processes for seamless integration between sales and marketing that continue to be used today. My work has contributed to partnerships with numerous higher education institutions around the world.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? Maintaining balance and focusing on self-development. An MBA is truly what you make of it. For me, it has been an extraordinary opportunity to explore my interests and values outside of the usual routine of academics, job searching, and networking. My accomplishment has been intentionally exploring what I like, what I don’t like, and how to excel academically and professionally, all while having fun that keeps me from burning out.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? Going on the New York finance trek with the Owen team. I got to tour the NASDAQ and observe a live opening bell.

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