We are proud to unveil the esteemed jury panel for the GBA Business Awards 2025 — a distinguished group of industry leaders who will bring their expertise, insight, and fairness to evaluating this year’s nominations. Carefully selected for their exceptional achievements across diverse sectors, our judges will ensure a balanced and thorough review of all entries based solely on the materials and descriptions submitted by nominees. 
Meet the exceptional individuals who will help us honor excellence at this year’s awards:
- Mr. Eckart Dutz – Owner & General Director, Pacific Partners | Co-Founder, Vietnam Supply Chain | Guest Lecturer, RMIT & VGU
Eckart is Owner & General Director of Pacific Partners (VN), Ltd., a Sourcing Company specialized in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (Food and Nonfood). That includes export activities to Markets in the Pacific Islands as well as the import of Nonfood products (Sole agent for UBL China) to Vietnam. Beyond his corporate and academic roles, he is an entrepreneur in the hospitality sector, running The Loop restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. Since arriving in Vietnam in 1995, he has held senior supply chain roles at Unilever across Vietnam, Thailand, the Netherlands, and Germany, most recently as Regional Supply Chain Manager for Ice Cream in Southeast Asia.
Eckart received a PhD in Supply Chain Management from Mannheim University (Germany) and a Diploma in Business Administration as well as a Post Graduate Degree (Lic.rer.pol.) in International Economics. He is Co-Founder of the Vietnam Supply Chain (www.vietnamsupplychain.com) and previously on the Boards of Advisors of the Vietnam Supply Chain Council as well as an Advisor to the Sourcing & Purchasing Club Vietnam. Furthermore he is a Guest Lecturer for Supply Chain Management & Business Consulting in MBA Programs of RMIT, VGU (Vietnam German University), Solvay Brussel School Economics Management.
- Mr. Leif Schneider – Managing Director of international law firm Luther’s Vietnam
A German-qualified lawyer with over a decade of legal experience in Asia, Leif Schneider has advised international clients from bases in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok, and Ho Chi Minh City. Licensed as a foreign lawyer in Vietnam since 2018, he is currently Managing Director of the Vietnam practice of international law firm Luther.
Leif specializes in guiding investment projects for start-ups, SMEs, tech firms, and multinational corporations, with sector expertise covering real estate, infrastructure, manufacturing, hospitality, FMCG, tech, and renewable energy. He is also highly regarded for his work in cross-border dispute resolution and international arbitration across Southeast Asia.
- Mr. Stefan Ewers – Lawyer, Partner at Graf von Westphalen.
With 15 years of practical experience in Southeast Asia, Stefan Ewwers leads the Vietnam office of GvW Graf von Westphalen. He advises foreign investors with a strong focus on investment law, supporting greenfield projects, M&A transactions, and tax structuring related to Vietnam. His track record includes establishing production facilities, structuring renewable energy projects, and setting up distribution entities.
Stefan studied in Bielefeld, Germany and Melbourne, Australia, and his expertise has earned him a place among Vietnam’s Top 100 Lawyers as recognized by the Asia Business Law Journal.
- Ms. Mimi Vu – Partner at Raise Partners.
Mimi Vu is the co-founder of Raise Partners, a social and environmental impact and ESG consulting practice in Vietnam. She received her undergraduate degrees from the University of Michigan and her MPA from New York University, and has been based in Vietnam since 2006. With over 20 years of experience, Mimi has made significant contributions to the field of sustainable development in areas such as gender equality, climate change, economic development, education, public health, ethnic minority empowerment, supply chains, and labor migration. She is also the co-founder and organizer of the annual Vietnam ESG Investor Conference.
Recognized globally as one of the leading experts on Vietnamese human trafficking and modern slavery, Mimi advises governments, trains law enforcement, and develops private sector solutions. She is Co-Founder and Vice-Chair of the Vietnam International Safe Labour Alliance (VISLA) and serves on several boards, including the Advisory Board of BeluxCham and as Vice-Chair of EuroCham’s Women in Business Committee, also named by Tatler magazine as one of “Asia’s Most Influential” in 2024. She currently serves as Director of Vietnam Holding, a London listed closed-end fund investing in Vietnamese equities that has outperformed the market over 1, 3, 5, and 10 years.
We are honored to have such an exceptional jury for the GBA Business Awards 2025, each bringing a wealth of knowledge and unique perspectives. Their collective expertise will ensure a fair and insightful evaluation process, celebrating the very best in Vietnam’s business community.