GELEX On Stage: A Stage Where People Grow

What started as an MC training course became a stage where people could step outside their comfort zones, discover new strengths, and find the confidence to show up in their own way.

After a month of learning and practice, GELEX On Stage came to a close with a final round featuring five participants whose performances stood out.

But what happened on stage that day was about more than MC skills. It was about how people changed the way they showed up in front of an audience, connected with others, and told GELEX’s stories with confidence.

GELEX On Stage was made possible through the support of the Group’s leadership and collaboration between the Human Resources and Communications teams. The program began with a practical goal: to build an internal pool of MCs while giving employees a space to step up, strengthen their presentation skills, become more comfortable on stage, and develop capabilities they could use in their everyday work.

Five Performances, Five Ways to Tell the GELEX Story

Out of 27 individual entries, five participants were selected for the final round. There was no single format or set topic. Each participant chose an event, developed their own concept, and turned the final round into a stage for their own story.

One performance brought October 20 to life through messages of appreciation shared via QR codes. Another, titled The Thank You I Never Said, began with a magic trick and ended with a letter to a colleague whose quiet support had made a difference. Another brought March 8 to life in color, inviting everyone to add their own color to a bigger picture.

There was also a story about the spirit of compassion among GELEX people, where the microphone became a way to talk about community responsibility and the values GELEX wants to help build in society.

And then there was GELEX’s nearly four-decade journey, told through a simple game of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division – leading to one unexpected answer: “We.”

Five performances. Five different styles. But one thing connected them all: the people on stage were no longer simply reading from a script. They were thinking about what they wanted to say, how they wanted to tell it, and, most importantly, what they wanted the audience to remember. That is a change that is difficult to capture in a score.

Some participants who were hesitant to pick up a microphone on the first day stood confidently in front of an audience in the final. Behind those five finalists were many more colleagues who chose to try something new, step outside familiar territory, and make time to learn and practice.

After the performances and situational challenges, Nguyễn Thanh Dung from Human Resources won first place in GELEX On Stage. Two second-place awards went to Lê Thị Thùy Linh from Communications and Nguyễn Trịnh Quốc Long from Investment. Nguyễn Ngọc Huyền from Internal Audit and Vũ Thùy Linh from the Group Office took third place.

 

What Stays After the Journey

A microphone may only be in someone’s hands for a few minutes on stage. But the confidence to speak, connect with others, present an idea, or tell a compelling story can stay with them long after the program ends.

Moving from “what to say” to “why it matters” was one of the biggest changes the instructors noticed over the month.

Journalist Tạ Bích Loan noted that the journey was not simply about speaking skills. It was also about influence, structured thinking, and using language effectively. Participants moved from What – what to say, to How – how to say it, and finally to Why – why it matters.

Those changes became especially visible during the final. Colleagues who were more accustomed to working behind a desk showed a different side of themselves: better-prepared scripts, greater confidence, and, most importantly, an ability to bring the audience into their story.

According to Mai Thị Minh Thu, Chief Human Resources Officer at GELEX Group, GELEX On Stage is also part of the Group’s broader effort to develop people who can connect, influence, and represent the organization. When people are given the opportunity to grow and work toward a shared purpose, the organization grows stronger with them.

GELEX On Stage started with a very practical need: building an internal MC team for the Group. But it quickly became something more. It gave an auditor the chance to tell a story in front of an audience. An investment professional learned how to create an emotional connection. An HR professional learned how to command the stage. And colleagues from different functions gained new skills they could bring back to their everyday work.

As Nguyễn Hồng Nhung, Chief Communications Officer at GELEX Group, put it: “A strong organization needs people who are good at what they do. But it also needs people who can present an idea, persuade others, bring a team together, tell the organization’s story, and have the confidence to step forward when a new opportunity comes.”

Seen this way, the value of GELEX On Stage is not simply that GELEX now has more people who can take the stage. More importantly, it created a space for people to try, discover something new about themselves, and grow.

Because investing in people is not just about teaching another skill. It is also about creating opportunities for people to recognize their strengths, try things they have never done before, and discover that they may be capable of more than they once thought.

A new skill today can become a valuable capability tomorrow. Greater confidence can help someone connect better with colleagues. And someone who learns to tell their own story may eventually become someone who can help tell the story of the organization.

When those individual changes come together around a shared purpose, people grow – and so does the organization.

Behind the Microphone Is a Different Version of Yourself

GELEX On Stage ended after a month. But perhaps the real value of the program begins when people step off the stage – a little more confident, a little more self-aware, and ready to bring what they have learned back into their everyday work.

“What I gained wasn’t the award. It was the confidence to step up and express myself. GELEX On Stage gave me the opportunity to try something new, discover abilities I didn’t know I had, and learn how to connect with people through a story.”

Nguyễn Thanh Dung – GELEX On Stage Champion

“I joined the program to become a better MC, but after a month, I took away much more than that. I learned how to present an idea, manage my emotions, and have the confidence to speak up when it matters. I can use all of these skills in my everyday work.”

Lê Thị Thùy Linh – Participant

“I was impressed by the participants’ energy and their commitment to learning, even when the sessions ran late into the evening.”

Nguyễn Lương Diệu An – Lecturer

“What stood out to me was the participants’ positive energy, strong sense of connection, willingness to learn, and openness to feedback. These are the qualities that help people keep learning and improving with every session.”

Dr. Hồ Thanh Tùng – Lecturer

PR DEPARTMENT