Legal Consultant Profiles: "The Passionate Photographer" Danh Nguyen.

Danh Nguyen is the General Manager for EMEA & Managing Consultant at KorumLegal. He is based in London and in this Q&A we find out more about him, his experience and his thoughts on diversity and inclusion. Anyone who knows Danh will say he is sophisticated, intelligent and gracious. Let's get into it! 

Hey Danh! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi, sure. I was born in the south of Vietnam and moved to Sydney, Australia with my family when I was 7. I grew up and lived there until 2008 when I relocated to Hong Kong to take up a new professional opportunity with Western Union. I spent almost 9 years in that pulsating city and for the past (almost) 4 years I’ve been based here in London, another world capital. My passions are travel, film, cooking and good food, photography and architecture. My extensive travels have taken me to nearly 50 countries and over 120 cities. It’s been an incredible journey of discovery and I’m looking forward to travelling again when this pandemic recedes.

What is lockdown life like as a legal consultant?

Agility has always been at the core of what we do here at KorumLegal, so it wasn’t too difficult for me to shift to a different way of working, where I’ve been relying more and more on technology to help me stay connected with my team and my customers from all over the world. If anything, I’ve been communicating more (not less) with my colleagues and customers. Yes, it has been challenging at times during this lockdown, but it was also an opportunity to take stock, slow down and reassess what is really important, and to prioritise the things that matter more to me as a person and as a professional. I’ve been doing some writing, for instance.

As a legal consultant, you’ve worked with a range of customers. How important do you think diversity and inclusion is and what value does it bring in a workplace?

Incredibly important. As someone who has come from a minority ethnic background growing up in a predominantly white society, I’ve learnt to be more resilient and thick-skinned. A diverse and inclusive society adds richness and depth to our shared human experiences. It also makes the workplace more equitable and fair, and allows for different and unique perspectives to be voiced and heard, all adding to a more collaborative workplace where people come together to think of creative solutions to the challenges we all face. In the wake of the Black Lives Movement, diversity has become more important than ever in creating a more just society.

It’s also Pride month! What does that mean to you?

It’s another facet of diversity and inclusion. It’s about acceptance and understanding. It’s about each one of us listening more to our fellow human beings. It’s about being proud of who we are, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion or the colour of our skin. And, it’s about standing up for the things that we believe in.