Nguyen Thien Nhan, who studied in the former East Germany and the US, has been appointed the new leader of Saigon.

VnExpress reports that Nhan, 63, was announced as the city's new head following the dismissal of Dinh La Thang over past business violations. Prior to this appointment, Nhan was head of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, which oversees all political and social groups in the country, in addition to being a member of Politburo, the Communist Party's decision-making body.

He speaks fluent English thanks to his time at the University of Oregon, where he earned a master's in public administration through a Fulbright scholarship.

Nhan, who hails from Tra Vinh province in the Mekong Delta, served as vice chairman of Saigon from 2001 to 2006 and is well-known among the city's business community, the news source shares.

Fred Burke, a board member of the local American Chamber of Commerce, told VnExpress, "it is a good sign that the Party can mobilize such capable leaders to take the country forward into the future, and his commitment to public service is really admirable. He is highly respected in the foreign business community." 

Meanwhile Thang, the ousted city head, has been appointed deputy head of the Party's Central Economic Committee.

[Photo via Zing]