Board of Directors

Mr. Tassilo BRINZER

EuroCham Chairman

Living in Cambodia since 2001, Tassilo co-founded Southeastern Globe Communications, a regional media company based in the Kingdom with publications such as Southeastasiaglobe.com, Discover Cambodia, Focus Cambodia and since 2020, Focus - Ready for Tomorrow (Khmer).

He is also the founder of Brains Communication, a PR & marketing consultancy, and Hops Craft Brewery, both in Phnom Penh.

Tassilo has been leading the German Business Group in Cambodia (ADW) since 2010, and is co-founder of the European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia, of which he became Chairman in 2020.

Mr. Cyril GIROT

Vice-Chairman

Appointed Chief Executive Officer of Cambodia Airports, Cyril GIROT started his tenure on August 23, 2022.

Previously, from 2019, Mr. GIROT was CEO of Aéroports du Grand Ouest, an entity affiliated with VINCI Airports that develops and manages three airports in the western part of France, where he played a pivotal role in further developing traffic (7.2 million passengers in 2019) and expanding infrastructure. Demonstrating his leadership during the Covid-19 crisis by maintaining strong engagement with employees, commercial partners, and local authorities, he paved the way for the traffic recovery at Nantes airport.

Mr. GIROT made his first foray in the airport industry in 2016 when appointed CEO of Clermont-Ferrand Airport (France). He there earned praise for establishing a quality social dialogue, developing constructive relations with local elected officials, and increasing traffic and non-aeronautical activities.

Prior to joining VINCI Airports, Mr. GIROTt oversaw two major international infrastructure projects. In Saint-Petersburg (Russia), he headed the program management of the construction of 150 km of the Moscow-Saint-Petersburg highway; he also took part in the extension of the airport in Santiago, Chile’s capital city.

Before coming to VINCI Group, he held leading positions at two French ministries. First at the Ministry of Energy between 2010 and 2012, within the General Directorate for Energy and Climate, where he managed the State’s strategy for nuclear waste and nuclear site dismantling. Later, from 2012 to 2015, at the Ministry of Transport, he was Director of national roads and motorways of two regions surrounding Paris.

Mr. GIROT started his career in the energy sector. After having worked for Marathon Oil in Aberdeen (United Kingdom) as a reservoir engineer, he then joined Total as an analyst in the Strategy Directorate in Paris (France). Later, based in Dubai, he was marketing manager for the Middle East Region at Vallourec (a multinational manufacturing tubular solutions for the energy sectors). He thereafter joined Areva, a French multinational group specializing in nuclear power and renewable energy, as a consultant in industrial strategy.

Mr. GIROT is an engineer graduating from France’s elite schools École Polytechnique then École des Ponts et Chaussées. He also holds an MBA degree from Collège des Ingénieurs de Paris-Torino-Stuttgart (a dedicated MBA for engineers and scientists).

Mr. Thomas HUNDT

Vice-Chairman

Thomas has gained vast experience in telecommunication industry during his tenure in key management positions with Siemens AG’s Communication Division and Nokia Siemens Networks. Thomas was also a member of the Supervisory Board of Azerfon in Azerbaijan.

Since mid-2008, he has been CEO of the dynamically growing start-up mobile operator in Cambodia, Smart Mobile, which he grew from greenfield, number eight position in the market to number three position, including through the acquisition of Star-Cell in 2011. Since the completion of the merger between Hello Axiata and Smart Mobile in February 2013, Thomas serves as the CEO of Smart, now one of the leading mobile operators in Cambodia.

Mr. Martin MCCARTHY

Vice-Chairman

Martin McCarthy was born in December 1961; he was educated in the Marist and Jesuit catholic schools tradition. He went on to undertake his university degree education where he completed his double Masters and PhD in Architecture and Structural Engineering. He worked as an Architect in the UK for a number of years in different private practices before he set up his own in 1990. In 1994 he was asked to join ELF Oil UK Limited to create a Development and Construction department for them. This led to development of the Property Services Division of Elf and then on to creating a similar functions for ELF Aquitaine in Europe. After the merger with TOTAL in 2000 he moved to Paris to create a Purchasing function for Europe, then similar functions in the African and Asia Pacific Divisions of TOTAL. This was to lead to several assignments in Africa and then to his first post of Managing Director at TOTAL Zambia Ltd in late 2003. His following posting was that of CEO and Country manager for the two Total businesses in Pakistan, where he developed a network of 200 service stations and doubled the business over a 3 year period. He moved then to Paris for a major re-organization project for the HQ of the Sales and Marketing division for 18 months and then on to Cambodia as MD and Country Manager to bring the affiliate back to profitability. He moved then to the job of MD for Fiji, Tonga and PNG, with an overview of supply to the South Pacific Islands. He brought all the projects of investment for the islands to completion, restarted the businesses in Tonga, which had largely been abandoned due to difficulties in the country. He then launched the development of the network in Papua New Guinea where the first station was opened by the Total Group Chairman. He left Total after this and a short posting in Laos to become Chairman of LMMJM Investments LTD, which is the holding company for all of their family businesses in Cambodia. There are a number of service stations, Hotels and Resorts and various developments under way in Organic farming. He is very happily married to Leakhena, and looks forward to many more years together. Given their varied origins, it is truly an international affair.  

Mr. Antoine FONTAINE

Secretary General

Antoine is one of the founding partners of Bun & Associates. He is the Practice Leader of the Tax, Labor, Insurance and Healthcare practice groups. Amongst others, in insurance, he is considered as Elite Lawyer by AsiaLaw, providing comprehensive and strategic advices on market entry and advising the government and institutional donors on insurance regulation and on the management of disaster risks. In Healthcare, he advises the Ministry of Health and the WHO on its regulation. In labor, he provides strategic advises on managing collective disputes and dealing with trade unions, and support the labor inspection department of the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training. He is advisor of the board of the Camfeba (federation of employers in Cambodia) in charge of the labor law reform. In tax, he is considered as “Market Leading Lawyer for Tax” by AsiaLaw, assisting and providing a broad range of services pertaining to companies’ restructuring and acquisition projects, tax ruling, tax protesting and tax refund. He created and chaired the tax committee of the Eurocham.

Antoine has worked in Cambodia for over two decades. He holds a Ph.D. in Insurance Law from France. He used to teach from 1999 to 2015 at the Royal University of Law and Economics a large range of topics from History of ASEAN Laws to Administrative Law and Corporate Law.

He chaired the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Cambodia, while he initiated the creation of the EuroCham. He chaired the French Foreign Trade Advisers’ committee, organizing the first ASEAN forum in Cambodia. He is currently sitting as Avocat-Conseil of the French Embassy.

He co-leaded many events in Cambodia: the Career Forum in 2009 and 2010, the Luxury Faire in 2010, the Campus of the Paris Bar in 2014, the ASEAN Forum of the French Trade Advisers in 2019, the International Classical Music Festival at Sofitel including two operas with full orchestra in 2018 and 2019.

David Sok Dara Marshall

Treasurer

Ms. ADOLH Géraldine

EuroCham Board Member

In 2021, Géraldine (Gery) founded American Hardwood Flooring, a company reselling locally engineered hardwood flooring made in Cambodia.

Previously, Géraldine worked in the cell phone and computer sector for about 10 years in France, Luxembourg, and the USA. 

In 2015, Géraldine graduated with a bachelor's in Business Management and Human Resources from Penn State University. She worked in Human Resources in the USA for a German corporation first and then an Italian company, where she focused on databases, and developing hiring and payroll systems.

Mr. CHHEAV Narath

EuroCham Board Member

Graduated his Master degree in Business Management and Economics from Université Lumière Lyon 2 in France, he has been a Business & HR practitioner in promoting foreign investment, business expansion, job creation and human resources development in Cambodia. He has been working for several European companies and institutions including Total, Embassy of France and Decathlon. Currently, he also serves the roles as the Chairman of HR Committee at EuroCham, a Senior Advisor, and a Member of Council in the Business & HR sector in Cambodia.

Mr. Marco Juliá Eggert

EuroCham Board Member

Marco is General Manager and Co-Founder of Seekers Independent Spirits, which since its foundation at the end of 2018 has risen to have Cambodia’s top-selling premium gin, and its portfolio of spirits & liqueurs is currently the most awarded from this region. Seekers exports to 7 countries, as of 2022.
In Cambodia since 2013, Marco has gained a significant amount of experience managing both larger established businesses, as well as launching a successful start-up in Cambodia.

A Spanish and German national, he has been living in different parts of the world for more than a decade now and has exclusively been working for either hotel and/ or restaurant corporations, as well as for hospitality-related consulting companies at a corporate level. This has allowed him to understand the industry from many angles (until his recent jump into the alcohol industry).

Marco has a Master's in Hospitality Management - MMH (Cornell University, USA) and a Degree in Economics (Univ. de Barcelona, Spain).

Ms. Julie Keo

EuroCham Board Member

Julie is a French-Cambodian Legal Consultant and Business Development Specialist based at DFDL Phnom Penh. She graduated in Private Laws from Universite de Toulouse 1 Capitole, and has a Master's Degree in Political Sciences from Universite de Toulouse 1 Capitole and a Master's Degree in International Private Law from Universite Jean Moulin Lyon 3.

After working in Ho Chi Min City, she worked for 2 years in a law firm in Paris before moving to Cambodia in 2015. Julie worked for 4 and a half years at DFDL Real Estate & Corporate and Commercial Practice Groups where she managed company registration, company restructuring, and real estate projects before joining DKSH in the healthcare department as a Business Development Manager. At DKSH, she negotiated contracts with pharmaceutical companies wishing to implement and grow their business in Cambodia. In May 2022, Julie rejoined DFDL as Business Development Specialist and as a Legal Consultant to assist the team in Phnom Penh with legal work, with a focus on French clients. Julie speaks French, English, and Khmer.

Mr. Etienne Kettenmeyer

EuroCham Board Member

Etienne is a Luxembourg citizen with 20 years of experience in the financial and banking industry. He occupied various positions in France with KPMG, Société Générale, and GE Capital before relocating to Cambodia in 20215 with his family. He joined the nascent leasing industry as Country Manager and CEO of two leasing companies in Cambodia (BSP Finance and i-Finance), and Laos where he set up a new leasing company for his shareholders.

In 2022, in addition to his current position, Etienne was appointed as a member of the rating committee of the Rating Agency of Cambodia, the first licensed rating agency of Cambodia.

As a Director of the Board of Eurocham, Etienne aims to help its members to attract foreign investors, to develop business opportunities within ASEAN, and to advocate for fruitful business and regulatory relationships between Cambodia and the EU.

Etienne holds a Master in Business Management from Dauphine University (Paris, France).

Dr. Sok Siphana

EuroCham Board Member

Dr Sok Siphana is a practicing attorney and the Founding Partner at Sok Siphana & Associates, a law and consulting firm specializing in international trade and corporate law in Phnom Penh. He was appointed by Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen concurrently as Advisor to the Royal Government of Cambodia and Advisor to the Supreme National Economic Council with rank of Minister in August 2009 and November 2011 respectively. He was reappointed as Senior Advisor to the Royal Government of Cambodia in September 2018 with a rank of Senior Minister. He serves currently as the Chairman of the Board of the Asian Vision Institute (AVI), and previously as Chairman of the Board of the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI).

Dr SOK was attached to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs where he served, among other advisory functions: during Cambodia Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2012, as Member of the ASEAN Task Force on Substantive Issues, ASEAN India Eminent Person Group Co-Chair, Cambodian Sherpa to G20 and High Level Cambodian Representative to G20 Development Working Group. For Cambodia Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2022, he was appointed as Chair of the National Sub-Committee on Substances and Documentation. He was entrusted with the responsibility of ASEM SOM for Cambodia’s hosting the 13^th ASEM Summit in 2020. From 2011 to 2018, he was also a Convenor of a weekly 45 minutes “Cambodia’s Global Dialogue” policy talk show at South East Asia TV (SEATV).

Previously from 1999 to 2005, he served as Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce, where he worked extensively on issues related to trade policies and development, commercial legal framework and economic integration. There, he was the lead negotiator in Cambodia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2003. From October 2005 to July 2009 he served as Director at the International Trade Center (ITC) a joint technical agency of UNCTAD and the WTO in Geneva, Switzerland. From 1993-1998, he was the legal expert for the United Nations Development Programme attached to the Council for the Development of Cambodia.

Dr. Sok is holder of a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Widener University School of Law in Delaware, United States (1992), a Ph.D. from Bond University School of Law in Queensland, Australia (2009), and a Docteur en Droit from the Université de Paris II Panthéon-Assas, Paris, France (2022).