Canadia Group: Building
Opportunities in Cambodia
Pung Kheav Se is one of Cambodia’s most dynamic entrepreneurs, having played a role in the country’s development across multiple sectors, including banking, infrastructure, real estate, education, and healthcare.
Pung Kheav Se is one of Cambodia’s most dynamic entrepreneurs, having played a role in the country’s development across multiple sectors, including banking, infrastructure, real estate, education, and healthcare. He once was a young entrepreneur in the 1980s in Canada, where he was a refugee from the Cambodian civil war. After launching several successful businesses, he returned to his homeland in the 1990s. Over three decades, he has built or co-founded more than 100 businesses, and invested over USD 15 billion, contributing to the growth of Cambodia’s private sector. Today, Canadia Group is one of Cambodia’s largest conglomerates and one of the country’s biggest employers, with a workforce of over 17,500 people.
Canadia Bank: Laying the Financial Foundation
Pung Kheav Se’s first business venture was a finance startup that evolved into Canadia Bank, now the largest locally-owned bank in Cambodia. His strategic focus on serving niche markets, including overseas Cambodians and returnees from North America, Europe, and Australia, allowed the bank to thrive during the country’s post-war recovery and remain resilient through two global financial crises. Today, Canadia Bank ranks among the top three strongest financial institutions in Cambodia, with a particular emphasis on B2B by supporting SMEs and corporate clients.
The bank was also one of the first in Cambodia to collaborate with global institutions, such as Visa and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), in developing services and banking solutions tailored to the local market.
Real Estate Ventures: Shaping Cambodia’s Urban Landscape
With Canadia Bank’s solid financial foundation, Pung Kheav Se was able to launch OCIC in 2000 as the non-financial arm of Canadia Group. Initially focusing on real estate and construction, OCIC began by developing residential communities that matched Cambodian demand, eventually launching the transformative Koh Pich project in 2006. Once a neglected area, Koh Pich has since evolved into a 100-hectare central business district (CBD) in Phnom Penh, and one of the city’s greenest neighborhoods with a focus on modern urban living. Building on this success, OCIC is now developing Norea City, a 125-hectare project that will connect Koh Pich to a broader community in southern Phnom Penh.
A standout development on Koh Pich is the award-winning Diamond Bay Garden, a 39-storey condominium offering breathtaking views over the Mekong River. As OCIC’s 50th property, this high-rise project underscores Phnom Penh’s emerging city skyline as a growing urban capital city, featuring modern, livable green spaces in a prime and rapidly growing strategic location like Koh Pich.
Continuously developing real estate assets for a growing Cambodian market fuels Pung Kheav Se’s entrepreneurial ventures. His dedication to innovation and diversification into new investment avenues reflects his core commitment to Cambodia. The serial entrepreneur remains as ambitious as ever, having structured Canadia Group with dedicated divisions and leaders to carry his vision forward.
Techo International Airport: Connecting Cambodia to the World
One of OCIC’s most ambitious projects is Phnom Penh’s Techo International Airport, with the first phase set for completion in 2025. Once finished, this airport will rank as the 9th largest in the world—a monumental achievement for Cambodia. Designed by the renowned British firm Foster + Partners, the airport involves collaboration with international management companies including French multinational players like Vinci, Lagardère Travel Retail, or Singaporean firms Changi Airport International, and Singapore Airlines Engineering, ensuring it meets world-class standards.
The new airport is expected to support Cambodia’s tourism, trade, and logistics sectors, enhancing the country’s connectivity to global markets. For Pung, the Techo International Airport is not just an infrastructure project—it embodies Cambodia’s ambition to expand its influence in the global economy.
Infrastructure and Logistics: Enhancing Connectivity for Cambodians
While the new airport is a landmark example of Pung Kheav Se’s commitment to support Cambodia’s mobility and connectivity, it is not his first contribution to the nation’s infrastructure. Over the years, OCIC has played a part in developing transport and logistics networks that improve daily life for Cambodians, by building 16 bridges and flyovers. It began with a 75-meter bridge in the early 2000s and has progressed to the latest structures spanning over 450 meters. These projects have significantly enhanced connectivity between rural and urban areas, improving access to education, and healthcare.
Mentoring the Next Generation
Despite his achievements, Pung Kheav Se remains as hardworking as ever, with a focus on empowering new generations. From establishing a bank with USD 8 billion in asset, to building over 10,000 homes, thousand kilometers of roads and bridges, to an international airport, the dynamic entrepreneur still coaches the young leaders running the several divisions of the group. Together, OCIC and Canadia cultivate homegrown talents and foster a culture of innovation, equipping the next generation of Cambodian leaders to drive opportunities locally.
Among the young leaders within the group is Thierry Tea, Vice President of OCIC and a graduate of Harvard Business School, who is driving transformation, green development, urban enhancement, and digitalization.
Developing Innovation, Education, and Healthcare
As part of this vision, Connexion Hub in the Koh Pich district is rapidly becoming the leading tech center by the Mekong River, offering collaborative spaces for local entrepreneurs and hosting tenants such as a coding academy with programs from Silicon Valley.
A Vision for Cambodia’s Future
Pung Kheav Se’s entrepreneurial journey is marked by resilience, vision, and adaptability. He continues to invest in enhancing connectivity and creating a well-structured environment for the next generation. His vision remains centered on fostering innovation, supporting sustainable growth, and further integrating Cambodia into the global economy.
