VISA COUNTRY MANAGER FOR CAMBODIA         

Can you tell us about your career journey that led you to Visa Cambodia and your main priorities?

I began my career in corporate communications, focusing on crisis management across various industries. My passion for technology grew, leading me to Visa in Singapore over ten years ago. Visa is often viewed simply as a card company, but we are deeply involved in technology infrastructure and money movement solutions. My experiences across the Asia Pacific region, including roles in Australia and New Zealand, exposed me to diverse markets and their unique challenges. Moving to Cambodia has been exciting as the country has experienced an unprecedented rate of digitalization and modernization in payments due to the great effort of the National Bank of Cambodia. It’s been an absolute pleasure innovating payments in a dynamic economy like Cambodia, alongside innovation-focused governments and clients.

Our mission is to connect Cambodians and their businesses to the world. We aim to enhance access to secure and efficient digital payment options. This includes supporting local entrepreneurs—like artisans creating beautiful woven fabrics—to reach broader markets. We also focus on facilitating remittances, enabling Cambodians to send and receive money efficiently, which is crucial given the large Cambodian diaspora, particularly in the U.S.

What milestones has Visa achieved in the past year in Cambodia?

One of our notable achievements is launching a multi-currency Visa card, which allows users to manage and spend multiple currencies through their mobile banking app—something that enhances travel convenience for Cambodians. On the other hand, we’ve partnered with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the National Bank of Cambodia to provide financial education to women entrepreneurs. We’re also expanding access to finance for female-led businesses, which represent a significant portion of the small business sector here.

Moreover, Visa is involved in facilitating government payments, such as enabling digital payment options for business registrations or public services like the expressway. The government is eager to adopt and activate digitization across its platforms, making it easy to partner and move quickly.

We’ve also developed a digitization toolkit aimed at small businesses, particularly in the tourism sector, to enhance their digital capabilities. This resource, available in Khmer, educates merchants on creating great digital experiences for tourists. Additionally, we’re introducing innovative technologies like B2B Connect, a blockchain solution that facilitates smoother cross-border transactions for large businesses.

What role does Visa play in promoting financial inclusion in Cambodia?

The National Bank of Cambodia has done a fantastic job in accelerating the pace of financial inclusion through the development of Bakong, the national payment system. Visa is committed to advancing the work and visions of the National Bank of Cambodia by introducing new and safe payments innovations that are  accessible to all segments of society, including underserved communities. We also partner with local banks to develop tailored financial products that cater to the unique needs of Cambodians.

How do you see the future of digital payments in Cambodia?

Cambodia has great potential to accelerate its digital payment landscape. As smartphone penetration rises and internet connectivity improves, more people are discovering the convenience of digital payments. We expect to see continuous growth in both contactless and mobile payments over the next few years.

How does Visa collaborate with the Cambodian government to enhance the digital economy?

The Cambodian government is highly active in partnering with the private sector to utilize expertise for sector development. It’s been an honor to have worked closely with the National Bank of Cambodia on top priority initiatives of the Cambodian digital economy like de-dollarization, financial inclusion, and risk and security. We have also recently expanded our support to other governments as well.

For instance, in the startup space, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, through their Techo Startup Center, is cultivating the fintech sector. We recently signed an MoU to support their reverse innovation challenge and other initiatives aimed at fostering startups. Most recently, we also announced our partnership with the Ministry of Tourism to accelerate Khmer tourism through digitalization of tourism experiences as well as through the utilization of Visa’s tourism data. We are proud to be supporting digitalization in various industries with government partners.

What is Visa’s approach to sustainability?

Sustainability is a broad and fascinating topic. At Visa, we approach it in two ways. First, there are tactical efforts, such as making our office spaces sustainable. We also work with clients in other markets, using payment data to track and understand carbon footprints. For example, we have a product that calculates the carbon impact of a purchase based on the merchant and transaction type. Some banks in the UK already include this feature in their mobile apps. While Cambodia isn’t quite there yet in terms of consumer demand for such features, I believe it won’t be long before it catches up.

What are Visa’s main goals in the short term?

Our top priority is to increase the adoption of digital payments in Cambodia. We are working closely with local banks and merchants to enable cashless transactions, making it easier and more secure for consumers. This is part of a broader effort to enhance financial inclusion and support the country’s digital economy.

Why should investors consider Cambodia, and why partner with Visa?

Cambodia is a long-term investment. The country’s young demographic, government support for investment, and dynamic social environment make it a compelling market. English proficiency is widespread, which often gets overlooked. With Visa, Cambodia serves as an incubator and testbed for new technologies, making it an exciting market to innovate and grow.