Board of Directors

Mr. Gabriele Faja

EuroCham Chairman

Mr. Tassilo BRINZER

Vice Chair

After working for German and international media companies as an editor and in magazine development, Tassilo in 2006 founded Globe Media Asia, a regional media company based in Phnom Penh producing specialist publications and websites, video, and podcasts such as Southeast Asia Globe, Discover Cambodia and Focus Cambodia. He launched Brains Communication, a communications consultancy in 2010, and Hops Garden, a German craft brewery with specialty restaurants in 2015. 

Tassilo leads German Business Cambodia (GBC) since 2010 and is a co-founder of the European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia in 2011, of which he became chairman in September 2020. In 2021, he has been elected to the board of the EU–ASEAN Business Council (EU – ABC) and became vice-chairman of the regional organization; he has been re-elected to the role in May 2023. 

Mr. Cyril GIROT

Vice Chair

Appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cambodia Airports, Cyril GIROT started his tenure in August 2022. 

Previously, from 2019, Mr. GIROT was CEO of Aéroports du Grand Ouest, an entity affiliated with VINCI Airports that develops and manages three VINCI airports in the western part of France: Nantes international airport, Saint-Nazaire airport and Ancenis airport.  

At Nantes international airport, he played a pivotal role in further developing traffic (7.2 million passengers in Nantes international airport 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 by VINCI Airports as the 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. GIROT oversaw two major international infrastructure projects for VINCI Concessions. 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 program management for the extension of the airport in Santiago, Chile’s capital city (for doubling the capacity of the airport to 36 million passengers). 

Before coming to VINCI Group, Mr GIROT 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 Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Collège des Ingénieurs de Paris-Torino-Stuttgart (a dedicated MBA for engineers and scientists). 

Mr GIROT has been leading the French Business Chamber in Cambodia (Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie France-Cambodge: CCIFC) since the beginning of year 2024. He has also been appointed French Foreign Trade Advisor by the French Government. 

Mr. Martin MCCARTHY

Vice Chair

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 the development of the Property Services Division of Elf and then on to creating a similar function 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.  

Ms. Julie Kéo

Vice Chair

Julie is French-Cambodian and the Business Development Director at DFDL Cambodia. She graduated in Private Laws from Universite de Toulouse 1 Capitole, 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 spending a few years working at a law firm in Paris, where she specialized in advising clients on corporate and commercial matters, she relocated to Cambodia in 2015. Julie then spent four and a half years at DFDL Cambodia, where she was involved in both Real Estate and Corporate and Commercial Practice Groups. During this time, she oversaw company registration, company restructuring, and real estate projects. Following her tenure at DFDL, she joined DKSH, a market expansion services in the healthcare department as a Business Development Manager, where she negotiated contracts with pharmaceutical companies aiming to establish and expand their presence in the country. In May 2022, Julie returned to DFDL as both Consultant and Business Development Director, focusing on European clients. She speaks French, English, and Khmer. 

Liubov Popova

Secretary General

Mr. Sylvain UNG

Treasurer

Appointed Chief Financial Officer of Béton Block & Pave, Sylvain UNG, a professional with a strong passion for finance and automation. Holding a master's degree in engineering from INSA Rennes and a master's degree in finance from Audencia Nantes, Sylvain has cultivated his expertise in these fields. Additionally, he has achieved the CFA Level 1 accreditation, further solidifying his credentials.

Sylvain's journey has seen him thrive in various roles across renowned organizations. Beginning at Vinci Construction and EGIS, where he simplified the financial procedures and policies through an innovative automation process, and later at BNP Paribas CIB, where he demonstrated his proficiency in financial analysis. His tenure at Deloitte in Paris was marked by his leadership in an automation project aimed at streamlining the audit process. Through these experiences, Sylvain has gained invaluable insights into corporate finance, financial reporting and analysis.

Currently serving as the Chief Financial Officer at Béton Block & Pave, a leading manufacturer of precast elements for building and road construction, Sylvain continues to drive excellence and innovation in his endeavours. Driven by a desire to contribute meaningfully, Sylvain is actively involved in the associative sphere. His commitment to the European business community, Eurocham Cambodia, reflects his dedication to community engagement and professional development.

Mr. Thomas HUNDT

EuroCham Board Member

Thomas serves as Axiata Group Berhad’s Group Chief Strategy & Technology Officer since October 2021. 

Thomas further serves as  

• Commissioner of PT Link Net Tbk, Indonesia, an Axiata company, the 2nd largest Internet Service Provider of Indonesia;  

• Director of EDOTCO Group Sdn Bhd, Malaysia, an Axiata company, the leading regional telecommunications infrastructure services company in Asia;  

• Director of Dialog Axiata Plc., Sri Lanka, an Axiata company, the leading telecommunication provider in Sri Lanka; and  

• Director of Axiata Digital Labs, an Axiata company, an innovative telco-focused software platform and solutions provider. 

Prior to this, during mid 2008 until October 2021, he was the Managing Director & CEO of Smart Axiata in Cambodia, its leading telecom operator. Thomas has been the founding CEO of Smart, which he grew from greenfield, number eight position in the market to number one position, including through the acquisition of Star-Cell in 2011 and the merger with Hello Axiata in 2013.  

Besides building Smart from ground up over a period of nearly 14 years, Smart, with Thomas at the helm, became a rainmaker for digital revolution in Cambodia, including through incubating the digital ecosystem through the first digital focused venture capital fund – Smart Axiata Digital Innovation Fund – but also by leading the industry into 4G era. 

Thomas served as Director of Celcom Axiata Berhad, one of the largest telecom operators in Malaysia, an Axiata company, from March 2020 till its merger with Digi in November 2022 and of Ncell Private Limited, the leading mobile operator in Nepal, by then an Axiata company, from June 2016 till March 2020. 

He gained his vast experience in the telecommunications industry during his tenure in key management positions with Siemens AG’s Communication Division and Nokia Siemens Networks during 1996 till 2008 including an oversee stint in Shanghai, China. 

Thomas is the Vice President of German Business in Cambodia (GBC) since January 2010 and founding Board Member of the European Chamber of Commerce (Eurocham) Cambodia since January 2011 for which he serves as Vice President at present. 

Martina Palma

EuroCham Board Member

Dr. Riccardo CORRADO

EuroCham Board Member

Dr. Antoine FONTAINE

Co-Chairman

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.

Mr. Cedric Kang

EuroCham Board Member

Mr. VAN LEEUWEN Maarten

EuroCham Board Member