At the ASEAN Leadership & Partnership Forum 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — graced by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and Senior Minister Dr. Sok Siphana, the High Representative of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet — Thierry Tea of Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC) was presented with the ASEAN Rising Star Award.
He also received the ASEAN Outstanding Entrepreneur Award and the ASEAN Business Excellence Award on behalf of OCIC Founder and Chairman, Pung Kheav Se.
Co-organised by the KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific think tank, ASEAN Economic Club, ASEAN Business Advisory Council and ASEAN Business Club, the awards recognise business leaders who are creating change through innovation, enterprise and community impact.
These awards recognise the continued impact of OCIC and its founder, Pung Kheav Se, over the past 25 years in Cambodia. Mr. Pung launched OCIC in 2000 to expand the non-financial investments of Canadia Group, with a focus on large-scale urban development, public infrastructure and real estate development.
OCIC has grown into a leading conglomerate, with Mr Pung building his success by empowering young talents to management roles over the last 25 years. Among the new generation of leaders, Thierry Tea, Vice President, has been working on driving the group’s digital and green transformation.
Since taking on an executive leadership role at OCIC in 2023, Tea has been involved in initiatives that connect education, technology and entrepreneurship — contributing to turnaround projects such as Koh Pich, and Connexion Community Tech Hub, which supports young founders and early-stage ventures.
At Koh Pich, he leads and heads OCIC’s efforts to introduce new community-focused programmes and more lifestyle and F&B oriented developments, as well as partnerships that engage youth, creative and entrepreneurs.
He also played a key role in launching Connexion, a tech hub uniting startups and social innovators with partners such as Google Cloud, Smart Axiata, Khmer Enterprise, AI Farm or Sabay Digital.
The urban community is undergoing a rapid transformation with over 20 new F&B brands opening in the now growing Central Business District, including Labaab, Kobe, Starbucks, 7 Eleven, eMart 24, Breadtalk, Little Caesar, Compas Mexicano, 13th May Coffee, Koi Thé Kyo Shabu or Coffee Corner.
“I’m grateful for this recognition, which I share with the many people in our OCIC team supporting Cambodia’s urban transformation,” said Tea. “The group’s growth reflects Mr. Pung’s vision and the dedication of our teams and partners in working hard for our customers. This recognition affirms his commitment to development and creating opportunities across Cambodia — and motivates us to keep building meaningful, long-lasting impact.”
Prior to joining OCIC, Tea held senior roles in aviation and investment in Southeast Asia, particularly in Singapore and the Philippines. He was CEO of Airbus Group in the Philippines and later founded PhilJets, a business aviation company managing over $250 million in assets. He also leads Negocia Capital, a Singapore based venture firm which has invested in over 20 startups across sectors such as fintech, aerospace, logistics, education, and urban mobility.
In Cambodia, he serves as Vice Chairman of the Federation of Cambodian Startups (CamStartup), supporting early-stage entrepreneurs through mentorship and partnerships. He is also an Advisory Board Member of the Cambodia University of Technology and Science (CamTech) in Chroy Changvar.
