Digital Economy Forum

Dr. Heng Pheakdey is a public policy professional with a decade of experience working with policymakers, civil society, and the private sector at the national and regional level. He specialized in policy analysis, government relations, tech regulations, data analytics, and digital economy. Based out of Singapore, he is currently leading public policy work for Meta (Facebook) in Cambodia and Laos where he leads engagement with the local stakeholders and supports the implementation of Meta’s projects on digital literacy and economic impact initiatives. Dr. Heng holds a Master in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore and a Ph.D. in Social Science from VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Neil Ian Cadungog-Uy graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology at Negros Oriental State University, Dumaguete City, Philippines. He finished his Master of Science Degree in Information Technology at the same university specializing in Systems Analysis and Design. With his 18+ years of experience in IT Professional Service, he gained his field of expertise in Requirements Engineering, Applied Software Design and Architecture, Project Management with Agile Scrum and ITIL, and Computer Systems Servicing Level 2.  He spends some of his time as a volunteer to NGOs who need tech support, basic computer literacy training and competency development, and Cybersecurity Literacy.  Using his Mile 2 Cybersecurity certificate in C)PEH and his experience working with Fintech projects involving GDPR, he advocates cyber security awareness to educate everyone in protecting their own personal data and privacy and uses his knowledge to teach Information Security and Risk Assessment at Paragon International University.

Nancy Jaffe is a senior strategist and researcher with a focus on communications and behavior change with global experience in public and private sector projects, including for Microsoft, IBM, Nielsen, Ogilvy (WPP). Nancy is a thought leader on emerging consumer behavior and the rise of the new middle class in Southeast Asia, with a special focus on their information and media consumption. She has an in-depth understanding of Cambodia and has lived and worked here for over seven years. Nancy has an M.A. in Social Psychology and Statistics from Columbia University, New York, and B.A. in Psychology from Wellesley College, Massachusetts.

SOK Kha is a trade facilitation advisor for ASEAN–EU project ARISE Plus Cambodia, to support the Cambodian government in implementing various trade facilitation measures, with a view to better integrate Cambodia into ASEAN Economic Community and to accelerate the implementation of WTO’s TFA. Concurrently, he also manages the Improving Small Package e-Trade for SMEs (SeT4SME) project of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF). SOK Kha is a fellow at the Asian Vision Institute (AVI), a research think tank based in Phnom Penh. He also served as a Visiting Fellow at the China Institute of International Studies (Beijing: Oct-Nov, 2019). He has written and published articles and book chapters on SMEs, trade policy and trade facilitation, and regional integration.

Catherine Tai is the Deputy Director for Asia of the Center for International Private Enterprise. She is responsible for overall program management, performance reporting, donor communication and partnership management throughout Southeast Asia.  Tai’s portfolio of projects focuses on partnering with business associations to strengthen the role of the private sector and mobilize local networks of small and medium enterprises for constructive policy reform. In addition, she manages anti-corruption initiatives that improve the monitoring of public procurement. She works closely with local program partners to ensure progress towards stated outputs and outcomes and travels throughout the region to monitor results and meet with stakeholders and beneficiaries.
Tai is a seasoned international development professional with a decade-long experience conceiving, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs in East and Southeast Asia. Previously, Tai was the Senior Program Officer for East Asia at the Eurasia Foundation, where she provided technical assistance to civil society groups and designed new initiatives with local partners. She has a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Maryland – College Park and a BA in Diplomacy from National Chengchi University, the top liberal arts university in Taiwan.

Gareth is the Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce, and the CTO of DDX, an award-winning consultancy specializing in sustainability, smart cities, and mobility. He has a decade of experience in managing technical consulting firms, including eight years in Asia. Gareth has successfully directed numerous multi-year digital transformation and enterprise smart services projects for a roster of blue-chip clients, including Nikkei, BMW, and True, as well as recent, large-scale smart city projects.

Mr. Ou Phannarith is the Director of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Security of Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) of Cambodia. He is the former Head of the National Cambodia Computer Emergency Response Team (CamCERT). He has been involved in the development of Cybersecurity, ICTs, and related regulations in Cambodia for the last 15 years. Mr. OU has been the Professor at Royal University of Law and Economic (RULE) and Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology (CADT) specializing in Cybersecurity, the research fellow at the Center for Inclusive Digital Economy, Asian Vision Institution (AVI) and Senior advisor to Cambodia Digital Tech Association (CDTA). To growth Cambodia cybersecurity community, Mr. OU is the chairman of Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Cambodia Chapter, Executive Member at CyberEdBoard and KHNOG, the founder of ISAC-Cambodia (Cybersecurity), Cyber Studies Network (CSN), Cyber Youth Cambodia and cyber education (secudemy.com). Mr. OU Phannarith is one of the well-known cybersecurity experts in Cambodia and the region. He has been invited to present in global conferences, forums, and seminars and he was awarded as TOP30 ASEAN CISO (2021) by IDG, Top APAC Technology Leader (W.Media), TOP 100 Global CISO 2020 by Forcepoint and Information Security Leadership Achievements (ISLA) 2016 by (ISC)2.