Chairman of the Board, ID Investors Hub & ID Capital PLC
Few would imagine that Hor SereyVath used to sell ice kachang
and newspapers in Cambodia as a 12-year-old. After all, today, the successful
42-year-old is chairman of a large Cambodian investor association and director
of a hospital.
SereyVath’s life however is not a
typical rags-to-riches story. In fact, SereyVath did not come from a humble
background. His father was an esteemed architect and dean, and his mother is
still a practising medical doctor today.
Hor SereyVath founded an investor association with 101 members to pool
together local resources and expertise to create stronger investment
prospects and help to propel Cambodia’s economy forward.
SereyVath could have enjoyed a privileged childhood. Instead, he was
driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and a deep sense of humility to
seek out the full spectrum of job experiences, including odd jobs. After
completing an undergraduate degree in commerce in New Zealand, he ventured into
a series of dynamic careers in the government and private sectors before
pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Cambodia and Master of
Public Administration (MPA) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public
Policy (LKYSPP). “The LKYSPP experience honed my analytical abilities and
broadened my perspective to help me achieve my aspirations,” shared SereyVath.
It is this unique combination of diverse experiences, powerful network and love
for his country that eventually propelled him to strive to contribute towards
the development of Cambodia.
“Throughout my childhood, both my parents have shown me the value of helping others through education and sharing. That shaped my path, inspiring me to be involved in social and volunteer work, more than just focusing on monetary benefits,” he shared.
SereyVath has also been serving as the President of the LKYSPP Alumni
Cambodia Chapter for the past two consecutive terms and a total of four
years.When COVID-19 spread across the world in 2020, he was spurred to
action. “A lot of fake news was disseminated in Cambodia so initially I wanted
to create a group to share information responsibly. But as the pandemic
progressed, there were problems related to quarantine, lockdown, vaccination and
treatment. Some families even lost the ashes of their family members who passed
away from COVID-19,” he shared.
Making an open recruitment call
via his network, he founded the AntiCovid19Cambodia group in March 2020 to help
Cambodians in need. The group has since raised funds for 10,000 affected
families, and donated masks, gloves, disinfecting alcohol, beds, medicines and
medical-related kits to the hospitals and local government to support the fight
against COVID-19.
The trust and camaraderie SereyVath built
within the AntiCovid19Cambodia group during this trying period lay the
foundation for a promising new venture. Rallying some of the best people he
worked with at AntiCovid19Cambodia, SereyVath founded ID Investors Association
and ID Capital in 2020, where he is currently the Chairman. With 101 members,
including start-up founders, CEOs and executives from different companies and
fields, they invest in real estate, agriculture and services.
“We saw
a gap in the market where investors are unable to source for investable
projects. At the same time, even when there are suitable investment
opportunities, some investors may not have enough funds to finance the project,”
he said.
This association gets around that problem
because its large number of members from different industries help to bring in
viable projects and businesses for investment, and simultaneously pool together
funds to push the projects forward. They also help international investors
source for investable projects.
“International companies that come to
Cambodia don’t know local small and medium-sized companies. However, we have
members in nearly every type of business and know Cambodia inside out,. so we
can offer these companies trust leverage should they be interested to invest,”
he added.
In 2022, SereyVath (third from left) was presented the Distinguished
Leadership Award from the University of Communications and Management
Poznan, Poland (WSKiZ) by Chancellor Okechukwu Nwafor (second from
left). This investor association also reflects SereyVath’s broader vision
for Cambodia. “I think social capital and trust in Cambodia is still lacking.
This culture of helping each other is really important because without it, we
cannot be strong,” he said.
“Cambodians can work
together, both socially and financially. But we need leaders who are willing to
sacrifice for the greater good of people. I hope to help to build synergy
between people from different sectors, and contribute to the development of my
country. Individual sacrifices, collective benefit,” he said.