Cambodia Leadership Review
With more than 15 years of leadership experience across Cambodia’s banking, financial services, and insurance sectors, Chenda Keo, Group Chief Human Resources Officer at Forte Group, leads the company’s people strategy as a member of its Executive Committee. She has championed leadership development, organisational transformation, and the alignment of talent with long-term business growth.
A strong advocate for developing future leaders and advancing women in leadership, Chenda believes people are every organisation’s greatest competitive advantage. She continues to promote talent development, succession planning, and inclusive leadership as key drivers of sustainable business success.
In this edition of 50 Khmer Women Voices 2026, Chenda reflects on building Cambodia’s leadership pipeline, supporting women through financial protection and inclusion, strengthening female representation in executive leadership, managing regional growth, and her advice for the next generation of leaders.
Nurturing the Future: Building Cambodia’s Insurance Talent Pipeline
CLR: As Group CHRO sitting on the Forte Exco, you balance sharp business goals with human development. Why is investing in leadership a deeply human and emotional imperative, rather than just a corporate cost?
Chenda: I view leadership investment as both a business imperative and a human responsibility. Every strategy, transformation, or growth ambition succeeds or fails through its leaders.
They shape culture, drive performance, and influence how people experience the organization every day.
From the Forte Exco perspective, investing in leadership is not a cost—it’s a multiplier of enterprise value. Strong leaders build high-performing teams, accelerate execution, strengthen succession, and retain top talent.
A great leader creates an environment where people feel trusted, valued, and inspired to do their best work.
That’s why I believe leadership development is one of the most strategic investments an organisation can make—because when leaders grow, people thrive, and when people thrive, the business performs sustainably.
A Mission of Empathy: Women, Financial Literacy, and Community Protection
CLR: Women are the quiet economic anchors of most Cambodian households, yet many remain unprotected by insurance. How can the financial sector transition from selling products to truly protecting these women?
Chenda: Women are among the most important drivers of household financial stability in Cambodia, yet many remain under protected. For the financial sector, the challenge is not simply increasing product penetration—it is closing the protection gap.
This requires a strategic shift from product distribution to outcome-driven protection: designing solutions that are accessible, affordable, and relevant to women’s life journeys, while building trust through financial literacy, digital access, and inclusive distribution.
True protection begins with understanding women’s realities—their aspirations, responsibilities, and the risks they face at different stages of life.
Protecting women is not only a social imperative; it is a business and economic imperative. When women are financially resilient, families become more secure, communities become more stable, and economies grow stronger.
Culture Over Statistics: Intentional Advocacy for Women in Leadership
CLR: The financial sector has plenty of women at entry levels, but the boardroom remains heavily male-dominated. What has your personal journey through elite banking taught you about changing this reality?
Chenda: Throughout my HR career in financial industry, I have been a passionate advocate for advancing women into executive and board leadership roles.
One of the most important lessons I have learned is that talent is rarely the barrier—confidence, visibility, sponsorship, and access to opportunities often are.
While organisations have made significant progress in creating opportunities, the challenge today is encouraging more women to step forward and confidently pursue them.
At Forte, gender balance is a strategic priority championed by our Executive Committee. We are intentionally strengthening our female leadership pipeline through targeted development programs, leadership exposure, and succession planning to increase representation at executive and board levels.
I firmly believe that gender diversity is not just an inclusion agenda—it is a business imperative. Diverse leadership teams drive better decision-making, stronger governance, greater innovation, and more sustainable business performance.
Ultimately, progress requires a partnership. Organisations must open the doors, provide support, and create opportunities. Women must have the confidence and ambition to walk through those doors.
Bonding Together: Navigating the Human Soul of Regional Expansion
CLR: Forte Group has expanded beautifully beyond Cambodia into regional markets. Beyond the logistics, what does it feel like from a leadership perspective to manage the human realities of a cross-border expansion?
Chenda: From a leadership perspective, cross-border expansion is ultimately not about entering new markets—it is about bringing people together around a shared vision while respecting different cultures, experiences, and ways of working.
As organisations grow regionally, the real challenge is balancing consistency with local relevance. You need a common culture, purpose, and set of values, while empowering local teams to lead in ways that resonate with their markets.
The human reality is that expansion creates both excitement and uncertainty. Leadership’s role is to build trust, create a sense of belonging, and ensure people see opportunity rather than disruption.
For me, successful regional expansion is measured not only by market growth, but by our ability to build one connected organisation where people across borders feel valued, empowered, and united behind a common purpose.
The Vision Ahead: Legacy, Resilience, and My Blueprint for the Next Generation
CLR: Looking toward the next decade, what is your ultimate vision for Forte Group, and what personal advice do you give to young Cambodian women standing at the beginning of their careers?
Chenda: My vision for Forte Group over the next decade is for it to become a leading regional organization recognized not only for business success, but also for developing exceptional talent, building trusted brands, and creating meaningful impact in the communities we serve.
Our success will be measured not only by growth, but also by our ability to empower people, foster innovation, and create opportunities for future generations.
To young Cambodian women starting their careers, I would say: believe in your potential and dare to dream bigger. Be ambitious, stay curious, and embrace every opportunity to learn.
Don’t wait until you feel confident to step forward—confidence is built through action, experience, and perseverance.
Seek mentors, invest in your growth, and trust that your voice and ideas matter.
The future needs more women leaders who are willing to take risks, seize opportunities, and inspire others.
Never let your background define your future or limit your ambitions.
Explore the complete Cambodia Leadership Review – 50 Khmer Women Voices 2026 featuring exclusive interviews with Cambodia’s Top 50 Khmer Women leaders. Discover their journeys, leadership lessons, and vision for the Kingdom’s future.
