As EuroCham’s Healthcare Committee prepares to elect its next leadership team, we spoke with Co-Chairperson Samnangvathana Sor, Senior Consultant at DFDL Cambodia, about the role of committee leadership in shaping Cambodia’s healthcare sector.
From advancing digital health policy and contributing to the White Book to fostering public-private dialogue, she reflects on the Committee’s achievements and shares her advice for members considering a leadership role.
Contributing To The Sector Beyond Your Day-To-Day Work
You advise clients across a wide range of industries on regulatory and commercial matters, with healthcare being one of your key areas of expertise. What inspired you to take on a leadership role within EuroCham’s Healthcare Committee, and what motivated you to contribute to the sector beyond your day-to-day work?
Samnangvathana: Healthcare sits at the intersection of regulation, commerce, and real human impact, and that combination is what drew me to a leadership role within EuroCham’s Healthcare Committee as Co-Chairperson. What excites me most is the people: I have the privilege of working alongside talented and generous fellow Committee co-chairs and members who bring perspectives from across hospitals, pharmaceuticals, insurance, and digital health. Together, we get to help shape a sector that touches every family in Cambodia, and that sense of shared purpose is what continues to motivate me.
Beyond my day-to-day advisory work, being part of the Committee’s engagement with the Ministry of Health on the review of the draft Pharmaceutical Law has been especially meaningful. Working alongside fellow Committee members to help align the draft law with international standards on registration, pharmacovigilance, packaging, and advertising has shown me how much can be achieved when private and public actors engage constructively. I have also valued contributing to EuroCham’s annual White Book, where our Committee puts forward practical, sector-informed recommendations that support the continued growth of Cambodia’s healthcare industry.
Co-authoring our 2025 White Paper, Governing Digital Health Platforms in Cambodia: Legal Insights and Policy Options, together with fellow Committee members, was one of the proudest moments of my time on the Committee. Seeing that work referenced in public policy discussions reminded me why this contribution matters, and why I remain committed to it.
Cambodia’s healthcare sector has evolved rapidly over the past few years, particularly with growing discussions around digital health, innovation, and public-private collaboration. As Co-Chairperson, what developments have been most encouraging to witness, and what have you learned about leading conversations between the public and private sectors through flagship events such as the EuroCham Healthcare Forum and Innovation Exhibition?
Samnangvathana: What has been most encouraging is watching digital health become a genuine national conversation, with government, private providers, insurers, and innovators coming together with real enthusiasm. The EuroCham Healthcare Forum and Innovation Exhibition 2025 was a particular highlight, bringing together policymakers, healthcare providers, and technology innovators to explore how digital platforms can extend access to care, including for patients in rural provinces. I was honoured to speak publicly at that event on the importance of updated regulations and trust-based governance for digital health, and to see that message so well received by both public and private stakeholders.
I have also had the privilege of moderating panel discussions at the Forum, including a session on real-world use cases of digital innovation in health service delivery, and more recently at our Breakfast Talk on Financing Digital Health, where I moderated a panel on insurance and reimbursement models for digital care. Each time, I come away energised by the quality of insight our Committee members and fellow co-chairs bring to these discussions.
What I have learned through these events is that meaningful progress happens when we create a comfortable, well-structured space for public and private stakeholders to speak candidly with one another. I am grateful to do this work alongside such a strong and collaborative team of Committee leaders and members, and I look forward to building on this momentum with them.
A Meaningful Impact On Cambodia’s Healthcare Sector
With Committee leadership elections approaching, what would you say to someone who is considering running for a leadership position within the Healthcare Committee? What makes it a rewarding opportunity, and what advice would you give to future Committee leaders hoping to make a meaningful impact on Cambodia’s healthcare sector?
Samnangvathana: My advice to anyone considering running for a leadership position within the Healthcare Committee is simple: say yes. You will grow into the role quickly, supported by wonderful co-chairs and Committee members who are always ready to share their expertise, and support one another as the Committee’s work develops.
What makes this role so rewarding is the opportunity to work closely with a fantastic group of fellow Committee leaders and members, drawing on their expertise across law, medicine, insurance, and technology, and to see the private sector’s voice genuinely inform Cambodia’s healthcare policy through initiatives such as our White Book recommendations, our White Paper on digital health governance, and our flagship forums and breakfast talks.
My advice for future Committee leaders is to stay curious, stay close to the practitioners and businesses you represent, and lean on your fellow Committee members, because this work is always stronger when done together. I would particularly encourage anyone considering leadership to get involved now and take part in our upcoming EuroCham Healthcare Forum 2026, scheduled for 22 October, as a wonderful opportunity to meet the Committee, contribute your ideas, and experience firsthand how rewarding this journey can be. I warmly encourage you to join us.
