Cambodia Leadership Review ‘50 International Voices’ 2026: Jack Lee - Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Smile Shop

Cambodia Leadership Review

Jack Lee is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Smile Shop, a Cambodia-based digital commerce platform built on the vision of creating a trusted, locally integrated “super app.” With more than a decade of leadership experience at Haier—one of China’s first truly global brands—Lee developed deep expertise in cross-border operations, international acquisitions, and building competitive, culturally diverse teams across Southeast Asia, Oceania, and the United States.

His subsequent professional experience in Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia further shaped his understanding of Southeast Asia’s diverse and uneven digital landscapes—where localized solutions, infrastructure realities, and consumer trust play decisive roles in platform success.

Since launching Smile Shop in Cambodia in 2018, Lee has focused on long-term ecosystem building rather than short-term growth, integrating commerce, payments, logistics, and service standards into a unified platform tailored to local market needs. In this interview, he reflects on leadership, trust in emerging markets, financial partnerships, and Cambodia’s “golden decade” of digital transformation.

Download the 50 International Voices Magazine 2026 here.

Leadership Journey and Founding Smile Shop

CLR: After more than a decade with Haier in China and professional experience across Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia, you chose to build Smile Shop in Cambodia in 2018. How did your regional experience shape your leadership style, and what opportunity did you see in Cambodia’s e-commerce market that convinced you to launch a “super app” locally?

I worked at Haier for more than ten years, and this experience had a very deep influence on me. Haier was one of the first Chinese companies to build a global brand and become a truly international enterprise. During my time there, I participated in several important cross-border acquisitions, including Haier’s acquisition of Sanyo’s Southeast Asia business, Fisher & Paykel in New Zealand, and GE Appliances in the United States.

These experiences trained me to work across different cultures and markets, and to build efficient, competitive, and diverse teams. I learned that while it is very important to respect local culture and local teams, it is also necessary to keep international standards and a global mindset.

Later, my work experience in Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia helped me clearly see the diversity of Southeast Asia.

User needs are highly localized
Infrastructure development is uneven
Digitalization cannot succeed simply by copying the China model or the US model

In this context, I came to Cambodia in 2018. At that time, internet and smartphone penetration were growing very fast, but the e-commerce ecosystem was still highly fragmented.

Many users did not trust online shopping
Fake products and lack of after-sales service were common
Payment, logistics, and merchants were disconnected from each other

I realized that what Cambodia really needed was not just a simple shopping platform, but a local super app that could integrate products, payments, logistics, and service standards into one reliable platform.

Smile Shop was created based on this belief. We want to build a digital commerce platform that is trustworthy, sustainable, and truly serves local users, with a long-term mindset.

Building Trust and Scaling E-Commerce in Cambodia

CLR: Smile Shop has focused strongly on authenticity, customer protection, and service standards such as 7-day returns and 14-day exchanges. In a developing e-commerce environment, how important is trust in driving adoption, and what challenges have you faced in changing consumer behaviour and expectations online?

In the early stage of Smile Shop, we found that many users were not against online shopping itself. What they were afraid of was being cheated.

Products might not match the photos
No one would respond after the sale
Returns were almost impossible

So from the beginning, we decided to run e-commerce with high-level service standards.

This includes:

Strict merchant and product review processes
Clear and transparent return and exchange policies
The platform does not only “match buyers and sellers,” but takes full responsibility for protecting consumers

In the short term, this approach increases costs and slows down growth.

But in the long term, it shapes how users see our platform.

Today, Smile Shop’s repeat purchase rate and word-of-mouth reputation are clearly higher than the industry average, and we are widely recognized as one of the most trusted e-commerce platforms in Cambodia.

In my view, in emerging markets, trust is the starting point of any digital platform.

Digital Payments, Partnerships, and SME Growth

CLR: Under your leadership, Smile Shop has partnered with Wing Bank, Cambodia Asia Bank for BNPL solutions, and the Jin Sha Group, while also advocating for KHQR and digital payments. How do these partnerships help accelerate Cambodia’s digital economy, and what role can e-commerce platforms play in supporting local SMEs and merchants?

I always believe that an e-commerce platform is not just a place to sell products. It is also part of the digital economy infrastructure.

Through cooperation with financial institutions, our goals are very clear:

To lower the barrier for users to enter the digital economy and promote financial inclusion
To help consumers build healthy payment habits and credit awareness

For many local SMEs, the biggest problems are not their products, but other limitations:

They lack digital capabilities
They cannot reach a wider customer base
They do not have enough financial tools to support growth

The role of Smile Shop is to provide them with:

A standardized online sales channel
A trusted platform brand
Digital payment and data capabilities
And, in the future, more financial and marketing tools

To be honest, during the past three years, we faced many challenges and difficulties in BNPL development. It was not easy at all. But we stick to long-term thinking, learn from setbacks, and keep improving.

Our persistence is now paying off. We are working closely with a major local bank and expect to launch a game-changer-level financial service in the future

Looking Ahead: The Future of E-Commerce and Digital Innovation

CLR: Looking ahead, how do you see Cambodia’s e-commerce landscape evolving over the next five to ten years, particularly with emerging technologies such as BNPL, data-driven platforms, and blockchain, and how is Smile Shop positioning itself to remain competitive and relevant in a rapidly changing digital economy?

In the past ten years, Cambodia’s e-commerce industry developed from “nothing to something.” In the next five to ten years, I believe it will enter a period of strong growth and real expansion. I believe Cambodia is entering a golden decade of digitalization.

I see three major trends:

First, AI-driven e-commerce. With AI tools, platforms will become more data-driven. AI will enable more personalized recommendations and smarter shopping experiences for individual users
Second, BNPL, digital identity, and credit systems will continue to expand, releasing more consumer potential
Third, the combination of blockchain technology and e-commerce platforms, especially in supply-chain traceability, will greatly improve transparency and trust in transactions

For Smile Shop, competitiveness does not come from being the fastest.

It comes from three things:

Deep understanding of the local market
Long-term commitment to trust
Continuous evolution in technology and organization

We hope Smile Shop will not only be a successful company, but also a long-term, trusted participant in Cambodia’s golden decade of digitalization.

Download the 50 International Voices Magazine 2026 here.