EuroCham's 2026 Committee Elections: Cambodia's European Chamber Goes Looking for Its Next Generation of Leaders
- Editorial team
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
Every two years, a handful of leaders from Cambodia's European business community step forward to take the helm of EuroCham's sectoral committees. In July, the European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia launched its 2026 campaign with a call for candidates; by early August, it had published the first profiles of those already answering that call.
A vote that has shaped the Chamber's life for years
In a press release issued from Phnom Penh on 7 July 2026, EuroCham officially opened applications for the renewal of its twelve Sectoral Committees, which span fields as varied as Agribusiness, Automotive, Digital & Technology, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Garment & Manufacturing, Green Business, Healthcare, Human Resources, Real Estate & Construction, Tax & Governance, Tourism & Hospitality, and Transport & Logistics. The Chamber is inviting senior leaders from its member companies and from across its National Chapters to put themselves forward, with a particular call for more women leaders and SME representatives to step into these cross-cutting roles.
According to EuroCham, these committees sit at the heart of its advocacy work: this is where individual business frustrations, sector-wide obstacles, and emerging opportunities are discussed collectively before being turned into shared positions, then into concrete recommendations feeding EuroCham's White Book, or carried directly into dialogue with regulatory bodies.
Tangible results to show for it
EuroCham is keen to stress that this work is anything but theoretical. Through ongoing conversations between the Transport & Logistics Committee and the General Department of Customs and Excise, backed by support from the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), nine of the thirteen forms previously required for customs procedures have been eliminated, streamlining the landscape for logistics operators. In the beverage sector, the ban on "ring-pull prizes" for beer and sugary drinks falls directly in line with recommendations long championed by the FMCG Committee. The Automotive Committee, meanwhile, had consistently flagged the lack of a clear definition for "new cars"; the government has since issued an official definition that provides the clarity the sector had been asking for.
Four responsibilities, a two-year mandate
Once elected, committee chairs and vice-chairs take on four broad responsibilities: keeping their committee's membership engaged, setting and monitoring a strategic roadmap, contributing to EuroCham's advocacy and White Book recommendations, and shaping the committee's event calendar, from proposing topics and speakers to taking part in committee events themselves. EuroCham notes that its Advocacy, Membership, Communications, and Events teams stand behind every committee, handling the operations and logistics so that elected leaders can focus on judgment and direction rather than administration.
A Committee Leadership Survey conducted in June 2026, which drew responses from all outgoing committees, found that the majority of current leaders spend an average of just over two hours per week on committee activities and take part in an average of two meetings or events per month. For those who have done it, the role is described less as a duty than as a genuinely rewarding endeavour, one that expands their networks and deepens their understanding of Cambodia's business landscape.
First candidate profiles unveiled
On 3 August 2026, EuroCham took the process a step further by publishing a dedicated candidate profiles page, available at eurocham-cambodia.org/committee-elections-candidate-profiles. The page brings together, for the first time, all confirmed candidacies to date and will be updated regularly as further applications are submitted ahead of the nomination deadline.
At the time of publication, candidates had already stepped forward across most of the Chamber's committees — Agribusiness, Automotive, Digital & Technology, FMCG, Garment & Manufacturing, Green Business, Healthcare, Human Resources, Real Estate & Construction, Tax & Governance, Tourism & Hospitality, and Transport & Logistics. EuroCham notes that these profiles reflect the diversity of its membership, drawing from a wide range of industries, nationalities, and professional backgrounds.
Timeline: voting in September, the new mandate launches in October
The election runs on a staggered timeline. A communication campaign accompanied the opening of applications through the summer, explaining to members how chair and vice-chair roles function within committees. Between late July and August, EuroCham holds internal meetings to align each committee ahead of the elections proper, set for September, when members will choose their representatives for the next two years. By the end of October, newly elected leaders will convene to launch their strategic roadmaps together, a step designed to coordinate priorities across committees before the new mandate gets fully underway.
How to apply
EuroCham members who have not yet submitted an application are encouraged to do so before the nomination deadline, through the Chamber's online form. Once again, EuroCham underlines its wish to see more women leaders and SME representatives put themselves forward. For questions about the process, interested members can contact Ms. Chan Mey Ching, Senior Advocacy Officer at EuroCham, at advocacy.officer@eurocham-cambodia.org or +855 10 871 396.