Dara N. Van is the new Business Development Manager at Confluences. It's a position in which she brings valuable experience of working with groups both internationally and in the Kingdom. Dara enjoys the flexibility of her position - working across different sectors and departments within Confluences - and is equally excited by her mission to develop new partnerships and business opportunities.
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Transcription
About you...
My name is Dara and I'm Franco-Cambodian, or should I say French of Cambodian origin. I was born in Cambodia and grew up in France, in Paris. I started my studies with a BTS in international trade and then went on to study at the ICN Business School in the Lorraine region. I've now been living in Cambodia for over three years. When I had just finished my master's degree in Shanghai, Covid unfortunately happened and I found myself stuck in France. So it was a difficult situation to find work and Cambodia was still an open country. I jumped on the opportunity and it also allowed me to reconnect with my Cambodian roots. Knowing that I had family here, it was a great opportunity.
What were your first impressions of the country?
It wasn't the first time, I came back with the family every 2-3 years, so I was able to see a bit of the evolution of Cambodia. The country has changed completely, and it's quite impressive.
Tell us about your professional activity
I'm Business Development Manager at Confluences. For those who don't know yet, Confluences is a company that helps foreign businesses wishing to establish themselves in Cambodia and South-East Asia by providing them with a whole range of services.
It starts with a market survey, a prospecting mission or a feasibility study. We then take care of all the operational aspects, including company and product registration, recruitment, human resources services and wage portage. We also rent out part of our offices to companies that need them. We can also take care of the tax and finance side of things, and we also have a distribution department that manages a range of floor coverings, solar products and coffee.
We have also developed a venture-partnership section to develop our own projects in Cambodia, including an immersive museum in Siem Reap.
Do you offer your services to all types of company?
Yes, all industries and all sizes of company, and it's really very interesting. It really depends on the requirements, but we always adapt. For example, we can work with small companies that are looking for local distributors or partners in Cambodia. We can also work with larger companies looking to build factories, and there too we can assist them.
What do you do outside work?
I recently joined the French Chamber of Commerce as deputy treasurer and, apart from that, I love sport and often go to the gym or go mountain biking outdoors. The good thing about Cambodia is that it's quite easy to go out into the provinces and find good hiking spots.
What do you like most and least about Cambodia?
The least? I'd say the traffic jams, but otherwise what I like most is the kindness of the people and the quality of the hospitality. Life here is pretty simple and relaxed. In terms of gastronomy, there's a wide choice of restaurants and, more generally, there are many opportunities for leisure activities. It's also Confluences' vocation to develop the leisure sector by encouraging companies in the sector to invest here.
