Business Booms under Good Management

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA

Ly Sok, 28, is an experienced business dealer, strategist, and entrepreneur with an impressive track record in marketing operations. He was born on May 6, 1981 in Kampot province, and is the second son in the family, alongside his brothers and sisters.

Sok, graduated in the field of Hospitality and Tourism in 2004, and was awarded a Master’s Degree in Marketing in 2006.

Sok’s extensive career in high profile marketing and public relations positions began with his work for Mobile Phone Magazine (MPM). In his recent promotion as Chief Executive Officer with MPM, he and his team were able to deliver a record profit, introduce new product lines, and position the company as the leading guide for mobile phone education and purchase.

Sok has national and international experience in leading teams and managing businesses. However, he singled for special praise the Entrepreneurship and Creative Business Ideas Model for Successful Start Up Companies, conducted by Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC).

He now is the Chairman of the Whale Group, a local business established April 9, 2008. This company aims to promote domestic and foreign products and services through exhibitions and customized promotional events in Cambodia. It employs a total of thirty young, experienced and committed staff members. They work to create promotional events for the Real Estate, Education, Health and Lifestyle International Trade, Technology, and Food & Beverage sectors.

“My ambition for the future is to create a one-stop service for all kinds of customers, creating strong ties between local and international investors and entrepreneurs. Hopefully, our company will spread into the wider South East Asian region, with designs on entering the top ten list of Asian Businesses,” he said.

He added, “It is also my intention to help the next generation in finding creative ideas to run businesses and thus set a greater distance between themselves and poverty.”

“I have received success both in my studies and my career because I have been prepared to work and make the most of all opportunities that come my way,” he told the Cambodia Weekly during an interview.

He added, “I got a real job after High School graduation. Following graduation, I was employed as a sales representative and my starting salary was US$60 per month. Given my experience and my willingness to work hard, this soon rose to US$850 per month.”

There followed a period where he worked as a Sales and Marketing Representative with six organizations including the United Nations and the Mekong Private Sector Development Facility (MPDF) in Cambodia.

Sok said that this provided him with useful experience, an extended network of contacts and a wide range of other skills. He went on to say that he wanted to share his skills and experience with the next generation of business students.

He emphasized that from his point of view, the educational system in Cambodia provides an excellent theoretical framework, but this needs to be supported with improvements to the schedule of practical activities and exercises.

Many students opt to study subjects that have little relevance to their eventual careers beyond equipping the candidate with a limited range of generic skills, said Sok. He advised students to pay extra attention when thinking about courses of study and their long term future.

Tum Bandol is the Creative Manager of the Whale Group and working life with his boss.

“I started working with Ly Sok in 2005 and quickly noted his cleverness and capacity for hard work.” he said. “Sok has made changes and the company progress. He has organized many successful exhibitions and events in Cambodia and I hope that he will continue to bring further changes and success to the company,” he added.

Another Sok’s friend, Loeung Chhay said that he also appreciated Sok’s work.

“I have known Ly Sok since 2002 when he was studying with me at NUM. He was a brave young man but was very gentle and friendly,” he said. “I hope that he will become a successful business leader in Cambodia. I wish him all success in future,” he added.

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