In the grand tradition of kingdoms reborn and reputations reclaimed, Cambodia’s glittering hospitality and food scene has crowned a new set of champions—thirty of them, to be precise. The Cambodia Leadership Review, in its freshly pressed fourth edition, has lifted the velvet curtain on the Top 30 F&B and Hospitality Leaders for 2025, a spirited homage to the bold, the brave, and the biblically busy figures shaping one of Southeast Asia’s most surprising success stories.
Launched in partnership with the International Business Chamber of Cambodia (IBC), this year’s issue follows last year’s finance feature. It turns its editorial gaze towards the kingdom’s booming kitchens, back bars, and concierge counters. And frankly, it couldn’t have arrived at a more auspicious hour.
“This edition turns its spotlight to the dynamic and rapidly evolving F&B and hospitality sectors—two pillars of Cambodia’s post-pandemic recovery and international appeal,” quipped Harrison White, the publication’s editor-in-chief, with all the gleam of a man who’s finally snagged a table at Cuisine Wat Damnak.
From five-star general managers to offbeat distillers, cocktail creatives and crusading chefs, the Top 30 list reads like a cross between a Michelin guide and a business hall of fame—except with more charm and less foie gras.
Renaissance on the Mekong
Cambodia, once seen as a post-backpacker detox between Bangkok and Saigon, is elbowing its way into the premium lane. The well-heeled are checking into restored colonial gems like Raffles Hotel Le Royal and dining on tasting menus that wouldn’t look out of place in Melbourne or Manhattan. The rustic Angkor tuk-tuk has been replaced (or, at least, joined) by chauffeur-driven Lexus SUVs ferrying guests to distilleries producing award-winning spirits from Kampot pepper and Khmer botanicals.
“International hotel brands, luxury beverage houses, and world-class chefs are bringing Cambodia into its own,” said Harrison White, sipping a lemongrass martini from the rooftop of Rosewood Phnom Penh, no doubt. “We’re no longer catching up—we’re leading in innovation.”
He’s not wrong. Among this year’s luminaries are Dagmar Lyons, the unflappable general manager of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, and Daniel Pacheco, the visionary behind Samai Distillery, whose small-batch rums now appear in the cocktail menus of swanky watering holes from Hong Kong to Helsinki. Not to mention Tania Unsworth, co-founder of Seekers Independent Spirits, who has practically reinvented Cambodia’s artisan gin scene with all the botanical flair of an alchemist in a fedora.
A Judging Panel That Meant Business
This wasn’t a popularity contest pulled from LinkedIn likes and blurry Instagram reels. The Cambodia Leadership Review, alongside the IBC, assembled a panel of sharp-eyed industry sages from CIR Media and beyond. Four key benchmarks guided the process: impact, uniqueness, reach, and ecosystem engagement.
It’s not just about profit margins or TripAdvisor ratings. The judges were on the lookout for leadership that inspires, innovation that disrupts, and hospitality that feels as Khmer as a sunset over Angkor Wat.
And so they found visionaries like Arnaud Darc of Thalias Hospitality Group, the ever-diplomatic Andrew Tay from Himawari Hotel Apartments, and Kenji Tsuzaki, a man somehow both COO of UNWASPA and the maestro behind MAWSIM Distillery’s spiced rice liqueurs.
Beyond Bed Sheets and Banquets
What this year’s list makes clear, in no uncertain terms, is a significant shift in Cambodia’s economic identity. The country isn’t just serving great meals and providing plush beds—it’s becoming a destination for creating those experiences. These thirty leaders, with their global pedigrees and local loyalties, are building careers and businesses that put Cambodia on the culinary and corporate map.
“These leaders are helping Cambodia compete not just as a destination, but as a place to build, invest, and create,” said Harrison, as the last of the issue’s print copies were boxed for dispatch to hotels, hospitality schools, and boardrooms from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville.
The names on the list come from every rung of the hospitality ladder. There’s Sarah Moya, running the Courtyard by Marriott Phnom Penh with military precision and maternal warmth. Rapytha Bonamy, who’s making catering cool at Newrest. And Thomas Bianco, Executive Assistant Manager at Raffles, who probably knows more about pairing beef lok lak with Bordeaux than the rest of us know about our own families.
Legacy, Leadership, and Looking Forward
With Cambodia aiming to become an upper-middle-income country by 2030, leadership in service industries is more than a vanity project—it’s a national priority. This latest edition of the Cambodia Leadership Review isn’t just another glossy nod to entrepreneurship; it’s a celebration of Cambodia’s soft power, its business maturity, and its human capital.
And in true Peter Needham tradition, we tip our hats to the unsung heroes. The general managers are pulling 80-hour weeks. The chefs are balancing French training with Khmer tradition. The beverage bosses are experimenting with kampot pepper infusions in windowless basements. All of them, together, spinning Cambodia’s service sector into pure silk.
Get Your Hands on It
Whether you’re a hotelier, a hopeful investor, or just a nosy foodie keen to know who’s shaking things up in Southeast Asia, the 2025 edition is essential reading. The Cambodia Leadership Review is available now in both print and digital formats, freely distributed to major players in Cambodia’s business ecosystem, regional partners, and hospitality institutions.
👉 Download your free copy of the Top 30 F&B & Hospitality 2025 here.
By Kanda Limw
