Keynote Speakers

Minister of Commerce, Cambodia

 

H.E. Mr. Sorasak Pan was assigned as Minister of Commerce of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) in April 2016.

He was Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce for the 4th (2008-2013) and the 5th (2013-2016) Legislature. He was responsible for the Strategic Trade Policy and International Trade Cooperation and led a taskforce on the ratification of Cambodia’s Trade Facilitation Agreement for the WTO’s Bali Package (2013-2016). He also chaired the Inter-ministerial Implementing Committee of the Trade Development Support Program (TDSP) and the committee responsible for the drafting and updating the Cambodia’s Diagnostic Trade Integration Strategy (1st and 2nd update).

H.E. Mr. Pan Sorasak was appointed by Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen as a member of the 10-member committee responsible for the reformation of the electoral processes in Cambodia which culminated to the new formation of the National Election Committee in April 2015. Since January 2014, he has led the “mini-council of ministers” meetings, which was formed by government top officials, to assist sub-national governance for Pailin Province.

Mr. Pan is recognized as one of the main drivers of the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in SMEs development and increase their competitiveness. He initiated the drafting of the E-Commerce Law, the World Bank-supported e-Ministry initiatives, the Ministry of Commerce’s ICT master plan & Trade Information Website as well as the creation and standardization of Khmer Unicode script in computers.

Before joining the public sector, Mr. Pan had spent his career in the private sector for 18 years, occupied senior positions (up to Corporate Vice Presidents) with UNOCAL, an American multinational oil and gas exploration company in the United States, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore and headed its country office in Cambodia. He also worked as a Researcher for the United States Air Force and the Pentagon.

Mr. Pan is currently serving in a number of organizations including as a board member of Architects of Cambodia, Vice Chairman of the National Standard Board, the National Statistical Board, National Council of Science & Technology (NCST) and the American Cambodian Business Council (AMCAM).

He has one adult daughter.