Michael Horton - Chairman and Founder

Michael has been involved in development work in South East Asia since 1998.  Prior to that he had worked for Barclays Bank in the UK for more than 20 years.  He first came to Siem Reap in early 2006 and liked the place so much that by August 2007 he’d moved to Cambodia. 

During his time in Siem Reap he became aware of a paradox.  The province had several hundred projects, some of whom had been here many years.  Also, the town had become well known in volunteering circles and over time, many people had been volunteering or supporting the local projects.  At the same time, the average length of stay in Siem Reap is only a few days, and many more people who came on holiday and then wanted to offer their support found it difficult or impossible to get information on who to help and what they should do in the short time they had available.  They invariably left without being able to give their help.

He realised that if a visitor could find someone who needed the type of help they could give, then everyone would benefit:

Ra Kolap (Nari) - Support Advisor

I was born in Siem Reap so I know the town and the province very well. I have worked for many different places and seen many changes. A few years ago Siem Reap was a very quiet town and now it is a major tourist centre in Cambodia.

I started working when I was 17 years old and I was very sad because I had to leave my school so I could work and support my family. I worked for very small wages because I had no qualifications or experience. The jobs were hard and I worked from early morning until midnight. I really missed my school and I always wanted to go back to continue my studies.

After had been working for few years I realised I needed to learn English. I started trying to speak with the tourists that I met in my job and I practiced every day whilst I was working. I never get fed up of learning. Day by day my English began to improve. Even now I’m still attending English classes at ACE school and learning English has been important in helping me to find a better job.

I have a lot of experience working with projects, and in dealing with tourists and volunteers. I have known about ConCERT since it started and I am really pleased to be working here. One of my main jobs is helping people who want to volunteer or to give their support to the people of Cambodia in some way.

Philipp Lee - Long term Volunteer sponsored by the Weltwärts programme August 2011 – July 2012

Philipp applied for the weltwärts programme, which is run by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, because he wanted to learn more about cultural differences in the world, and he hopes to get a deeper understanding of development aid policy. During his year in Siem Reap, Philipp hopes to get involved with various issues regarding Cambodia and its people; he wants to get in contact with as many people as possible and help them in the best way he can.  He feels that it is very difficult to understand and help a society without an appreciation of its culture, and this is especially so in Cambodia with its dramatic historical background.

Philipp is very glad to be a part of ConCERT. At the office, Philipp talks to visitors about our member projects, and helps Nari to deliver training sessions to our business members.  He is our all-round IT systems administrator and social media expert, keeping the website and our Facebook page up to date.

Nikki Biddison - Volunteer

Nikki first came to Siem Reap as a tourist in 2003, and was so smitten with the country that the only way she’s ever been able to describe the reason for returning to live in Cambodia was that it felt like she had left home and needed to return. So, nine months later, she found herself back in Siem Reap where she remained until late 2007, teaching English.

Nikki’s background is primarily in education, as an English language teacher. Through her experience in Cambodia she became much more aware and interested in development issues as they related to the boom in the tourism sector. In late 2006, she co-founded a small, inbound tour operation with the aim of promoting unique cultural tours that would take tourists beyond Angkor Wat to experience the “real” Cambodia. She returned to the United States at the end of 2007 until the end of 2010 in order to complete a Master’s in Public Policy.

She first heard about ConCERT in 2009 when she was completing an internship for her graduate studies. When she discovered ConCERT, it was as if Michael had read her mind back in 2007 before she first left Cambodia. She was very excited to see a place that provides visitors with information and opportunities about organizations that are working in Siem Reap in order to connect with them responsibly. Further involvement came in 2010 when she wrote a grant proposal for a sanitation project as part of her graduate studies that partnered with ConCERT.

Nikki’s work with ConCERT is helping to strengthen our links with local businesses and in turn, working with them to develop effective community partnerships through cooperation with our member projects.

Rin Salin - Executive Director

Salin is Michael’s partner and has been helping him with ConCERT since the middle of 2009. She is the official point of contact for all administrative matters relating to ConCERT and the government. 

She is also very much involved with day to day events.  Along with Nari she talks to visitors in the office about life in Cambodia; her own story is a powerful reminder of what Cambodia and Cambodians have endured over the last few decades.

Salin grew up in rural Battambang province where the remnants of the Khmer Rouge continued their fight with the government until the late 1990’s.  Her village was often caught up in the fighting and her schooling, typical of many rural girls, was cut short though she fared better than most as her mother is a teacher.

In common with many thousands of Cambodians she moved to Siem Reap in search of work in the tourism industry to support herself and her son Lee How, who stayed in Battambang with her mum.  In early 2010 Lee How came to live with her and Michael; he is now a well known sight in Siem Reap as he rides around with Michael on the company vehicle!