A broker plays a vital role in the stock market, since individual investors cannot buy or sell shares on their own unless they are formally licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia (SECC),” said 24-year-old Sun Sokhet, a stock broker at Phnom Penh Securities Firm Plc.

Sokhet was born in Siem Reap province, the oldest brother to three siblings. He graduated high school in 2006, and moved to Phnom Penh to pursue his Bachelor’s in Business at the Royal University of Law and Economics. He also took up studies in English for business, meanwhile, at Cambodian Mekong University.

While studying for his Bachelor’s, Sokhet also worked as a program co-ordinator at Cambodian Mekong University; he later took up a job as Executive Director at Ratha Leading Centre.

Sokhet became a broker after graduating university in 2011. Currently, while working, he is studying for his Master’s in Finance at Pannasastra University.

A stock broker is responsible for buying and selling shares on the stock market, representing investors. Unlike in marketing and sales, brokers do not persuade customers to buy shares; instead, they explain and answer investors’ queries about the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX) and companies that list.

Brokers cannot say for sure whether or not share prices will increase; however, a good broker is knowledgeable and able to analyse and predict, with numbers, charts and graphs how prices might turn out.

The CSX opens twice per day in the morning. During that time, Sokhet is busy waiting to hear from investors and then inputting their requests into the CSX system. This is his primary duty.

During the afternoon, Sokhet bides his time by finding more clients.

Although this part of the job is more simple, it requires a lot of skills across the board – including language, speaking and communication, a keen sense for mathematics and, of course, charisma.

Brokers also need to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to financial news, so they can keep investors updated around the clock.

Because the CSX is so fresh, Sokhet finds he spends much of his time assuaging investors’ anxieties over the country’s emerging big business sector.

To best keep clients and potential clients educated, Sokhet has arranged seminars and provides a consulting service both face-to-face and by telephone, free of charge. Sokhet also sends his clients routine e-mails to keep them updated.

Sokhet predicts that the CSX will bring great benefit to Cambodia’s financial sector. He foresees growth in the Kingdom’s GDP as companies will net more profit for investment. Sokhet also looks forward to a decreasing unemployment rate, as well as higher returns for individual investors.The prospect of a bright future in the financial future keeps Sokhet delighted with his job. Not to mention, Sokhet explained, there’s plenty of room for advancement working in Cambodia’s finance sector.

He’s able to maintain a good living condition and gains new professional qualifications nearly every-day, he reflected.

“In five years time, I expect to be a famous broker,” Sokhet said. “Later in life, I want to run my own finance companies in agriculture and technology – as a group company, not just one company.”