“Hard work always pays off.”

THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS BOOMING IN CAMBODIA, BUT LBL INTERNATIONAL MANAGING DIRECTOR STÉPHANE BIGORRE EXPLAINS WHY HE WANTS TO STRENGTHEN THE COMPANY’S FOUNDATIONS BEFORE FOCUSING ON GROWTH.

- Jodie Darlington

Never one to shy away from hard work, Stéphane Bigorre is a firm believer in persistence and perseverance. While some people appear to be in a rush to achieve success as quickly as possible, Stéphane prefers to take the slow and steady approach. “Hard work always pays off sooner or later,” he says. “You should be perseverant in all your undertakings and never take anything for granted. This is what I heard multiple times from my father, who has always been hardworking and successful.”

This advice has proved invaluable throughout Stéphane’s life and career. Born and raised in France, Stéphane got his first real taste of South-East Asia when he spent six months travelling through the region after graduating from civil engineering studies in 1993. But six months was not enough; he wanted more. “I returned home to France with only one idea in mind; I had to find a way to go back over there to start my career,” Stéphane recalls.

The enterprising young man headed to Vietnam in 1994, where he quickly picked up work and spent the next two decades working in a diverse range of project management positions within the construction industry. Just as Stéphane was preparing to celebrate 20 years living in Ho Chi Minh City, he decided it was time for a change. “One month before that key milestone, I decided to relocate to Cambodia to start something new,” he says.