Thierry Tea

Thierry Tea
Tea in 2025
Born	(1981-04-22) 22 April 1981 (age 44) Paris, France
Alma mater	Harvard Business School; INSEAD; Drexel University
Occupations	Entrepreneur, executive, investor
Years active	2003–present
Title	Vice President of OCIC Founder and CEO of PhilJets Group
Board member of	Negocia Capital Dara Ventures
Spouse	Lynda Him
Children	3

Thierry Tea (born April 22, 1981) is a French-Cambodian entrepreneur and investor. He is the founder and CEO of PhilJets Group, a business aviation company based in the Philippines, ^[1] and serves as Vice President of Cambodian family-owned conglomerate Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC). ^[2] Tea has also been involved in initiatives across aviation, fintech, urban development, and private equity.

Early life and education

Tea was born in Paris, France, to Chinese Cambodian parents who resettled as refugees. He grew up in Paris' Quartier Asiatique and pursued business studies in Singapore, later participating in an exchange program at Drexel University in the United States. ^[3] He completed the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School between 2020 and 2022 ^[4] and undertook executive education programs at INSEAD Business School. ^[5]

Career

Airbus Philippines and Eurocopter

Tea began his career with Airbus Helicopters in Paris and later transferred to Singapore through the VIE program. In 2004, he joined Eurocopter Philippines and was named President and CEO in 2007, becoming one of the youngest executives in the Airbus network. He later served as Head of Airbus Group Philippines, overseeing major contracts including a $7 billion order by Philippine Airlines. ^[6]

PhilJets Group

In 2013, Tea founded PhilJets Group, offering aviation services such as MRO, charter flights, and aircraft management. PhilJets acquired Zenith Air and gained AMO certification from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. ^[7] The company briefly partnered with Grab to launch GrabHeli, an air taxi service in Manila. ^[8]

Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation

Since 2023, Tea has served as Vice President of Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC) in Cambodia. He works alongside the group’s executive leadership in advancing projects related to real estate, smart cities, public infrastructure, and innovation ecosystems. His work includes efforts to expand the reach of OCIC’s flagship developments such as Koh Pich, and overseeing collaboration with regional and international partners. ^{[9] [10] [11]}

Other initiatives

Tea co-founded WeCube Inc., a digital startup ecosystem, and serves as Ambassador for La French Tech Philippines. He also leads Dara Ventures, which holds Cambodia’s franchise rights for brands such as Pandora and Bering. In addition, he launched Negocia Capital Investments to support private equity, trading, and advisory services. ^{[12] [13]}

Awards and recognition

• 2009 – Appointed Foreign Trade Advisor (CCE) for France. ^[14]
• 2010 – Named one of "People of the Year" by People Asia magazine for emergency aviation support during Typhoon Ondoy. ^[15]
• 2025 – Featured in Cambodia Investment Review's Top 50 Leaders list. ^[16]

Personal life

Tea is married to Lynda Him, a French-Cambodian entrepreneur involved in rice trading. The couple has three children. Tea speaks French, English, Khmer, and Teochew.

See also

• Airbus Helicopters
• Koh Pich
• Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation

References

1. "Flying the Flag". Vertical Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
2. "Cambodia Leadership Review 2025 – Thierry Tea". Cambodia Investment Review. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
3. "Thierry Tea, Chairman of PhilJets Group". The CEO Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
4. "Thierry Tea OPM Harvard Graduation". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
5. "Mr. Thierry Tea – CamTech University". CamTech University. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
6. "Airbus wins $7 billion Philippine Air order". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
7. "PhilJets gains AMO license". Corporate Jet Investor. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
8. "PhilJets and GrabTaxi launch GrabHeli". Vertical Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
9. "Contributing to Cambodia's Urban Development: The OCIC Story – Interview with Thierry Tea". B2B Cambodia. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
10. "How OCIC is helping shape Cambodia's future". Kiripost. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
11. "Thierry Tea on the future of Cambodia's infrastructure and innovation". Open Development Cambodia. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
12. "Affordable luxury and 'precious moments' see Sandara shining". Phnom Penh Post. 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
13. "AGAMA And The Cambodian Investment Scene". B2B Cambodia. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
14. "Décret du 1er août 2014 portant nomination de conseillers du commerce extérieur de la France". Legifrance. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
15. "'People of the Year' awardee inspires Noy". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
16. "Cambodia Leadership Review 2025 – Thierry Tea". Cambodia Investment Review. Retrieved 2024-05-17.