Management Team

Billy Gorter

Executive Director

Before founding award-winning NGO This Life Cambodia, Billy already had a dynamic career in the fields of international development and conservation, designing and delivering powerful social justice initiatives, initially in Australia and for the last 15 years in Cambodia.
With a background including conservation, education, equality, and human rights, Billy’s expertise in partnering with and working in the best interests of local communities has led to him being a sought after mentor to other NGOs, an international awards judge, and in-demand international speaker.

In 2007 he founded This Life and led it as it expanded from 2 people in his lounge to a staff of 90 based in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, delivering high impact programs that have supported thousands of individuals and families. This Life's excellence was recognised in 2015 by the prestigious Stars Impact Award. This highly rigorous award celebrates locally led organisations improving the lives of children and young people. In 2019 This Life won the Global Grassroots Justice Prize, an honour bestowed by a judges panel as well as winning the public vote. In 2021, This Life won The Global Good Award for Community Investment.

As Executive Director for This Life, Billy is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the NGO in delivering 13 programs covering Children and Families, Communities and Impact, Learning and Effectiveness. He is passionate about working in a creative, innovative, and collaborative way and drove national campaigns to end domestic violence and strengthen families which reached more than 2 million Cambodians and received wide local and international media attention.

Billy is a highly consultative leader, an adept negotiator who understands and works within cultural mores to achieve optimal strategic and operational objectives. He has cultivated productive ongoing relationships with Cambodian government ministries and overseen the accreditation of This Life in Australia as a Registered Charitable Institution (NSW), accredited with the Australian Not for Profits and Charities Commission (ACNC). He also led This Life's achievement of Governance and Professional Practice accreditation through the Cooperation Committee of Cambodia.

In addition, Billy led the organisation in its successful application for full membership to the Australian Council for International Development. Covering over 9 Quality Principles, 32 Commitments and 90 Compliance Indicators, ACFID's Code sets good standards for program effectiveness, fundraising, governance and financial reporting.

Se Chhin

Deputy Director

Se has a passion for social justice as well as community and international development. He joined This Life in 2008 as the very first staff member. Currently, as Deputy Director, Se is responsible for leading and managing operations. Additionally, he also supports the Executive Director in developing and implementing This Life’s strategic plan and partnership management. Se has over decade of proven experience overseeing multiple programming thematic areas, including education, poverty alleviation and livelihoods, child justice and protection, health, gender equality, MEAL and research.

He holds a BA in English Translation and Interpretation from Build Bright University, a MA in Public Administration from Royal University of Law and Economics, and an Executive Master in Development Policies and Practices from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

Dhanita Nair

Director of Shared Services

Dhanita has 15 years of experience working in for-profit organisations. She joined This Life in January 2021 as an Executive Support Officer, bringing with her a wealth of administrative management experience. Considering her experience, work, and perseverance, she was promoted to the Director of Shared Services in January 2022.
She previously worked in the banking sector in India and later as a volunteer teacher for children in marginalised communities before moving to Cambodia in 2010. She spent ten years in Cambodia working in different fields, from Sales and Marketing, visiting every region in Cambodia, gaining a thorough understanding of Khmer Culture and forming strong bonds with the people of Cambodia to production, teaching and as an entrepreneur.
Dhanita holds a degree in English Literature and Psychology and is fluent in English, Hindi, Malayalam, and Gujarati, with a fair understanding of the Khmer language.

Sochann Khean

Finance Manager

Sochann brings over ten years of experience in finance, taxation, management, auditing, finance risk management and leadership to his role as Finance Manager at This Life. He has worked in the not-for-profit sector since 2008 as a senior accountant, and in 2018 he began working at This Life as an accountant. Sochann holds university qualifications in both accounting and information technology, and he is highly skilled in the use of accounting software such as QuickBooks.

Borany Chea

Communities Section Lead

Borany and her team manage the Communities section and its programs, with a particular emphasis on improving education and ending violence against women. Previously the LSSDP Coordinator at This Life for five and a half years, Rany returned after working with Save the Children for two years. Her experience of working collaboratively with NGOs and government partners is critical in providing the technical skills, knowledge and network to ensure the successful implementation of This Life’s education initiatives. Borany holds a bachelors degree in Economic and Social Science and a Masters Degree in Development Management.

Sam Ven

Children and Families Section Lead

Sam holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and is one of our most tenured TLC members, having joined all the way back in 2012. He spent his first 3 years here working as a Program Officer, supporting efforts to transform the lives of minors in conflict with the law. He then advanced into a Program Coordinator role, leading the This Life Beyond Bars program team, supporting vulnerable families at risk of separation when a parent comes into conflict with the law.
In July 2022, having accomplished so much at every level , he was promoted to Children and Families Section Lead.

Sokhan Khut

Strategic Partnerships and Compliance Manager

Sokhan has over 15 years of experience in managing entrepreneurship empowerment projects and educational program execution in Cambodia's nonprofit sector. His career began in archaeology, where he conducted field research along the Mekong River and assisted international projects studying ancient sites and cultural anthropology. This foundation in social science and cultural studies has enhanced his understanding of community dynamics and development needs, particularly in rural Cambodia.

Currently serving as Strategic Partnerships and Compliance Manager, Sokhan brings extensive expertise in stakeholder engagement, project management, and cross-cultural communication. His work has focused on nurturing donor relationships, coordinating strategic partnerships, and ensuring program compliance. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science (Field of Archaeology) from the Royal University of Fine Arts and has completed numerous professional certifications, including an Executive Certificate in Human Resource Management. Fluent in Khmer (mother tongue) and professionally proficient in English, Sokhan's diverse background enables him to bridge cultural gaps and effectively implement community development initiatives.

Alan Morgan

Strategic Partnerships Mentor

Alan has over 30 years of experience in the technology sector, specialising in sales leadership and management. He has worked in the UK, USA, Europe, Australia, and, most recently, Cambodia. He has extensive expertise in building high-performance teams, developing sales strategies, and pursuing valuable business opportunities. He has strong client engagement, staff development, cloud computing, and analytics capabilities. Alan has been consistently promoted into leadership roles, managing sales teams and driving revenue growth. He has a proven track record of overachieving targets, acquiring new clients, and receiving awards, such as IBM's A/NZ Manager Champion in 2017.
Alan holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of West of Scotland, an MBA from the University of Edinburgh, and completed IBM's Client Executive Certification at the INSEAD University in Paris.
He has been involved with several boards and community organisations outside of work. He enjoys beekeeping, skiing, diving, golf, and flying.

Timothy Straker-Cook

Business Development Manager

Tim is the newest member of the team, having joined This Life in September 2023. He has over ten years’ experience in South East Asia leading and developing programs with Cuso International, Voluntary Service Overseas and World Wildlife Fund for Nature and has a further twenty years project management experience in Sub-Saharan Africa with other NGOs.
Tim has been responsible for strategic development and resource mobilization for programs focused on civil society development, sustainable livelihoods, climate change adaptation, natural resource management, gender equality and social inclusion. He holds a Masters Degree in Resource Management from the University of Edinburgh and a Higher National Diploma in Landscape and Horticultural Technology. Tim is passionate about the advancement of youth, empowerment of communities and is inspired to assist This Life in fully achieving its vision.