INTHEBLACK June 2026 - Magazine - Page 30
MEMBER PROFILE
Scepticism about her age and
experience became the catalyst
for Yuvady Keo CPA to build an
accounting business grounded
in trust, systems thinking and
long-term impact.
By combining international
training with local insight,
Keo helps Cambodian SMEs
professionalise their financial
management and navigate
growth more sustainably.
Keo is creating an
interconnected ecosystem of
businesses and learning spaces
that empower entrepreneurs
and shape the next generation
of business leaders.
As founder of Your Guiding Star Accounting in Phnom Penh, Yuvady Keo CPA
is committed to supporting the sustainable growth of Cambodian businesses.
Now she is building her own multi-business ecosystem to empower other
young entrepreneurs.
Words Susan Muldowney
Photography Simon Toffanello
WHEN YUVADY KEO CPA RETURNED
to her home city of Phnom Penh in 2024
to start an accounting practice, few people
believed she would succeed. Some said
the now 27-year-old University of Sydney
graduate was too young to run a business.
Others said she could not compete with
established players in the market. One critic
even described her as “not enough”.
Rather than undermining her confidence,
Keo says the scepticism fuelled not only her
entrepreneurial spirit but her determination
to prove that she had exactly what it takes to
build a business.
“I have always had an entrepreneurial
mindset,” says Keo, founder of Your Guiding
Star Accounting, which provides end-to-end
accounting, tax and advisory services to
small-to-medium enterprises in Cambodia.
“I knew early on that I wanted to build
something from my own ideas. A lot of
people doubted that I could do it, and while
30 INTHEBLACK June 2026
that hurt a bit, it also pushed me to
a higher standard.
“When clients started coming to me,
they believed in my vision, and that showed
me that impact is not about how long you
have been in the market — it is about
the value and authenticity you bring.”
AN ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM
Keo is on a mission to help Cambodian
businesses succeed. This requires building
trust among clients who have been
traditionally reluctant to open their books
to third parties, while also fostering a deeper
awareness of compliance.
“Compliance is common knowledge in
countries like Australia, but in Cambodia
we are still at the stage of educating people
about the importance of accurate record
keeping,” says Keo.
Your Guiding Star Accounting is just
one part of a multi-business ecosystem Keo
