Tag: APJ

Australia – SnapLogic has appointed Matt Moore as its head of alliances for Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) region. In his new role, Moore will further strengthen SnapLogic’s presence and strategic partnerships across the region as the demand for AI-led integration intensifies. 

Prior to joining SnapLogic, Moore worked at leading tech companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Databricks, focusing on business development, sales alignment and go-to-market activity while also managing the data and AI category for APJ. 

Leveraging his extensive expertise, Moore will also drive a focused plan of engagement with SnapLogic’s channel and key partnerships in the region.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “Throughout my career, I’ve devoted significant time to working with big data and leveraging its potential to drive crucial business insights. This has proven instrumental in generating revenue, optimising costs and mitigating risks in the APJ region.”

He added, “SnapLogic has a very clear approach to its customers and, by association, its partners. Our primary goal is to reduce complexity via integration, helping them get to business insights faster and in a repeatable and scalable fashion. We can’t achieve that mission without technology and consulting partners who share our unwavering commitment to prioritising what’s right for the customer.”

Meanwhile, Jason Wakeam, vice president for partner sales and OEM at SnapLogic, commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Matt as the Head of Alliances for APJ. With his extensive industry experience and expertise in driving crucial business insights, we are confident he will play a pivotal role in fortifying SnapLogic’s presence and strategic partnerships across the region. As the demand for iPaaS solutions intensifies, Matt’s leadership will be instrumental in navigating the evolving and fast-growing landscape.”

He added, “With data privacy laws tightening worldwide and the growing adoption of hybrid and private cloud infrastructure, SnapLogic’s single platform, equipped with over 700 prebuilt solutions, becomes even more critical for organisations in APJ. Our commitment to reducing complexity and integration barriers allows customers to harness the potential of their data efficiently and drive business growth. Together with our technology and consulting partners, we will continue to prioritise what’s right for the customer, making SnapLogic an indispensable solution for industries across APJ.”

The new appointment follows the release of SnapGPT, the first generative integration solution to use AI and a large language model to help organisations integrate and automate faster. 

Singapore – Global customer and employee experience company Medallia has appointed Denise Miura as its vice president for Asia-Pacific and Japan, where she will spearhead the company’s growth in the region.

Miura has deep experience working in the region for clients in the big data and analytics industry, having worked with MarkLogic for 17 years, where she set up and grew the Japan operations for the American-based enterprise software and data integration company.

“I am excited to be part of this high-growth company. Medallia has a great product that enables enterprises to build strong customer advocacy and an engaged workforce. Its focus on consultative selling and building long-term partnerships [resonate] with me,” she said regarding her appointment.

She added, “Amid the pandemic, we will step up our support for enterprises in APAC to accelerate their digital transformation by enabling them to seamlessly integrate both online and offline experiences, so as to connect better with their employees and customers. We believe these efforts will help enterprises effectively navigate the pandemic environment, make smarter decisions, and augment sales.”

The company’s operations in APAC have grown significantly from a single market presence in Australia to five markets, including New Zealand, Singapore, Japan and South Korea. With its SaaS platform, Medallia Experience Cloud, the firm has built a track record in APAC in key industries such as automotive, telecommunications, retail and financial services.

Meanwhile, Greg Philiotis, senior vice president and head of international at Medallia, commented, “Her on-the-ground experience particularly in Japan, as well as strong knowledge of channel marketing and familiarity with the enterprise-grade software space are extremely valuable. Under her leadership, I am confident that Medallia APAC will continue to scale in this very important market – especially in the area of partnering companies to deliver real business impact.”

Singapore – Technology conglomerate Cisco has named Dave West (left) as its new President, and Irving Tan (right) as Chairman for its Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China business.

West will be taking over his predecessor Miyuki Suzuki, as the latter has announced retirement. With more than 20 years of experience with Cisco, Dave’s recent position was the Head of Cisco Japan, where he launched the Japan Country Digitization initiative, built important strategic alliances with key Japanese companies, and drove sustained growth in one of the most strategic markets in the region. 

He has also held key global leadership roles for Cisco, including leading worldwide Enterprise Networking and Security sales and as the chief technological officer for Cisco APJ, where he spearheaded various key initiatives, designed and implemented innovative go-to-market models, and led multi-year digital transformations for customers.

“We are witnessing a major shift in the way businesses operate with technology driving the change. Home to some of the fastest-growing and diverse economies in the world, Asia is leading the charge on this front,” West commented.

He added, “As a global leader in networking, collaboration, and cybersecurity, we are committed to working with our customers and partners to accelerate their digital transformation so they are ready for the future and can fully leverage the growth opportunities that are opening up. I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead our business in this dynamic region and am looking forward to building on our success.”

Meanwhile, Tan, prior to his new position, was executive vice president and chief of operations for Cisco USA. Tan will partner with West and his leadership team on special projects to drive growth across the region.

“During his 20 years at Cisco, most recently as the head of Japan, Dave has demonstrated a strong understanding of the region, a great talent for recognizing and maximizing market trends and transitions, and the ability to motivate teams and drive growth. He’s the right leader at the right time,” said Gerri Elliott, executive vice president and chief sales and marketing officer at Cisco

Meanwhile, on Tan’s appointment, Elliott commented, “I am delighted that Irving is taking on the role of Chairman for APJC. His experience on the Executive Leadership Team, and as a former leader of APJC, will be invaluable to our efforts to drive sustained growth in the region,”

America-born Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, software, telecommunications equipment, and other high-technology services and products. Its Asia Pacific presence spans11 countries, from Southeast Asia to ANZ.

Singapore – Local based coffee shop Crown Coffee gets a new help for their shop duties—a robot barista developed by tech company Intel.

Named Ella after the wife of Crown Coffee’s CEO and founder Keith Tan, the robot does what a typical barista does: taking orders remotely via an online app, making a cup of coffee, notifying the customer when it’s ready, serving it, finalizing the bill and charging the customer’s credit card.

Built under the inspiration of Intel Singapore employees taking a break at the Crown Coffee, Tan gives thanks to Intel for materializing as to what he calls a ‘wild idea’.

“I have plenty of gratitude to Intel, as they helped me realize this idea. They listened to me, understood the problems I was trying to solve, and partnered with me to design and develop prototypes,” Tan stated.

With Ella being present at the Crown Coffee workspace, it solved many of Tan’s initial problems, including compactness of the unit, freeing up labor for efficiency, and coffee preparation safety: a vital feature put into use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ella opens new possibilities to food retailers to enable contactless futuristic service and develop alternate revenue models with the data Ella gathers,” said Santhosh Viswanathan, managing director for Intel Asia Pacific and Japan.

“What we are doing is transformational and will be part of the landscape of smart cities where AI-driven robots become deeply ingrained into our daily lives. Also, this is New Retail, which eases retail labor shortages while providing re-skilling employment opportunities for value-added technology and engineering people,” Tan added, citing that Ella is planned to be expanded across their 40 locations on the island, and eventually to Japan.

Hong Kong – Canada-headquartered customer experience management (CXM) and insights platform Alida has expanded its Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) team to build on its existing regional presence and propel further growth in the CXM industry.

Formerly named Vision Critical, Alida is a global platform that offers both CXM and extraction of insights and feedback. Its products offer brands a number of use cases such as customer journey, customer satisfaction and advocacy, marketing and advertising, and product and UX design across a broad range of industries.

The firm recently appointed its general manager for APJ, former CEO of IT firm NTT Steven Medeiros, and along with Medeiros’, its several appointments of senior industry leaders in the region support its expansion to drive new growth while making additional investments in its clients’ success and partner ecosystems. 

“We are seeing unprecedented demand from clients and partners seeking enterprise technology, industry expertise, and a high touch, localized delivery model. We will continue to invest in great people to better serve our clients and partners across Asia Pacific and Japan.” said Medeiros.

Phillip Walsh, former regional vice president for APJ at Texas-based computer software company Kony, joins the team as general manager for Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific. Walsh brings over 19 years of CRM sales experience, with leadership positions at Atomic Software, BMC Software, Pegasystems, and IBM Australia. In his role at Alida, Walsh will focus on formulating strategy and growing business in ANZ.

Jodarna Meade has been appointed as head of customer success for the APJ region. Meade brings over 20 years of experience and previously led Alida’s sales operations, partner ecosystems, and customer success management in North America recently relocating back to Asia Pacific region. Prior to joining Alida, Meade spent a decade leading marketing at Lendlease. 

Karen Lo joins the APJ team as head of marketing to further expand client and partner growth in the region. Lo’s decade of experience in leading corporate communications and marketing for Dimension Data and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, will strengthen Alida’s pipeline and revenue growth and expand brand presence across APJ.

Wingsan Lun, senior sales executive of APJ, joins the team to lead sales and growth for APJ. With more than 20 years of experience in Temenos, Adobe, and Salesforce.com, he brings deep expertise in digital marketing and customer experience. Lun will support the growth of Alida’s customer base in the region and support its clients to uncover the power of customer truth in their businesses.

Uma Jain, partner manager at APJ, brings over 18 years of experience in business development and execution of global go-to-market strategies for acquiring new clients and partners. Jain previously held senior management positions at Kore.ai, OutSystems, and Kony. She will support the growth of Alida’s global and partner ecosystem.

Jagan Sivanesan, the new principal solution engineer, has joined Alida to lead the regional APJ solution engineering team. Sivanesan brings over 16 years of engineering experience developing state-of-the-art software experiences, high-growth technology companies, such as Kony and Wipro Technologies.

“I’m thrilled to have assembled this powerhouse team of proven technology experts to drive our growth in APJ. Each leader brings unique expertise that is fundamental in propelling our business to the forefront of the CXM industry in Asia Pacific and Japan,” said Medeiros.

He added, “Their collective wealth of experience will drive our next phase of growth in the region. Our priority as a team is to know our customers and put them first.”

New York, USA – To officially mark its presence within the Asian market, commerce company VTEX is officially expanding its growth by establishing its first Asian regional office in Singapore, with a greater reach for the APAC region.

For VTEX, its APAC expansion means looking at the various commerce opportunities, especially with the shift to e-commerce in the region. Furthermore, Singapore is one of the region’s growing e-commerce hubs, which VTEX sees as a potential place to seek local and diverse e-commerce talent.

“With our growing number of global clients, we want to ensure each of our customers feel supported in whichever markets they do business in. Opening an office in Singapore is the next step in building our expansive global presence, and we’re thrilled with what this team of local commerce experts will be able to do for our customers,” said Alex Soncini, co-founder and head of global accounts at VTEX.

France Roy, CTO, D2C at AB InBev added, “VTEX’s unique commerce capabilities allow us to operate more efficiently while having the flexibility to scale and meet demand. We’re excited to deliver a streamlined and efficient buying experience, available to our customers now.”

Singapore — Experience management company Qualtrics has announced new senior industry leaders for customer experience (XM) services that will help diversify their services across the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region.

Crissa Sumner, who was a former talent manager for talent solutions company Hudson, joins the ranks as the company’s lead employee experience (EX) solution strategist for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). She will be focused on coming up with new EX strategies for businesses in the region to assure organizational performance. 

Meanwhile, the company’s Japan division has seen two appointments: Tomoko Kyuzaki as lead CX solutions strategist, and Mikito Ichikawa who will be its lead EX solution strategist for Japan, a first appointment of such position in the country. Prior to their appointment, Kyuzaki worked with Zurich Insurance and Deloitte; while Ichikawa was one of Japan’s leading EX experts with almost 20 years of EX leadership.

To further bolster more widespread leadership, former Prudential Singapore executive Harish Agarwal joins as the company’s lead, customer experience (CX) solutions strategist for Southeast Asia, India and Hong Kong, where he will work on scaling customer experience programs across organizations under his geographical clientele base. 

Lastly, Kunjal Patel joins as research services regional sales manager for APJ. He was involved previously as head of business for Nielsen Singapore.  For the new role, he will be responsible for providing full access to Qualtrics’ market research programs. 

In a statement, Brigid Archibald, managing director for Qualtrics in APJ, expressed excitement for the new XM leaders on-board, noting that the company will continue its goal towards equipping businesses with change and expertise against the changing business trends of today.

“The collective wealth of experience and ability to understand and serve the needs of businesses across APJ by Qualtrics is unmatched. Each of the appointments today are proven leaders in their respective fields, and the fact they have chosen to join Qualtrics is further testament to the ability of the Qualtrics XM Platform and the business outcomes it drives,” Archibald stated.