Tag: Country head

Singapore – Ninja Van has named Justina Sim as its new country head for Singapore. According to the company, her appointment represents a significant milestone in their leadership journey within a traditionally male-dominated industry.

In her previous position as regional head of financial planning and analysis, Sim transformed her department into a proactive partner, working closely with operations on various initiatives to enhance efficiency and profitability.

Moreover, she transformed Ninja Van’s FP&A department from a traditional advisory role into a proactive partner, working closely with operations to drive initiatives that enhanced efficiency and profitability, allowing her to make informed decisions.

Her expertise in navigating financial and operational challenges as well will be crucial as they expand into new ventures like Ninja B2B and Ninja Cold.

Speaking on her new role, she said, “Consistent reporting and a unified source of truth are crucial. By consolidating data and standardising report templates, we were able to provide timely insights to support management’s decision-making.”

She added, “Leading Singapore, where Ninja Van began, is a true honour. The company has come a long way in the past 10 years. I’m excited to steer Ninja Van Singapore’s growth to the next level.”

Meanwhile, Lai Chang Wen, CEO of Ninja Van Group, commented, “Sim’s deep understanding of the operational side of our business, from cost management to process optimisation, perfectly positions her to lead Singapore. Her ability to navigate both financial and operational challenges will help us scale new ventures such as Ninja B2B and Ninja Cold while continuing to strengthen our core services.”

Manila, Philippines – Grab in the Philippines has announced the appointment of Ronald Roda, most recently the company’s chief operating officer, as its new country manager. He replaces Grace Vera Cruz as she takes on a regional role as head of regional corporate strategy.

In his previous role, Roda led the GrabCar business for over six years. Under his leadership, Grab expanded its reach from 8 cities to over 200 cities in the Philippines since 2018, making Grab’s services accessible to millions more Filipinos. 

Moreover, during the pandemic, when the GrabCar business was temporarily shut down, he adapted swiftly to sustain business operations and transforming it into a more reliable and affordable service post-pandemic.

Meanwhile, Cruz will continue to be based in the Philippines in her regional capacity, to ensure a smooth transition and operational continuity. Her ongoing presence signifies her continued commitment to supporting the Philippine market and strengthening Grab’s long-standing partnerships.

Speaking on his new role, Roda said, “I am honoured to take on the role of country head for Grab Philippines, and I am committed to continuing the great work and building on the strong relationships established under Grace’s leadership. My goal is to continue making Grab a true partner for growth, providing innovative solutions that benefit Filipinos across the nation.”

He added, “Together, we will further enhance the quality of life for our consumers and driver-partners, and strengthen the pathways for success for our MSMEs and corporate partners, ensuring that Grab remains a vital contributor to the Philippines’ socio-economic development.”

Meanwhile, Cruz commented, “I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support, collaboration, trust, and openness from all our partners and stakeholders who have believed in Grab’s success during my tenure. Reflecting on the commitment I made when I joined Grab, I am proud of the strides we have made together to drive innovation, enhance services, and uplift the lives of Filipinos.”

She added, “As I transition to my new regional role, I am filled with confidence, optimism, and excitement for Grab Philippines and our new country head. Ronald’s dedication and deep understanding of the industry make him the perfect leader for this next chapter. I encourage everyone to extend to him the same level of support and trust that you have generously given me as we continue our journey to drive growth and success for Grab and the Filipino community.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – Adtech company Hybrid has announced the appointment of Afla Zulfahmi as its country head for Indonesia, as he brings with him a wealth of expertise in digital advertising solutions and technology-driven marketing strategies to his new role.

In his new role, he will spearhead Hybrid’s strategic initiatives to further solidify the company’s position as a leader in the adtech industry. His expertise in digital advertising, data analytics, and advanced targeting techniques will play a crucial role in driving business growth and delivering impactful, data-driven advertising solutions for clients.

Zulfhami has a track record spanning over 14 years in the adtech industry, and has held key leadership positions in renowned adtech companies, including general manager at Smaato, where he led the Indonesia Mobile Exchange initiative. 

He also served as the country manager at Mobilewalla, leading audience-targeted mobile ad campaigns and ensuring transparent campaign execution where he helped to establish a strong presence in the Indonesian market. At Google, Afla specialised in market analysis across Southeast Asia, notably in Indonesia, introducing Google Admob as a potent advertising platform while nurturing robust client relationships.

Shreyas Sathe, managing director and co-founder at Hybrid INSEA, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Afla to the Hybrid family as our new Country Head of Indonesia. His wealth of experience and proven track record in the AdTech industry make him the ideal candidate to lead our operations in Indonesia and drive our continued success in the region.”

Manila, Philippines – Aitana Moira Burgos, formerly of Intrepid Group Asia, has been appointed as the new country head in the Philippines at LEAP Commerce, a subsidiary of Asia-Pacific retail and e-commerce network Luxasia.

She was previously the head of merchandising at Intrepid Group Asia, where according to her LinkedIn, aided in executing merchandising strategies across various categories that aim to optimise the user experience across customer touchpoints.

In addition, her previous role included her collaborating with the commercial team, design team, and customer service team in order to execute campaigns. In addition, her role utilizes reporting (conversion, sales funnel, etc.) data and analytics to improve business growth.

LEAP Commerce is a partnership enabler between the recent deal of foodpanda and the LEGO Group to expand quick commerce for toys in APAC. The company offers an integrated end-to-end solution for online commerce covering all digital channels – online marketplaces, mono and multi-brand sites, and social commerce.

LEAP Commerce was formed in August 2021 as Luxasia’s e-commerce enabler arm, aiming to cover end-to-end solutions for enablement on all digital channels for brands.

South Korea – Xaxis, the outcome media specialist under GroupM, has elevated Ji Young Jung, its former programmatic trading lead, to be the new head of Xaxis South Korea.

Jung will be leading her team toward Xaxis’ vision of scaling up and optimising its performance and digital offerings across APAC. Her passion for developing the programmatic advertising landscape in South Korea centres around helping the country’s leading brands and advertisers navigate an evolving landscape, all the while bringing in ever-stronger results from their media investments.

Jung brings a hands-on experience of both the buy and sell sides of programmatic advertising and previously to Xaxis, spent several years at companies such as The Trade Desk and A1 Media Group. She will be taking over the role from Junsu Bae, who has been elevated to the position of head of digital investment at GroupM South Korea.

Commenting on her appointment, Jung said, “I’m excited for this next chapter in my journey with Xaxis. There are so many opportunities to grow the programmatic landscape in South Korea, and with our blend of innovative AI technology, cross-channel solutions and a wealth of programmatic expertise for our clients to tap into, we’re in a perfect position to lead this charge.”

Meanwhile, Michael Beecroft, GroupM’s CEO of Northeast Asia, said, “Ji Young is a pragmatic leader whose experience is backed up by a full range of hands-on experience in the programmatic advertising space. I’m looking forward to seeing how her wealth of industry knowledge inspires the team around her and drives continued success for the Xaxis South Korea team.”

Bae noted, “Since joining in 2019, Ji Young has created a remarkable imprint on the programmatic advertising industry in South Korea. She has shown time and again her ability to create successful business outcomes for Xaxis and our clients, and I’m delighted to be working alongside her when developing and launching future GroupM products in South Korea.”

Manila, Philippines – Southeast Asian loyalty and e-commerce ecosystem Society Pass is steadfast in the company’s growth as it amplifies its operations across Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, a group it dubs as its ‘VIP’ markets. Alongside this, SoPa has announced the opening of its office in Manila along with the appointment of VP of product design, Arbie Pagdanganan, as the new country head.

On SoPa’s new Manila location, it is strategically located in the central business district of Makati, Metro Manila. This is SoPa’s second office in its VIP priority markets and employs over 20 staff in the Philippines with an aim to grow this figure to over 100 by the end of 2022.

Dennis Nguyen, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Society Pass, said that the Philippines is a cornerstone of SoPa’s VIP acquisition strategy. Nguyen added that he is proud to appoint their VP of product design, Pagdanganan, as their country manager in the Philippines and looks forward to her expert leadership in steering our operations to greater heights.

“Also, this new office is part of our business strategy during this critical period of economic transformation for the Philippines. As we grow our Philippines business, we are confident that the SoPa ecosystem will nurture and accelerate the growing portfolio of brands,” Nguyen said.

As country head, Pagdanganan manages the country operations with P&L responsibility while coordinating regional finance, operations, and technology teams to conduct due diligence on future acquisitions in the country. Pagdanganan brings with her a rich background of over a decade of experience in visual design, branding, user interaction and experience, and product design across leading organisations including SoPa’s Leflair. In her dual role as VP of product development, she will be spearheading an organisation-wide transformation of design systems and front-end apps of all business units.

Sharing her excitement for the joint growth vision for the Philippines and SoPa, Pandanganan said, “Given the immense potential of the Philippines market, I am looking forward to herald the next e-commerce revolution in the country with SoPa’s unique modus operandi and look forward to taking my team along in this successful journey.”

SoPa also recently acquired Pushkart.ph, an online grocery delivery service in the Philippines to kick-start its expansion into the country. Pagdanganan will lead SoPa’s aggressive new plans for Pushkart.ph which include adding more hubs in key cities and regions and increasing its manpower.

In an exclusive interview for MARKETECH APAC’s Empowered Women Series, a special series to celebrate women leaders in marketing, Pagdanganan shared what made SoPa’s policy and philosophy on gender inclusivity great.

“We are a very diverse and inclusive organization. And we believe that it creates a huge impact on our productivity and success. So take, for example, in a male-dominated industry, like tech and operations, we don’t exclusively really look for men, nor do we seek women actively. But of course, it’s a breath of fresh air if a woman applies, like, for example, for a tech position, because that doesn’t usually happen. But really, all we care about is if the candidate shares our vision, passion and mindset,” shared Pagdanganan.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Public relations and content marketing agency Mutant in Malaysia has appointed branding communications veteran Archana Menon to be the new country head of Mutant Malaysia.

Through her new role, Menon will be responsible for overseeing and growing Mutant’s business in Malaysia, offering specialist services in branding, content development, PR, and digital marketing to both existing and new clients and driving results that boost sales, leads, and customer retention. 

Prior to her recent appointment, she was formerly the country head for the Malaysian arm of communications company Ruder Finn. She has accumulated more than 14 years of experience in integrated communications, media planning, and branding to the agency. 

She has also worked across a variety of sectors, including property, healthcare, technology, and telecommunications, and also includes a diverse track record that includes strategic counsel and crisis management for local and regional SMEs, startups, and government bodies.

“Mutant’s ability to pair strong storytelling with public relations has helped clients successfully navigate the transformation we’re seeing in the media landscape. I’m excited to now take things a step further by combining content, PR, branding, and digital marketing to attract a strong roster of clients, and help them stand out and drive business goals,” Menon commented regarding her appointment.

Her recent appointment comes as Mutant plans to expand regionally in Asia, including its goal of becoming a full-service, integrated agency, with new digital marketing and branding offerings. 

Menon will report directly to Joseph Barratt, founder and CEO of Mutant.

Barratt said, “Mutant is redefining how PR, content, digital marketing, and branding come together to help businesses succeed, and I’m excited to see how Archana will take her depth of knowledge, strong leadership, and passion for the job to solidify and grow Mutant in Malaysia.”

Indonesia – theAsianparent, Southeast Asia’s parenting-focused content platform, has announced a new country head for its Indonesian arm, marketing maven Rotsen Quispe. 

Prior to joining theAsianparent, Quispe was head of marketing for two leading hospitality brands: the Southeast Asia and Middle East markets of India-origin hotel chain OYO and the international markets of Indonesia-grown airline and hotel booking platform Traveloka. 

In his new role, Quispe will be responsible for growing theAsianparent 10 times in the next 18 months. He is in charge of all business functions such as traffic, sales, marketing, and operations to drive user engagement on the platform while ensuring clients’ satisfaction through the delivery of innovative brand solutions.

“I am excited to join social impact company theAsianparent. With my diverse experience coupled with my passion and interest in innovation and disruption, I am looking forward to improving processes and optimizing resources to achieve the goals we have for the Indonesian parenting market,” commented Quispe.

theAsianparent features content on the full parenting journey, from pregnancy to managing a toddler. The platform, which has presence in countries such as Singapore and Philippines, employs a localized approach, adapting its content to display the country’s local language instead of the universal English.

Roshni Mahtani, founder and Group CEO of theAsianparent commented, “Having Rotsen leading theAsianparent team in Indonesia would enable us to leverage on his experience to further scale our business efficiently with a strong focus on data-driven processes and profitability. We are pleased to have him onboard and look forward to gaining market share in our most important market.”