Manila, Philippines – Global technology company SHAREit has announced its appointment of Chay Mondejar-Saputil as country director for the Philippines.

In line with SHAREit’s growing expansion within the ASEAN region, her appointment seeks to shore up the various offerings and business solutions that the company has to offer within the region.

Prior to her appointment, Mondejar-Saputil has more than a decade of knowledge and experience within the industry, having previously been the vertical lead of the ecommerce and retail side of Meta. While in this role, she has been responsible for managing the team across a mixed portfolio of businesses covering multiple industries, as well as driving product development to include the needs of omnichannel retailers in Southeast Asia.

Apart from the aforementioned roles, she was also the primary external representative of Meta and board member at IMMAP (Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines) – the premier organisation for influencing local industry policies on digital marketing, while also being the primary representative at the Philippine Retailers Association.

Karam Malhotra, partner & VP at SHAREit Group, said, “We are extremely excited to announce the appointment of Chay as the Country Director of Philippines, as we continue to expand our offerings into the various ASEAN markets to meet the growing demand from enterprises.”

“Ranging across our full suite of services, from consumer facing technological solutions to addressing the various needs of businesses and enterprises across the region, we believe that Chay will help grow the Philippines market substantially as the country continues to develop their technology infrastructure,” he added. 

Speaking on her appointment, Mondejar-Saputil commented, “In this new role, our goal is to expand the multitude of services and solutions SHAREit brings together with Xtend, to help bolster our portfolio of services within the Philippines and the ASEAN region as a whole. We are aiming for remarkable growth in the Philippines market as we seize the opportunities presented by the region’s dynamic business environment.”

Notably, SHAREit’s expansion will be featuring its new brand arm called Xtend, which is a game-changing digital advertising optimization solution dedicated to pioneering Android campaigns.

Singapore — Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading super-app, announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Jaya Grocer, a leading mass-premium supermarket chain in Malaysia. The two companies plan on bringing the convenience of on-demand grocery delivery to more customers in Malaysia.

With the partnership, Jaya Grocer will now be part of Grab’s ecosystem, allowing the grocery chain to accept GrabPay and GrabRewards across all its physical retail stores, expanding usage of Grab’s popular cashless wallet.

Grab disclosed that the acquisition is timely as there is an accelerated growth in on-demand delivery services due to the pandemic causing consumers to opt for online grocery shopping. With a forecast that online grocery in Southeast Asia could grow to US$50B in gross merchandise value, equal to the size of the entire e-commerce market today, the technology company sees the acquisition as an advance step to get ahead and secure a foothold in the industry post-pandemic.

Online grocery demand remained elevated even as restrictions eased. GrabMart, Grab’s on-demand grocery and speciality retail marketplace, recorded three straight quarters of growth in the first three quarters of 2021. Jaya Grocer, a trusted and well-loved consumer brand in Malaysia, also saw continued strong growth, with revenues growing at double-digit rates year-on-year from 2018 to 2020, and is EBITDA accretive to Grab’s business. 

Anthony Tan, Group CEO and co-founder at Grab, said that it is the company’s vision to make on-demand groceries more accessible for everyone.

“Jaya Grocer is known for its wide selection of good-quality fresh produce and grocery products. By combining our extensive on-demand delivery fleet and capabilities, with Jaya Grocer’s strong retail presence and supplier network, we can have these quality products delivered to more homes even faster. We believe this partnership will further accelerate the growth of our groceries delivery business, and we are excited by the immense opportunity ahead of us,” Tan said.

Meanwhile, Teng Yew Huat, founder of Jaya Grocer, shared his thoughts on the partnership, saying, “I have built Jaya Grocer from the ground up – from our first store in Klang Valley to over 40 stores today. Grab’s strong track record and ability to execute in a hyperlocal way gives me confidence that I have found the right partner to take Jaya Grocer to new heights. This acquisition provides us with an amazing opportunity to not only grow as a company, but also grow the market for online grocery services in Malaysia.” 

Grab continues to double down on on-demand grocery delivery. The company is scaling its GrabMart marketplace by partnering with retailers to provide consumers with greater product variety and convenience. The acquisition enables Grab to bring more Jaya Grocer retail stores onto its marketplace, while also leveraging Jaya Grocer’s large supplier network to further expand its GrabSupermarket product line at lower costs. This in turn contributes to improved unit economics and overall affordability of grocery delivery.

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.