Commerce DotAsia Ventures Sdn Bhd (Commerce.Asia) recently appointed Kuna Kathigesan (left) as its Group Chief Executive Officer and Samira Suffian (right) as Chief Ecosystem Officer (CECO) in line with the group’s expansion plans.
In his new role and as an industry e-Commerce veteran, Kuna is responsible for executing the vision and strategic direction of the Commerce.Asia Group in its entirety to further bring the ‘comprehensive end-to-end strategy’ to life, including empowering customers with optimum digital enablement.
Commerce.Asia has become synonymous with being an ‘all in one’ e-commerce ecosystem that provides one-stop, end-to-end e-commerce solutions for businesses, including digital empowerment for offline-to-online capabilities.
The Group currently has over 92,000 active sellers, posting group gross merchandise volume (GMV) of RM6.7 billion last year throughout Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Its expansion plans include establishing its presence in Singapore and Indonesia from next year onwards.
Kuna was previously the Chief Business Officer of iStore iSend, an end-to-end fulfilment solution provider known for its warehouse management system. Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Next Commerce MENA, an e-commerce enabler providing local, international, and cross-border brands to create a footprint and expand their business in the UAE.
Kuna’s achievements include having enhanced the performance of two e-commerce platforms across two regions by reducing operational expenses, creating additional revenue streams, enhancing customer experience and leading automation projects for sellers and customers.
“I am a firm believer that memorable customer experiences (CX) enable businesses and brands to stand out from competitors,” said Kuna. “With latest digital innovations and technologies, I also aim to take Commerce.Asia to the next level such as through Web 3.0 and blockchain technologies.”
Meanwhile, Samira as CECO would be playing a strategic role in the e-Commerce ecosystem economy by harnessing the Group’s internal and external network to co-create solutions and initiatives.
“I am excited with my new role as it is aligned with my being a hybrid professional and being actively involved in cross-functional roles blending creativity with execution,” she said.
“I will be pushing the envelope on our ecosystem strategy to realise further innovation and growth that supports the development of interconnected services to meet consumers’ needs through integrated experiences.”
This entails Samira to develop deep relationships within the wider ecommerce ecosystem including government agencies, SMEs and corporates for potential Strategic Partnership and collaborations.
Samira had previously held key positions in Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC) and Maxis that has helped accelerate corporate innovation, global startup growth and empowerment for youth and female-lead entrepreneurship.
A believer of lifelong learning, Samira recently completed her Executive Postgraduate in Strategy & Innovation from Warwick Business School in the United Kingdom.
Earlier this year, Commerce.Asia set a new record for equity crowdfunding (ECF) in Malaysia, raising RM20 million in its growth funding round corporate exercise that was over-subscribed and Malaysia’s largest one to date.
“We are pleased to welcome Kuna and Samira to Commerce.Asia and are looking forward to them taking our group to the next level,” said Commerce.Asia Founder and Executive Chairman Ganesh Kumar Bangah.