Commerce.Asia appoints new group CEO, ecosystem chief

• Kuna Kathigesan previously the chief business officer at iStore, iSend
• Samira Suffian held key positions at MaGIC and Maxis 

Commerce DotAsia Ventures Sdn Bhd (Commerce.Asia) recently appointed Kuna Kathigesan (pic, left above) as its Group Chief Executive Officer and Samira Suffian (pic, right above) as its chief ecosystem officer (CECO).

"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 Ganesh Kumar Bangah, Commerce.Asia founder and executive chairman in a statement.

Kuna was previously the chief business officer of iStore iSend, an end-to-end fulfilment solution provider known for its warehouse management system.

Before that, he was chief operating officer and co-dounder 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.
 
"I am a firm believer that memorable customer experiences (CX) enable businesses and brands to stand out from competitors,” said Kuna. “With the 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.”
 
In his new role, the company said Kuna is responsible for executing the vision and strategic direction of Commerce.Asia Group in its entirety is an ‘all in one’ e-commerce ecosystem that provides end-to-end e-commerce solutions for businesses and offline-to-online capabilities.
 
The Group currently has over 92,000 active sellers with posting group gross merchandise volume (GMV) of US$ 1.5 billion (RM6.7 billion) last year throughout Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

It plans to expand to Singapore and Indonesia from next year onwards.
 
Meanwhile, Samira as CECO would play a role in the e-Commerce ecosystem economy to co-create solutions and initiatives.

She will also develop relationships within the wider ecommerce ecosystem including government agencies, SMEs, and corporates for potential strategic partnerships and collaborations, the company said.

"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.”

Samira had previously held key positions in the Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC) and Maxis that have helped accelerate corporate innovation, global startup growth and empowerment for youth and female-led entrepreneurship.
 
A believer in lifelong learning, Samira recently completed her executive postgraduate in strategy & innovation from Warwick Business School in the United Kingdom.
 
Earlier this year, Commerce.Asia claimed to have set a new record for equity crowdfunding (ECF) in Malaysia by raising RM20 million. It was touted as the largest ECF exercise in Malaysia.