Digital technology company Grab announced on Friday the appointment of an investment executive as the new country head for the Philippines.
The ride-hailing app named Grace Vera Cruz as country head for Grab Philippines, replacing Brian Cu who resigned July.
Prior to Grab, Vera Cruz was the managing director of Seawood Resources, a Philippine-based investment company with a global footprint and held key positions in McKinsey & Co., CLSA Exchange Capital and Shell.
Vera Cruz will focus on creating deeper synergies across Grab’s suite of services, including on-demand transport, food and mart deliveries and e-payments and financial services to better serve customers, driver-partners, merchant-partners and corporate partners in the Philippines as One Grab.
She will also drive ‘Grab for Good’ initiatives to contribute to the Philippines’ longer-term socio-economic development.
“I am proud to be joining Grab Philippines, a company that has made a conscious effort to help our communities respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through GrabBayanihan. I look forward to working with the team to leverage Grab’s technology and innovation to help Filipino communities safely and sustainably recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Vera Cruz said.
Russell Cohen, group managing director of Grab, said: “Working together and helping each other to overcome crisis is a hallmark of what it means to be Filipino, and I’m proud that Grab is part of the bigger community that’s helping to improve livelihoods.”
“With Grace’s proven credentials in leadership, operations, and strategy, I’m confident she brings deep expertise and understanding, to help drivers and small businesses use digital services to grow, and support the Philippines in its economic recovery,” he said.
Grab serves 18 cities throughout the Philippines. It is the leading ride-hailing and on-demand food-delivery app and provides groceries and package delivery, concierge services, bill payments and financial services.
It has provided Filipinos with a safer and more convenient way of doing their daily activities, while co-creating a positive social impact to the thousands of Filipino small businesses and micro-entrepreneurs on the Grab platform.
