Jun 14, 2022

PETALING JAYA: Integrated car e-commerce platform Carsome Group Inc has appointed an advisory board to lead regional expansion and accelerate growth as the company continues to strengthen its leadership in Southeast Asia.The advisory board consists of four members – Asia Partners managing partner and co-founder Nicholas Nash, Smile Group founder Harish Bahl, Indies Capital managing partner Pandu Sjahrir and Meta Asia Pacific vice president Dan Neary.Carsome co-founder and group CEO Eric Cheng (pix) said the advisory board adds values to its leadership team by elevating decision-making and affirming the company’s next steps on firmer, proven footing. “We are confident that their expertise, experience and network will help in Carsome’s mission to deliver trust, choice and transparency to our customers across the car transaction and ownership experiences across Southeast Asia,” Cheng said in a statement today.Nash led internet company Sea Ltd’s landmark initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. He enthused about Carsome’s track record and growth, attributing it to the strength of its leadership team and execution rigour. Bahl is a serial entrepreneur with a track record in founding and building e-commerce and digital media companies across Asia and other emerging markets. He has partnered and built businesses with companies such as Airbnb, Ogilvy, WPP Digital and Yahoo, among others. Sjahrir, who is also chairman of Sea Ltd’s Indonesia arm and GoTo Financial chairman, is an investor who has served in multiple organisations to promote entrepreneurship and education in the region. He has invested over US$1.1 billion (RM4.86 billion) and is a shareholder in more than 100 companies over the last seven years. He said the formation of Carsome’s advisory board underscores the importance and the company’s focus on the Indonesian market. Neary has almost three decades of executive-level experiences in Asia, holding management positions with companies like eBay, Skype and Meta. With expertise in operating and advising technology and e-commerce companies in developing markets, Neary is also active in the entrepreneurial community. He co-founded Travelmob (acquired by HomeAway) in the early days. He is now an active Limited Partner with a couple of Venture Capital funds, an early-stage investor in over 15 companies.