eCommerce Opportunities in Asia Webinar
ABOUT THE WEBINAR
This webinar will provide an overview of Asia’s digital economy with a spotlight on eCommerce. Speakers will provide insights on the key drivers, trends and eCommerce enablers of Asia’s digital ecosystem. Hear from businesses with experience in Southeast Asia, East Asia and more, who will share their approach, business models and considerations that factored into their decision to enter the region and their strategies for ongoing market operations.
Keynote remarks will be delivered by Sachvinder Singh, Director, Handshakes Technology. Handshakes represents scoutAsia in APAC including Australia.
Expert panellists include:
- Pier Smulders, General Manager Australia & New Zealand, Alibaba Group
- Carolyn Heath, Chief Customer Officer, Anagenics Limited
- Azam Kassim, Founder & Director, Hab Shifa Australia
- Hans-Peter Ressel, Founder & CEO, Momentum Commerce
Moderated by Leigh Howard, CEO, Asialink Business.
Key Themes:
- Why engagement with the vibrant Asian economy matters to Australian businesses
- Understanding the economic growth of the sophisticated middle class in Asia, demanding quality products
- Key trends and issues driving opportunities for Australian business in the Asia region
This event is proudly supported by Alibaba and scoutAsia (by Nikkei & Financial Times).
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
LEIGH HOWARD, CEO, Asialink Business
Leigh Howard is the CEO of Asialink Business. He has two decades of experience representing Australian businesses in Asia, across corporate, government, start-up, and for-purpose sectors. Most recently, Leigh was the Deputy Commissioner to Southeast Asia for the State Government of Victoria. He led a network of Trade & Investment offices assisting exporters and investors to access opportunities across the region. Notably, he designed and implemented export recovery initiatives to deliver multi-million-dollar trade outcomes for exporters impacted by COVID-19.
SACHVINDER SINGH, Director, Handshakes Technology
Sachvinder is a Director at Handshakes Technology, overseeing scoutAsia Business Development across Asia Pacific.
Before joining Handshakes, he was instrumental in setting up Credit Bureau Malaysia for the Central Bank of Malaysia and the Product team of CTOS Data Systems, the largest Credit Bureau in Southeast Asia. With a range of strategic and sales expertise, Sachvinder has led the business development and execution teams across APAC, primarily in the Information Services and Technology sector.He holds an LLB Honours from the University of Northumbria, United Kingdom
PIER SMULDERS, General Manager Australia & New Zealand, Alibaba
Pier Smulders is General Manager, Australia and New Zealand at the Alibaba Group. In this role Pier works across Alibaba Group’s ecosystem supporting Australian and New Zealand activities. A key focus is helping Australian and New Zealand companies find success in reaching Chinese consumers via Alibaba’s marketplaces in China and global customers through their other consumer and B2B marketplaces around the world, in line with Alibaba’s mission "To make it easy to do business anywhere". He also manages external relationships with Government and key business partners and other stakeholders such as Universities.
Previously he was Chief Executive of Star Media (formerly the Christchurch Star Company and Mainland Press), a diversified New Zealand media group involved in regional newspapers; local and national magazines; regional television broadcasting and the production of major events.
Pier is a Dutch and New Zealand national who grew up in Asia and Europe and moved to New Zealand in 2004 after working in various roles in Asia, Europe and the USA. He was educated at Eton, holds a BA from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
CAROLYN HEATH, Chief Customer Officer, Anagenics Limited
Carolyn has 25+ years’ experience within marketing, sales, and business development, working across Australian and International brands in the Health & Beauty, FMCG and Consumer Goods sectors.
Carolyn’s China experience began in 2016, when as Head of International Sales & Export, she developed McPherson’s business strategy to launch Dr LeWinn’s (premium skincare) and A’kin (natural haircare & skincare) into China via CBEC. In just 15 months this strategy delivered $12m in incremental revenue.
More recently as CCO of Anagenics, Carolyn is managing local and international skincare brands in the professional spa and salon market as well launching evolis (a scienced based hair growth range) in China via CBEC.
AZAM KASSIM, Founder & Director, Hab Shifa Australia
Azam Kassim is the founder and managing director of Hab Shifa Australia. Established in 2010, Hab Shifa has pioneered and redefined the role that traditional medicine Black Seed - (scientifically known as Nigella Sativa) holds in the world of mainstream pharmaceuticals.
Hab Shifa products are stocked in over 3000 pharmacies and retail stores across Australia, and are currently exported to the US, UK, Europe, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.
HANS-PETER RESSEL, Founder & CEO, Momentum Commerce
Hans-Peter Ressel, is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Momentum Commerce. Momentum Commerce was founded by former Lazada Malaysia CEO Hans-Peter Ressel and Eddy Yap who transformed consumer electronics retail chain Senheng to become the largest online electrical appliances store. Over the last 3 years since inception, Momentum Commerce has become one of the most trusted global eCommerce enablers. Their stable of brands include Beiersdorf's omnipresent pharmacy brands NIVEA and Eucerin, the L'Oreal group of companies, Indonesian halal beauty juggernaut Wardah and Emina and beloved mass sports retailer Al-Ikhsan Sports. They have built the most comprehensive end-to-end eCommerce solution in the industry while growing best-in-class creative, marketing and technology arms through strategic partnerships and acquisitions.