Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia & Singapore, 14 June 2022 – Southeast Asia’s largest integrated car e-commerce platform Carsome Group Inc (Carsome), today announced appointment of its advisory board which comprises a multitude of expertise to lead regional expansion and accelerate growth as the company continues to strengthen leadership in Southeast Asia.

The advisory board is made up of individuals of various specializations, dynamic perspectives and deep expertise who will provide insights, connect networks and share experiences in building and scaling technology companies in the region. The board currently consists of four members, namely Managing Partner & Co-founder of Asia Partners, Nicholas Nash; Founder of Smile Group, Harish Bahl; Managing Partner of Indies Capital, Pandu Sjahrir; and Vice President of Meta Asia Pacific, Dan Neary.

Carsome Co-founder and Group CEO Eric Cheng mentioned that the advisory board adds great values to Carsome’s leadership team by elevating decision-making and affirming the company’s next steps on firmer, proven footing. “We are deeply honored by this priceless opportunity to stand on the shoulders of giants and work with elites of their respective industries. We are confident that their expertise, experience and network will invaluably help in Carsome’s mission to deliver trust, choice and transparency to our customers across the car transaction and ownership experiences across Southeast Asia,” added Cheng.

Nash was best known for spearheading Greater Southeast Asia’s leading internet company Sea Ltd.’s landmark IPO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: SE), the largest US IPO of a Southeast Asian company. “We are really enthusiastic about Carsome’s successful track record and exponential growth, attributed to the strength of its leadership team and execution rigor. Carsome definitely has the potential to become Southeast Asia’s next big thing, and we are excited to help accelerate the company’s next growth spurt,” said Nash, who is also the Chairman of the advisory board. 

Bahl is a serial entrepreneur with a successful track record in founding and building leading e-commerce and digital media companies across Asia and other emerging markets. He has partnered and built businesses with major companies like Airbnb, Ogilvy, WPP Digital and Yahoo!, among others. “As with the accelerated digitalization in this new normal, Carsome is well-positioned to elevate the used car buying and selling experience through e-commerce. I am very excited to provide counsel and insights to help them stay at the top as Southeast Asia’s leading car e-commerce platform,” commented Bahl.  

Sjahrir, one of Southeast Asia’s leading and most influential investors, serves in multiple organizations to promote entrepreneurship and education in the region. Indies Capital, where he is the Managing Partner, has invested over US$1.1 billion and is a shareholder in more than 100 companies over the last seven years. Sjahrir is currently the Chairman of Indonesia for Sea Ltd. (NYSE: SE) and the Chairman of GoTo Financial, part of GoTo Group which is one of Indonesia’s first unicorn technology companies. “The formation of Carsome’s advisory board underscores the importance and the company’s focus on the Indonesian market. I am happy to guide the Carsome team into accelerating the growth and expansion of its Indonesian market through a multi-pronged approach,” added Sjahrir. 

Neary is one of the most seasoned and influential operators with almost three decades of executive-level experiences in Asia. Having gone through the exciting development in the region in management positions with great companies like eBay, Skype and Meta, Neary has deep expertise in operating and advising technology and e-commerce companies in developing markets. Besides, 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. “I am excited about Carsome’s mission of solving the real industry and customer pain points in this unique region. I am happy to help the leadership team with my first-hand experiences and insights in scaling a company across Southeast Asia,” said Neary.