September 24, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Ride-hailing leader Grab Philippines has appointed a new chief who would be tasked to steer the company through a narrowing road in the four-wheel market.
Grab yesterday named Ronald Roda as its new country head for the Philippines, succeeding Grace Vera Cruz who sat in the driver’s seat for the past four years.
Prior to this, Roda served the ride-hailing platform in his role as chief operating officer, leading the core business GrabCar for more than six years.
Roda was credited by Grab for expanding its reach in the country to 200 cities and municipalities currently, from just eight in 2018. Roda also led Grab in adapting to the logistics demands of the pandemic, which saw the app grow its courier services and food delivery.
Likewise, Roda contributed in creating at least 72,000 opportunities in the first semester of 2024, raising the total number of livelihoods generated to 270,000 since 2023. Grab last year pledged to put out 500,000 jobs for Filipinos over the next five years.
Roda made Grab more accessible to Filipinos in his stint as COO, a trust that the executive wants to repay by keeping the app ahead of its competitors.
“We will further enhance the quality of life for our consumers and driver-partners, and strengthen the pathways for success for our MSME and corporate partners, ensuring that Grab remains to be a vital contributor to the Philippine socioeconomic development,” Roda said.
Roda is taking over Grab’s steering wheel in a time when its dominance in the four-wheel space is challenged by new players such as inDrive and Angcars.
In June, inDrive received regulatory approval to resume its operations in the Philippines, and has increased its driver fleet to about 8,000 since then. Angcars, on the other hand, is the four-wheel spinoff of motorcycle taxi service leader Angkas.
As for Vera Cruz, she now serves as the head of regional corporate strategy for Grab. Vera Cruz will still be based in the Philippines to ensure a smooth transition in Grab’s local operations.
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