etaily appoints Lester Cuneta to lead Southeast Asia growth

etaily has announced the appointment of Lester Cuneta as Chief Growth Officer as part of its expansion strategy into Singapore and other Southeast Asian markets.

etaily, which describes itself as a digital-native retail platform, is aiming to solidify its presence in Singapore and the wider Asian region. The expansion is to be spearheaded by Lester Cuneta, who previously held significant roles at companies such as Alibaba's Synagie, Unilever, Lazada, and HappyFresh.

Lester Cuneta's background includes being a former Venture Partner at venture capital firm Kaya Founders and serving as Group Chief Process Officer for Synagie Group Asia and Europe. His experience involved leading commercial transformation and implementing go-to-market strategies that resulted in market share and revenue growth.

Alexander Friedhoff, Founder & CEO of etaily, remarked, "As a next-generation consumer products platform, we leverage technology, industry expertise, and strategic collaborations to ignite growth and launch brands beyond expectations. When I got to know Lester through Kaya Founders, I immediately knew that he could be a superstar addition to etaily's next phase of growth. His profile and experience speak for itself."

Adding to this, etaily investor Paulo Campos, who is a former Co-Founder of Zalora and the current Founding Managing General Partner at Kaya Founders, stated, "We at Kaya are very excited to have brought a talent like Lester home to the Philippines. During his time with us, he helped a number of our portfolio companies navigate the ever-evolving eCommerce landscape by providing strategic guidance and practical advice. We couldn't be more thrilled to have him join etaily's leadership, where his skill sets have found a perfect match and will undoubtedly help the company scale to the next level."

Lester Cuneta will play a significant role in expanding etaily's operations beyond the Philippines, helping to drive growth and scalability by utilising the company's technology. He will also be responsible for spearheading both localised and regional efforts as the firm extends into markets such as Malaysia.

On his appointment, Lester Cuneta commented, "I am absolutely delighted to join etaily at this pivotal moment in their journey. My previous collaborations with etaily during my time with Kaya left me deeply impressed by their commitment to innovation and operational excellence. The leadership's energy is truly electric. I am excited to bring a global perspective to etaily's robust infrastructure, and equally thrilled to onboard brands for an elevated experience of next-level digital commerce solutions. With etaily's brand management captaincy and powerful operating engine, mixed with my regional experience, we are poised to establish etaily as the leading powerhouse for digital commerce solutions in SEA."

In a related financial update, etaily has recently secured USD $17.8 million through a Series A funding round. This funding is intended to enhance its consumer and merchant engagement across Southeast Asia.

Headquartered in the Philippines, etaily has already expanded into Singapore, supported by this recent financial backing, as it readies itself for further regional growth.