Asendia, a French cross-border delivery service for international e-commerce and mail, has announced the appointment of Joshua Mclarin as CEO of Asendia Hong Kong/North Asia as it expands in the region.
In a statement, the international courier that caters to e-commerce companies noted that this hire is a "major milestone" for Asendia as it sought to address the growing market needs since its presence in North Asia in 2012.
Asendia said Mclarin has over 21 years of logistics experience, with 16 years in cross-border logistics servicing e-commerce marketplaces and mono brands across Asia Pacific, including New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Australia.
Growing e-commerce needs in the region
Prior to this appointment, he was vice president of regional sales at Quantium Solutions International (a Singapore Post subsidiary), where he was responsible for regional business across 12 countries in the region.
Asendia said Mclarin brings "proven results and experiences" to the company with an aim to truly service the growing needs of e-commerce retailers and brands looking to expand into North Asia.
"With Joshua on board Asendia, the strategic management team covering Southeast and North Asia is complete," said Lionel Berthe, head of Asendia Asia Pacific, adding that the hire of Mclarin strengthens Asendia's commitment to the North-Asia region.
Stuart Foster, managing director of the Asian Desk, APAC (Asendia Asian Desk), and Senthil Kumar, CEO of Asendia Singapore/South Asia (Asendia Singapore Pte Ltd), have just joined the team in January 2023.
Asendia said these senior appointments of Asendia APAC emphasize a clear focus on the company's strategy to expand its reach to the North Asia market, especially to the Chinese e-commerce market, which was estimated to generate around US$1.5 trillion in revenue in 2022 – the largest revenue share globally and double of the estimated e-commerce revenue of the United States of America in the same year.
North Asia expansion plans
Asendia noted that strict pandemic lockdowns and disruptions to global supply chains had directed increasing consumer flows to online retailers, especially in China, where most of the population has now embraced e-commerce.
It added that the combined markets of China, Japan, South Korea and the wider Southeast Asia region have accounted for a majority of the global e-commerce sales — and overall, the region's B2C e-commerce Gross Merchandise Value is projected to increase from US$3,082.3 billion in 2021 to US$5,306.2 billion by 2026.
Asendia said Mclarin, as CEO of Asendia Hong Kong and North Asia, is key to tapping the immense growth opportunities in China and North Asia for brands and retailers around the world.
"Each market has its own nuances, challenges and opportunities. Mainland China generated 108 billion parcels in 2021. Whilst the market is mature and fiercely competitive, there are significant opportunities given the CAGR is in excess of 30%," Mclarin said.
Asendia has been active in the Asia Pacific, including the North Asia region, since in 2012.
The group has subsidiaries in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.
