The new country head saw the expansion of the app’s operations from eight cities to over 200 cities since 2018 as the company’s COO.

Ride hailing app Grab Philippines has announced the appointment of Ronald Roda as its new country head. Roda, who was most recently the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company, is taking on the role from Grace Vera Cruz, who has been given a regional position as Head of Regional Corporate Strategy.

“I am honored to take on the role of Country Head for Grab Philippines, and I am committed to continuing the great work and building on the strong relationships established under Grace’s leadership,” said Roda. “My goal is to continue making Grab a true partner for growth, providing innovative solutions that benefit Filipinos across the nation.”

“Together, we will further enhance the quality of life for our consumers and driver-partners, and strengthen the pathways for success for our MSMEs and corporate partners, ensuring that Grab remains a vital contributor to the Philippines’ socio-economic development,” Roda added.

As for Vera Cruz, she has expressed that she is “deeply grateful for the unwavering support, collaboration, trust, and openness from all our partners and stakeholders who have believed in Grab’s success during my tenure.”

“Reflecting on the commitment I made when I joined Grab, I am proud of the strides we have made together to drive innovation, enhance services, and uplift the lives of Filipinos,” she said. “As I transition to my new regional role, I am filled with confidence, optimism, and excitement for Grab Philippines and our new Country Head.”

His Vision for Grab 

After the announcement of his appointment, Roda sat down for an interview with veteran broadcaster Pia Hontiveros-Pagkalinawan to talk about his vision and plans as the new Country Head. 

For Roda, his vision for Grab has several aspects, which include business and social aspects. The social aspect, for him, can be encompassed by two words, which are “shared prosperity.” 

“As we grow in Grab, we need to make sure different people or players in our platform—whether it’s drivers, small merchants, small communities, cities—all grow and improve together with us.”  

“No one gets left behind. At this point, we are one of the biggest livelihood providers in the country,” he emphasized. “We’ve committed to create 5,000 livelihoods in five years. We’re somewhere in the probably 200-250,000 two years after launching that pledge, and so we continue to do this not just for drivers but for restaurants, etc., and everything else in the cities.”

On the business side, Roda believes that as more people come onto the platform, including drivers, passengers, and diners, “the business continues to grow and thrive.”

A specific focus that he plans on giving attention to are the micro-entrepreneurs, which include the drivers and smaller merchants on the platform as he believes that they need the most assistance.  

The Next 100 Days

Like with any transition or change in a company, the next 100 days will be crucial for Grab and its new Country Head for the Philippines, especially as the next 100 days will include the holiday season.

“Typically, for Grab, Christmas is the peak season,” Roda said. “This is also the season where demand skyrockets.” 

Recognizing the impending demand influx for Grab’s different services, Roda said that a priority for him is to get all Christmas-related plans sorted out. He revealed that the company is, on the transport side, working with the Department of Transport (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in order to have more supply in order to address the demand for rides during the holiday season. 

The new Country Head for the Philippines revealed that the first tranche of 5,000 cars has already been awarded.  

“Hopefully, this Christmas, these would be on the streets,” he said.