LINE's Ongki Kurniawan to lead GrabPay in Indonesia

Grab has appointed Ongki Kurniawan (pictured) as managing director of GrabPay in Indonesia, which it claims is its largest market in the region. Prior to the move, Kurniawan was managing director for LINE Indonesia, driving strategy and execution in the Indonesia market. As part of the local leadership team, Kurniawan will report directly to Jason Thompson, head of GrabPay.In a press statement confirming the move, the appointment aims to help GrabPay develop strong partnerships across the ecosystem. This is to accelerate the integration of Kudo with Grab, and continue the expansion of its online marketplaces and small business partner network. Kudo, an online payment start-up, was acquired by Grab in April this year.Kurniawan will work with a team of 150 local engineers in Grab’s Jakarta R&D centre, as well as an expanding network of partners to build localised payment solutions that are best suited to Indonesia’s consumers and merchants. This is in a bid to make a difference in Indonesia’s young and fragmented payments market.Prior to joining Grab, Kurniawan drove strategy and execution in Indonesia for LINE. He also served as director/chief digital and director/CTO for XL Axiata, principal at BCG, and credit analyst with Citi Corporate Banking Group. He was also on the board of Adknowledge Asia and Elevenia.“The unique nature and size of Indonesia requires world-class expertise and we’re convinced Kurniawan’s experience spanning telco, payments, social media, and commerce will add invaluable depth and strong local leadership to our Indonesia team,” Thompson said.“GrabPay’s vision to bring everyone into the digital economy – from the emerging middle class to small businesses across the country – is one that will help make Indonesia Southeast Asia’s largest digital economy, and I look forward to being a part of that journey,” Kurniawan said.