Grab ramps up Singapore strategy hiring ahead of SPAC

Grab isn’t just recruiting senior technologists from banks in Singapore; it’s latest finance-sector hire is in a senior strategy role. And it’s got plenty more strategy jobs in the pipeline.

Kaushik Viswanadha joined the tech giant CEO’s office earlier this month in a regional business operations job.

Viswanadha comes from Standard Chartered, which bases many of its top strategy people in Singapore and is therefore an obvious headhunting ground.

He was with Stan Chart for about three and a half years, latterly as a director of global strategy. His remit included digital transformation, new business ventures and digital assets.

Viswanadha has joined Grab during a hiring spree for Singapore-based strategy jobs. Grab needs more strategists and consultants on board to help it transform into a “super app” and prepare for its Nasdaq-listed SPAC, a deal which is expected to take place by year-end and which values the company at more than US$40bn

Grab has 39 Singapore-based vacancies in its business development and strategy category. These span a broad range of its business – from digital banking to grocery deliveries. There are senior roles on offer, including a head of merchant strategy and execution.

The poaching from banks – Stan Chart, Citi, DBS, OCBC and UOB are the likely targets, Grab is likely to poach people from the Big Four and from consultancies such as McKinsey and Bain. Viswanadha started his career with a five-year stint at the former firm.

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