MUMBAI: LinkedIn has appointed Olivier Legrand as its managing director for the Asia-Pacific region, effective 1 January, 2016.
He will succeed Hari Krishnan, who is incidentally LinkedIn’s first employee in Asia. Krishnan, who has been managing director for the Asia-Pacific region since January 2013, is leaving the company after a stint of six years. Prior to his most recent post, he served as LinkedIn country manager for India from November 2009 to December 2012, Krishnan is slated to join PropertyGuru Group as president and chief business officer.
Krishnan oversaw business in the region that continues to post healthy growth, including a member base that more than doubled to 78+ million (as at Q3 2015) in less than three years. This includes 33+ million in India, 7+ million in Australia and 15+ million in S.E. Asia.
The Asia-Pacific region, home to some 40 per cent of the world’s professionals, is a key growth region for LinkedIn. More than 1,000 LinkedIn employees in 10 offices (across Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan and Singapore) serve members and clients such as Singapore Post, Toshiba, HCL Technologies, Li & Fung and ANZ.
“The Asia-Pacific region continues to be a key economic player in an increasingly connected and digital world where new opportunities emerge every day,” Legrand said. “I am excited about the opportunities for LinkedIn to help our members and clients become even more successful. While LinkedIn has come a long way in the region since establishing our presence here in 2009, there’s still a long runway for growth ahead for us.”
Legrand will have a dual role, continuing to serve as head of marketing solutions for LinkedIn in the region.
Singapore-based Legrand, who joined LinkedIn in 2012 to drive the marketing solutions business in the Asia-Pacific region, is a senior executive with more than a decade of leadership, marketing and business development experience in the region.
Before joining LinkedIn, he was General Manager of The Wall Street Journal Digital Network for Asia.
