• The former Google Regional Head of New Markets for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) joins as Sary begins its expansion to emerging markets.
  • With its continued growth, Sary aims to become the gateway to frictionless commerce between businesses, creating new economic opportunities for emerging markets.

14 March, 2022

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Sary, the MENA business-to-business (B2B) eCommerce platform, has revealed that former Google Executive Ivan Jakovljevic is joining its Board of Directors. 

The appointment is in line with Sary’s regional and international expansion to achieve its vision of becoming the leading B2B e-commerce platform in emerging markets. Fueled by a $75m Series C funding round led by Sanabil Investments for a combined $112m in funding to date, Sary announced its acquisition of the Egyptian B2B food and grocery marketplace, Morrawid, in March. 

Ivan brings over twenty years of experience in technology, venture capital, and startups. He formerly served as Google’s Regional Head of New Markets for the Middle East & North Africa, leading its geographical expansion efforts within the region. Most recently, Ivan was the Chief Development Officer at STV, one of the largest venture capital funds in the region, where he led portfolio support and value creation, helping portfolio companies develop strategies to scale. 

Since its founding in 2018, Sary has successfully consolidated its market leading position, growing rapidly in Saudi Arabia in 2021. With its arrival in Egypt, the startup is poised to become the gateway to enable frictionless commerce between producers and businesses in the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan (MENAP). As a Board Member, Ivan will play a key role in helping Sary to consolidate regional and international markets, develop scaling strategies, and explore adjacent services Sary can add to its ecosystem to bring businesses in emerging markets even closer together.

Speaking about his appointment, Ivan said: “Today, new B2B platforms are organizing supply chains in emerging markets to create thriving economies, driven by local producers and businesses. 

“Sary is best positioned to realize this opportunity. Its regional consolidation strategy illustrates an exciting ambition paired with the strong traction that will unlock the possibilities of local trade, bridging efficiency gaps in MENAP and beyond. I’m excited to work with the team to not only achieve Sary’s vision of becoming the leading B2B e-commerce platform in emerging markets, but also to help create a Saudi tech champion with international scale.”

Mohammed AlDossary, Co-Founder and CEO of Sary added: “Supply chain fragmentation is a persistent issue across emerging markets, leaving local businesses in a disadvantageous position. Today, we move forward in connecting the region and beyond with our digital networks and services to make local commerce frictionless for everyone anywhere in the MENAP. Ivan brings years of experience in venture capital and digital economies that will be instrumental in the formulation of strategic objectives. The team and I are excited to work with him to realize our joint vision.”