Airwallex, a global cross-border financial platform company, said on Tuesday it had appointed Kwon Yoon-a (권윤아) to lead its small and medium-sized enterprise business in South Korea.

Kwon will lead overall operations for Airwallex in the South Korean market.

Her responsibilities include building strategic partnerships with domestic financial institutions, strengthening communication with industry contacts and major media, and expanding support for local clients.

Airwallex said it secured payment gateway and prepaid payment instrument licences in South Korea earlier this year through a strategic acquisition.

Kwon has more than 10 years of experience in e-commerce and management consulting. Until recently, she served as country head for South Korea and Japan at Shopee, leading business expansion in each market and helping local sellers increase global transactions. She previously worked as a consultant at Boston Consulting Group, specialising in commercial due diligence and investment strategy.

Kwon, head of Airwallex's SME business in South Korea, said, "I feel it is very meaningful to join at a very important time for Airwallex's strategy in the South Korean market." She added, "Airwallex has already built a meaningful foundation in the South Korean market, and we are now at a stage where we can further expand our influence."

She said, "Going forward, we plan to focus on building a high-performing organisation and strengthening local partnerships to support South Korean companies in responding more effectively to the global financial environment and expanding smoothly into overseas markets." She added, "Based on the newly secured licences, we plan to sequentially introduce innovative financial solutions within this year, and through this we will present a new change in how South Korean companies manage global funds."