Australian software group Canva has named former Bukalapak chief executive Willix Halim as head of South-east Asia after tripling regional annual recurring revenue since 2022.

The privately held design platform doubled its monthly active user base across South-east Asian markets during the same period.

Halim served as an advisor to Canva for roughly twelve months before taking the regional chief executive role full-time three months ago. His remit focuses on local product development and mobile adoption across the regional footprint. He previously served as co-founder and chief executive of Indonesian e-commerce company Bukalapak, where consumer traffic shifted decisively toward mobile handsets over the past decade.

Consumer behavior across South-east Asia drives Canva to alter its product rollout strategy compared to Western markets. Company data shows that one out of every two presentations created in the region begins on a mobile device. In Indonesia, two out of every three presentations start on mobile handsets. The ratio reaches three out of five across the Philippines.

Desktop-first design interfaces present an immediate barrier to user acquisition in economies where the majority of retail entrepreneurs and small corporate teams operate entirely through Android and iOS devices. Adapting software workflows for touchscreens determines subscription conversion rates for enterprise software vendors expanding across developing Asia.

Enterprise and institutional accounts now form a core target for Canva in regional commercial hubs. Singapore-based real estate platform PropertyGuru deploys Canva across its group operations for internal workflows and marketing assets. Small and medium-sized merchants represent another major revenue segment, using the design software for day-to-day social commerce, product promotions, and branding campaigns.

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