In her place, the Singapore-based company named Grab Philippines chief operating officer Ronald Roda as the new country head.
The appointments were made effective last Sept. 16 but will only be formally communicated to the public today.
In an interview with InsiderPH, Vera Cruz shared how the company navigated the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and achieved substantial growth, particularly in its delivery services.
She explained that the onset of the pandemic in 2020 had a severe impact on Grab's mobility business, which was its main revenue generator. With lockdowns enforced and mobility restricted, firm had to rapidly shift focus to its delivery arm.
"Our mobility business was shattered. But everybody suddenly needed deliveries," she said.
Demand for delivery services surged, creating capacity constraints. Merchants faced long waits to be onboarded onto Grab’s platform, as the company struggled to keep pace with the sudden growth.
The mobility restrictions imposed during the pandemic highlighted Grab's importance to both merchants and consumers.
"There was a realization that Grab was needed more than usual," she said.
To adapt, many mobility drivers transitioned to delivery roles to sustain their livelihoods — a shift led by Roda.
Meanwhile, Vera Cruz focused on strengthening partnerships with merchants, understanding that deliveries accounted for 70-80 percent of their business during the lockdowns.
This crisis-driven adaptability not only allowed Grab to survive but also thrive. The company expanded its delivery rider base tenfold, enabling it to meet demand and gain a dominant market share.
Vera Cruz credited the success to fostering a "win-win" partnership mentality, which helped both drivers and merchants weather the pandemic’s economic fallout. Today, Grab’s delivery business remains a cornerstone of its operations.
Going forward, Grab Philippines’ growth strategy is focused on expanding outside Metro Manila and on strengthening partnerships.
The company plans to enter 10 additional cities by the end of this year, building on its earlier entry into eight cities in the first half.
"We're expanding outside Metro Manila, and those are growth areas for us," Vera Cruz said, adding that the success of Grab's two-wheel mobility service, Move It, will also be a major contributor to its growth.
Aside from geographic expansion, partnerships with merchants and other stakeholders remain critical, since these long-term relationships are essential to sustaining growth.
"We want to deepen those partnerships that will enable future growth," she said.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the company has emerged stronger both financially and operationally, with its user base and driver network growing significantly.
"We've grown the business to be more profitable and wider, serving at least twice the number of Filipinos compared to prepandemic levels," she said. Apart from the spike in size of Grab’s driver network, its merchant partnerships have also seen substantial growth, especially in the food delivery segment, where the company continues to outperform its competitors.
Looking ahead, Vera Cruz expressed confidence in the leadership of Roda — identified early on as the firm next country head — who has a strong commitment to Grab's mission of supporting drivers, merchants, and consumers, while contributing to nation building.
Pointing to the company's broader goals of fostering sustainable growth while maintaining strong ties with local governments and regulators, Grab’s new regional strategy head emphasized the firm’s commitment to nation building as part of its core strategy.
"We have to think about things bigger than ourselves," Vera Cruz said.
Senior Reporter
