Friendster hires Ian Stewart to head Asia

Stewart, who assumed the role this week, is based at Friendster’s newly bolstered Singapore office and is charged with leading sales and business development in Asia-Pacific.

This is his first move following his departure from MTV, where he was based from 2006 to the end of 2008.
Stewart will work closely with Friendster’s CEO Richard Kimber, who joined the company in August from his post as Google’s MD of sales and operations in Southeast Asia.

Friendster additionally hired Ben Dunn as VP of Friendster in the Philippines and global head of brand experience, based out of Manila. 

Sources close to the company say the hires highlight Friendster’s ambitions in Asia, where it is among the most popular social networks.

According to comScore, Friendster has more than 30 million monthly visitors worldwide, with nearly 28 million of those users from Asia–Pacific.