Global market platform Etsy Australia has bolstered its local team as it looks to snap up more market share in Australia.
The company has appointed Helen Souness as its new managing director for Australia and New Zealand to grow its local market presence.
Souness joins Etsy from digital marketplace community Envato and will be responsible for increasing Etsy’s footprint for buyers and sellers across both markets.
Souness' CV also includes senior roles and global experience in market-leading companies including Seek.com and Lonely Planet.
Since its launch in 2005, Etsy has grown to more than 40 million members, 25 million listings and one million shops in nearly 200 countries, with many of them fashion-related. The company also generated $1.35 billion in total merchandise sales in 2013.
According to Souness, Etsy’s mission ‘reimagining commerce in ways that make for a fulfilling and lasting world,’ was what first attracted her to the role.
“It seems to me that the ways Etsy maximises the benefits to makers and sellers of handmade goods, vintage and supplies is real proof of the company’s commitment to their local artists and suppliers, and this idea of reimagining commerce.
“I’m delighted to work with the vibrant and talented community of sellers and buyers in Australia,” Souness said.
“The Etsy team in Australia have been doing a great job of driving local traffic to the site, and we’re hoping to continue this upward trajectory by introducing Australian wares to new buyers and sellers all over the world.”
Etsy.com is an the online marketplace platform where people connect to buy and sell goods.