Roblox has named Malaysian entrepreneur and investor Joel Neoh as managing director for Southeast Asia and Oceania, tasking him with driving the platform’s regional growth, strengthening its creator ecosystem and expanding partnerships with brands and local businesses.
Neoh joined Roblox in October 2026 and will serve as its senior-most business lead across the two regions, overseeing regional strategy and working with local teams and partners to align the platform’s global product and business priorities with local market needs.
His appointment comes as Roblox looks to deepen its presence in Southeast Asia and Oceania, with a particular focus on supporting local developers and creators, helping studios use its tools to scale commercially, and building familiarity and trust with players and parents.
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Speaking exclusively to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Neoh said his decision to join Roblox was driven by an opportunity to contribute to the next phase of technology and creativity in a region he grew up in.
After spending two decades building technology businesses across media, eCommerce, payments, fintech and healthtech, Neoh said he had moved back to Southeast Asia earlier this year and taken some time off before deciding on his next move.
“I knew I wanted to get back into technology, but more importantly, I wanted to do something meaningful for the region I grew up in,” he said. “What drew me to Roblox was the opportunity to help shape the next generation of technology, creativity and human connection.”
Neoh sees the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) as a significant opportunity for platforms such as Roblox, particularly as it lowers the barriers to developing games and digital experiences.
He pointed to the possibility of creators in markets such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia developing experiences that reach audiences globally, adding that Roblox’s existing community of young people in the region brings both opportunities and responsibilities.
“Roblox already has one of the largest communities of young people in the region. With that comes both an incredible opportunity and a responsibility to make sure we’re building something positive for players, parents, creators, developers and the broader community,” said Neoh.
For his initial priorities, Neoh said he intends to focus on understanding the regional ecosystem and building relationships with the people shaping it, rather than immediately pursuing growth for its own sake. He plans to engage creators and developers, industry leaders, policymakers, educators, brands and partners to understand existing opportunities and challenges, and identify areas for collaboration.
My first priority is actually quite simple: Listen, learn and build relationships.
“For Roblox, that means helping more people discover great experiences, supporting local creators and developers, strengthening trust with parents and communities, and building partnerships that create real value for everyone involved,” he added.
His longer-term ambition is to position Southeast Asia as a creator hub for the platform, rather than simply a region with a large player base. “Success to me isn’t just about growing the number of users. It’s about growing the entire ecosystem and the opportunities it creates for the region,” he added.
Neoh also sees opportunities for Roblox to develop its relationships with marketers, particularly as brands look for ways to engage younger audiences beyond conventional advertising and social media. He said the platform allows brands to become part of experiences that users actively choose to play, explore and share, creating a different relationship between brands and consumers.
“There are so many possibilities, from immersive brand experiences and collaborations with local creators to virtual goods, entertainment and partnerships that connect the digital and physical worlds,” he explained, adding that bringing brands and creators together could allow local developers to expand the reach of their work, while giving brands an opportunity to participate in experiences that already resonate with communities.
However, Neoh stressed that commercial opportunities must be balanced with the needs of Roblox’s young user base. “Of course, given the number of young people on Roblox, it’s important that everything we do is thoughtful, age-appropriate and genuinely adds value to the community.”
I think the opportunity is to help brands move to creating experiences with communities.
“That’s where I see the biggest long-term opportunity, and I look forward to working with marketers and partners across the region to explore what’s possible,” he added
Neoh brings more than 15 years of experience across technology, digital media, eCommerce, fintech and consumer businesses in Asia Pacific. He began his entrepreneurial career as co-founder of social news platform SAYS.com in 2010, which was later acquired by Catcha Group and became part of Rev Asia.
He subsequently founded Malaysian group-buying platform GroupsMore, which merged with Groupon, before taking on several leadership roles at Groupon between 2011 and 2015. These included regional vice-president and general manager for Southeast Asia and India, international vice-president for Asia Pacific North, and head of Asia Pacific, overseeing markets including Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
In 2015, Neoh founded Fave, a Southeast Asian consumer fintech platform offering payment and merchant solutions across online and offline businesses. The platform expanded to more than 50 cities across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and India, and grew its user base to more than 10 million before being acquired by Pine Labs in 2021.
Beyond his operating roles, Neoh has been active in the startup and investment ecosystem. He is a founding partner of First Move, an early-stage venture fund backing entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia, and has invested in more than 50 startups, particularly in consumer technology. He has also been a mentor at global entrepreneurship network Endeavor and a member and investor at XA Network, a Southeast Asian technology executives’ investment network. He previously served as a board member of the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia.
Most recently, Neoh served as managing director and chief consumer officer at Prenetics from June 2023 to June 2025, where he built its consumer health brands IM8 and CircleDNA. He was also an investor in Prenetics and previously served as managing partner at Europa Sports Partners, following Prenetics’ acquisition of the US-based sports nutrition distributor in 2024.
Commenting on the appointment, Zhen Fang, VP of international at Roblox, said Southeast Asia and Oceania are important markets for the platform within APAC, with a growing community of creators and players.
She said Roblox intends to continue investing in its regional teams, creators and partners, adding that Neoh’s entrepreneurial experience and connections within the local technology ecosystem would help guide its next phase of growth.
Last year, the gaming platform appointed Papri Dev as its new head of communications for Asia Pacific, as the platform continues to deepen its engagement with regional communities and creators. Dev’s appointment comes several months after she exited Tinder, where she served as vice president of communications for APAC.
Beyond expanding its regional team, Roblox has also become a platform of interest for brands and organisations looking to reach younger audiences through interactive experiences.
In Indonesia, children’s publication Bobo partnered with Volare Advertising Network to bring its intellectual property into Roblox through “Bobo the Origin: RPG Comic Adventure”. In Singapore, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay introduced “Beatsverse”, a Roblox experience built around its Baybeats festival, featuring music from more than 20 local artists.
Meanwhile, Malaysian QSR brand Marrybrown has also ventured onto the platform as part of a broader digital engagement strategy, exploring ways to connect gameplay with its loyalty programme and physical outlets through rewards redeemable
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