Sandhya Devanathan, who served as vice president and head of India and Southeast Asia at Meta, is stepping down after more than ten years with the company. She will take on a newly created leadership role at OpenAI, overseeing the firm’s strategy and operations in Southeast Asia and Australia from Singapore.
- Devanathan led Meta’s India and Southeast Asia teams since 2016
- Joining OpenAI as VP for Southeast Asia and Australia based in Singapore
- OpenAI ramping up presence in key Asia markets with new leadership
What happened
Sandhya Devanathan announced her departure from Meta after over ten years of leadership roles focused on India and Southeast Asia. She joined Meta in 2016, when its Singapore office was much smaller, and played a key role in expanding Meta’s footprint across ecommerce and gaming sectors in the region.
Devanathan will now take up a newly created position at OpenAI as vice president responsible for the company’s growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement, and operations across Southeast Asia and Australia. She will report to Kiran Mani, OpenAI’s Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, and be based in Singapore.
Why it matters
Devanathan’s move underscores the increasing competition among tech giants and AI leaders for talent and market influence in Asia-Pacific, a region experiencing rapid digital transformation and technology adoption.
OpenAI has been accelerating its investments and expanding its presence in India and Southeast Asia, highlighted by its recent appointment of a Managing Director for India and the opening of an office in New Delhi in 2025. Devanathan’s leadership in Southeast Asia and Australia is part of its broader strategy to capture growth in this high-potential region.
What to watch next
How Devanathan’s expertise in building ecosystems for ecommerce, gaming, and digital services will shape OpenAI’s partnerships and enterprise strategies in diverse Asia-Pacific markets will be closely observed.
OpenAI’s ongoing efforts to engage regulators and forge partnerships in Southeast Asia and Australia will be critical to its expansion plans, especially as demand for AI technologies increases amid evolving policy landscapes.