Meta India and Southeast Asia VP Sandhya Devanathan Joins OpenAI

BENGALURU: In a significant leadership shakeup within the global technology sector, Sandhya Devanathan, the vice-president for Meta in India and Southeast Asia, is departing the social media giant. After a distinguished tenure spanning more than a decade at Meta, Devanathan is transitioning to OpenAI to spearhead the artificial intelligence firm’s expansion efforts in the APAC region.

Devanathan will step into the newly created role of Vice President for Southeast Asia and Australia. In this capacity, she will be based in Singapore and report directly to Kiran Mani, OpenAI’s Managing Director for Asia-Pacific.

The appointment marks a strategic move for OpenAI as it continues to bolster its international footprint. As the most senior executive for the organization across Southeast Asia and Australia, Devanathan will be tasked with overseeing the company’s operations and growth strategy in these key markets.

OpenAI officially confirmed the appointment, highlighting the importance of this high-level hire as the company behind ChatGPT looks to deepen its influence in one of the world’s most rapidly evolving digital economies.

Devanathan’s departure marks the end of a long and impactful career at Meta, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s regional business operations. Her move to a leadership position at one of the world’s leading generative AI companies underscores a broader industry trend of top-tier talent shifting toward AI-focused organizations as the technology continues to transform the enterprise landscape.