OpenAI Appoints Ex-Meta Leader Sandhya Devanathan as Regional VP for Asia-Pacific Expansion

OpenAI has appointed veteran technology leader Sandhya Devanathan as its new Vice President for Southeast Asia and Australia. Devanathan joins the artificial intelligence developer following a distinguished ten-year career at Meta, where she most recently served as Vice President and Head of Meta India. In this new capacity, she will spearhead OpenAI’s regional operations, manage strategic ecosystem partnerships, and accelerate both consumer growth and enterprise software adoption. Her mandate also includes navigating critical regulatory landscapes across Asia-Pacific markets as the company scales its international footprint.

The transition highlights OpenAI’s aggressive push to establish a physical and commercial presence outside of North America. During her tenure at Meta, Devanathan gained extensive expertise in monetisation, public policy, and commerce, specifically within complex Asian jurisdictions. OpenAI aims to leverage this background to forge deeper ties with domestic enterprises and local government regulators. The appointment serves as a pivot toward creating localized operational teams capable of managing the unique demands of data governance frameworks and digital asset policies across Southeast Asia and Oceania.

The move signals a broader competitive shift as OpenAI seeks to compete with regional cloud and enterprise AI vendors. By placing experienced leadership with deep roots in the South Asian tech ecosystem at the helm, the company intends to ensure better compliance and support for its enterprise API tools. Industry analysts suggest that localized leadership will prove essential for fostering long-term relationships with Asian businesses. As OpenAI builds out its regional hubs, users can expect more tailored commercial offerings and increased focus on regional AI deployment strategies.