Sandhya Devanathan Quits Meta, Joins OpenAI as South East Asia VP

Sandhya Devanathan is leaving Meta after more than a decade with the technology company and is set to join OpenAI as Vice President for South East Asia and Australia. Her move marks a significant leadership transition as OpenAI expands its presence across some of the world's fastest-growing technology markets. Devanathan will take up a newly created regional role and become the company's most senior leader covering South East Asia and Australia. She will be responsible for overseeing OpenAI's activities and growth across the two regions.

In her new position, Devanathan will have a broad mandate covering consumer growth, enterprise adoption and partnerships. Her responsibilities will also include regulatory engagement and operational activities across the region. The newly established position indicates OpenAI's focus on strengthening its regional leadership structure as demand for artificial intelligence products continues to grow among individual users, businesses and organisations. Devanathan's experience in managing large technology operations is expected to be relevant to the company's expansion plans.

Devanathan has spent more than ten years at Meta, where she held senior leadership responsibilities across important markets. She currently serves as Meta's Vice President and Head for India and South East Asia, giving her experience in managing operations across diverse and rapidly developing markets. During her tenure, she worked across areas involving business growth, digital platforms and engagement with stakeholders. Her departure represents a notable change for Meta's regional leadership team after a long association with the company.

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Her move to OpenAI comes as artificial intelligence companies increasingly focus on expanding adoption among consumers and enterprises outside their traditional core markets. South East Asia and Australia represent important markets for technology companies because of their growing digital economies, large consumer bases and expanding use of AI-powered products. OpenAI's decision to create a dedicated senior leadership position for the region reflects the importance of building stronger relationships with businesses, users, partners and regulators.

A major part of Devanathan's responsibilities at OpenAI will involve enterprise adoption and partnerships, alongside consumer growth. She will also oversee regulatory engagement, an increasingly important area for technology companies as governments develop frameworks governing artificial intelligence, data and digital services. Her role will require coordination across multiple markets with different regulatory environments and business conditions. The combination of commercial, operational and regulatory responsibilities gives the position a wide regional scope.

Devanathan's appointment is expected to strengthen OpenAI's leadership presence in South East Asia and Australia as the company works to expand its products and partnerships in the region. As the newly created Vice President for the two markets, she will serve as OpenAI's most senior regional leader and oversee its overall performance across the assigned territories. Her transition from Meta, where she spent more than a decade in senior positions, marks a high-profile move between two major technology companies and adds an experienced regional executive to OpenAI's leadership structure.

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