OpenAI hires Meta executive Sandhya Devanathan to lead Southeast Asia and Australia

Sandhya Devanathan, Meta’s India head and vice-president, is leaving the company after nearly a decade to take up a newly created leadership role at OpenAI covering Southeast Asia and Australia.Devanathan will be based in Singapore and report to Kiran Mani, OpenAI’s managing director for the Asia-Pacific region. In her new position, she will oversee consumer growth, enterprise adoption, strategic partnerships, regulatory engagement and operations across the two markets.Devanathan Moves From Meta To OpenAIDevanathan joined Meta in 2016 and has held several senior positions during her tenure. Before becoming Meta’s India head in 2023, she helped establish the company’s businesses and teams in Singapore and Vietnam and worked on its Southeast Asian e-commerce initiatives.Meta India And Southeast Asia VP Sandhya Devanathan Steps Down After Decade-Long Stint She later took charge of Meta’s gaming business across the Asia-Pacific region, one of the company’s major global verticals. With more than 25 years of professional experience, Devanathan has previously worked across the banking, payments and technology sectors.Announcing her departure on LinkedIn, Devanathan recalled joining Meta when its Singapore operation had around 300 employees. She said the company had been focused on helping startups, businesses, creators and the wider digital ecosystem expand across the region.Meta Restructures India LeadershipMeta’s Asia-Pacific vice-president Benjamin Joe praised Devanathan for her dedication and leadership, saying her contribution had left a lasting impact on the organisation. Devanathan had assumed responsibility for Meta’s India operations in January 2023 following the departure of former India country head Ajit Mohan. In June 2025, she took on an expanded role overseeing Southeast Asia and relocated to Singapore.Meta appointed Arun Srinivas as managing director and head of India operations in July 2025. Following Devanathan’s departure, Srinivas, who previously reported to her, will now report directly to Joe.The move comes as OpenAI continues to expand its presence across Asia-Pacific, with Devanathan expected to focus on scaling adoption, partnerships and regulatory engagement in key regional markets.

Meta’s Sandhya Devanathan is joining OpenAI as VP for Southeast Asia and Australia. Based in Singapore, she will lead regional growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships and regulatory engagement as OpenAI expands across Asia-Pacific.

Sandhya Devanathan, is leaving the social media giant and is all set to join OpenAI as Vice President for South East Asia and Australia

With over 25 years of experience in technology and finance, Devanathan is poised to lead OpenAI’s consumer growth and partnerships in this pivotal market.

Meta’s Sandhya Devanathan exits after decade, joins OpenAI as Southeast Asia, Australia VP

Sandhya Devanathan will be the region’s senior leader, overseeing consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, operations, and regulator engagement