Sandhya Devanathan leaves Meta, joins OpenAI as VP for Southeast Asia and Australia

Sandhya Devanathan, who served as Meta's Vice President and Head for India and Southeast Asia, is leaving the company after more than ten years. She will join OpenAI as Vice President for Southeast Asia and Australia, a newly created position that makes her the AI firm's most senior leader in the region.

In her new role, Devanathan will oversee OpenAI's performance across consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement, and operations. She will be based in Singapore and report to Kiran Mani, OpenAI's Managing Director for Asia Pacific.

Devanathan announced her departure from Meta in a LinkedIn post, describing the decision as "bittersweet" and saying she would take a short break before beginning her "next exciting chapter." She did not disclose her next move at the time, though OpenAI has since confirmed her appointment.

Reflecting on her tenure, Devanathan noted that she joined Meta when the Singapore office had around 300 employees. She highlighted the company's work with businesses, startups, and creators across the region, including government citizen services on WhatsApp in India and helping small businesses in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand establish storefronts on Meta's apps.

Devanathan brings over 25 years of experience across technology and financial services. She joined Meta in 2016 and held several leadership roles, including leading the Asia Pacific gaming business and helping expand the company's presence in Singapore and Vietnam.

The appointment comes as OpenAI expands its footprint across Asia Pacific. Over the past two years, the company has opened local offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, and Delhi. In June, OpenAI announced Prabhjeet Singh as Managing Director for India, and the company opened its first office in New Delhi in November 2025. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has repeatedly described India as one of the company's key markets.