OpenAI hires Meta executive to lead growth across Southeast Asia and Australia

OpenAI has hired Meta executive Sandhya Devanathan to oversee parts of its business across Southeast Asia and Australia. Based in Singapore, she will report to Asia-Pacific managing director Kiran Mani.

Her responsibilities will include consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement, and operations, OpenAI told TechCrunch. The appointment follows the hiring of former Uber executive Prabhjeet Singh as OpenAI’s India head and adds to offices the company has opened in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, and Delhi.

Devanathan spent more than a decade at Meta and most recently served as vice president for India and Southeast Asia. She previously led the company’s Asia-Pacific gaming business. After her departure, Meta’s India managing director Arun Srinivas will report to regional vice president Benjamin Joe, according to a person familiar with the change.

The move gives OpenAI an executive with experience navigating large consumer platforms and regional regulators. It also comes as Meta faces scrutiny in India over content moderation, online safety, and child sexual abuse material. OpenAI has not disclosed a start date or specific targets for Devanathan’s new role.