Sandhya Devanathan, Meta's Vice President for India and Southeast Asia, is leaving the social media company after more than ten years to join OpenAI.
In October, Devanathan will take on the role of Vice President for Southeast Asia and Australia at OpenAI. Based in Singapore, she will report to Kiran Mani, OpenAI's Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific region. According to reports, the new position will require her to oversee consumer growth, enterprise solutions implementation, partnerships, regulatory engagement, and operational activities across the region.
Devanathan announced her departure from Meta on Friday via a LinkedIn post, although she did not disclose information about her next employer. In her message, she wrote: 'After more than ten years at Meta, I have made the bittersweet decision to move on to the next adventure,' adding that she would take a short break before starting the new chapter.
She began working at Meta in 2016 when the company had about 300 employees in Singapore. Over the next decade, Devanathan worked in e-commerce and gaming in the Asia-Pacific region, helping to develop Meta's businesses in Singapore and Vietnam, and participated in the company's e-commerce initiatives in Southeast Asia.
In 2020, she led Meta's gaming business in the Asia-Pacific region. At the end of 2022, she was appointed Vice President and Head of Meta in India, formally taking on this role in January 2023, where she took responsibility for the company's business and revenue priorities in one of its largest markets. Her responsibilities were later expanded to include Southeast Asia.
Summarizing her time at the company, Devanathan highlighted the growth of businesses and digital services created on Meta's platforms in the region. Examples include government services for citizens provided through WhatsApp in India, as well as small businesses using Meta applications as digital storefronts in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Her transition comes amid OpenAI's accelerating expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. The creators of ChatGPT have opened offices in markets such as Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, and Delhi over the past two years. Devanathan will be the most senior OpenAI executive responsible for Southeast Asia and Australia, with authority that also includes building partnerships with enterprises, institutions, and governments.
OpenAI is also strengthening its leadership in India. In June, the company appointed Prabhjeet Singh, former President of Uber in India and South Asia, as Managing Director for India.
At Meta, Arun Srinivasan, who was appointed to lead and head the country in India in 2025, is expected to continue leading the business in India. Benjamin Joe, Meta's Regional Vice President for Asia-Pacific, commented on Devanathan's LinkedIn post, stating that Srinivasan will join his leadership team and 'drive Meta forward in India.'