OpenAI hires Meta's Sandhya Devanathan to lead Southeast Asia and Australia
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What happened
OpenAI hired Sandhya Devanathan, Meta's vice president for India and Southeast Asia, to lead its business in Southeast Asia and Australia, TechCrunch and Bloomberg reported on August 28, 2026. TechCrunch said OpenAI confirmed the move. Bloomberg's report, as recorded in the event data, described a newly created role in which she would be the company's senior-most leader in the region, starting in October.
TechCrunch said she will oversee consumer growth, enterprise adoption and partnerships, regulatory engagement and operations across Southeast Asia and Australia. She will be based in Singapore and report to Kiran Mani, OpenAI's Asia-Pacific managing director. TechCrunch said she joined Meta in 2016, led its Asia Pacific gaming business and was named vice president for India and Southeast Asia in June of last year. It also reported that Prabhjeet Singh, who spent more than a decade at Uber, joined OpenAI days earlier as its India head, and that OpenAI has opened offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Delhi over the past two years. TechCrunch set the departure against growing scrutiny of Meta in India. No financial terms were disclosed.
Key points
- Sandhya Devanathan, Meta's vice president for India and Southeast Asia, joined OpenAI, which confirmed the move.1
- Bloomberg described the role as newly created, covering Southeast Asia and Australia, starting in October.2
- Responsibilities: consumer growth, enterprise adoption and partnerships, regulatory engagement and operations.1
- She is based in Singapore and reports to Kiran Mani, Asia-Pacific managing director.1
- Prabhjeet Singh, formerly of Uber, joined OpenAI as India head days earlier.1
Why it matters
Bloomberg described a newly created senior-most role for Southeast Asia and Australia, which adds a named regional leader under OpenAI's Asia-Pacific managing director.
TechCrunch lists regulatory engagement in the role's remit and notes the hire comes from a company facing scrutiny in India, so regulatory relations are part of what the position covers.
TechCrunch says OpenAI opened offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Delhi over two years, and the hire followed a separate India head appointment days earlier.
In context
| Round | Date | Post-money valuation | Raised | Led by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funding round | Oct 2, 2024 | $157B | $6.6B | Thrive Capital |
| Funding round | Mar 31, 2025 | $300B | $40B | SoftBank |
| Funding round | Feb 27, 2026 | $852B | $122B | a16z, D. E. Shaw Ventures, MGX, SoftBank, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., and TPG |
Updated
Fact-check
- OpenAI hired Meta's Sandhya Devanathan, vice president for India and Southeast Asia, reported on August 28, 2026.Confirmed by [1] TechCrunch, dated August 28, 2026, which says OpenAI confirmed the move to TechCrunch.Verified
- The role is newly created, makes her the senior-most leader in the region, and starts in October.From [2] Bloomberg via the writer's excerpt and our research data; the Bloomberg page was blocked (403) and [1] TechCrunch does not state the start date.Partly verified
- She will oversee consumer growth, enterprise adoption and partnerships, regulatory engagement and operations across Southeast Asia and Australia.Confirmed by [1] TechCrunch, which lists these responsibilities.Verified
- She is based in Singapore and reports to Kiran Mani, OpenAI's Asia-Pacific managing director.Confirmed by [1] TechCrunch.Verified
- She joined Meta in 2016, led its Asia Pacific gaming business and was named vice president for India and Southeast Asia in June of last year.Confirmed by [1] TechCrunch.Verified
- Prabhjeet Singh joined OpenAI as India head days earlier, and OpenAI opened offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Delhi over two years.Confirmed by [1] TechCrunch, which reports both points.Verified
Sources
- [1]TechCrunch (opens in a new tab)Meta executive leaves for OpenAI as the social media giant faces growing scrutiny in IndiaDevanathan will be based in Singapore
- [2]Bloomberg (opens in a new tab)OpenAI Hires Meta Executive to Lead Southeast Asia, AustraliaIn a newly created role
