OpenAI and Anthropic are actively recruiting senior executives from major U.S. technology firms, including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, to expand their operations in Asia. These companies are building teams in regions such as India and Singapore to drive product sales and manage relationships with local policymakers.
In the past year, AI firms have completed at least nine high-level hires from American tech giants operating in Asia. Notable transitions include Sandhya Devanathan, who left her role as vice president for India and Southeast Asia at Meta to join OpenAI as vice president for Southeast Asia and Australia.
OpenAI has also appointed Kiran Mani, formerly of JioStar and Google, as its Asia-Pacific director. Pragya Mishra, the company's first hire in India, previously worked at Truecaller and WhatsApp. These appointments reflect a strategic shift toward hiring leaders capable of navigating local markets and regulatory environments.
Industry experts note that the competition for talent is driven by a shortage of executives who possess dual institutional literacy. Companies are seeking individuals who understand both the capital allocation strategies of U.S. headquarters and the specific operational realities of local customers, governments, and business partners.
The pool of qualified candidates remains limited, as few executives in India have experience managing country-level profit and loss for global tech firms. Recruitment firms suggest that while the current focus is on poaching from established big tech, the talent pool may eventually expand to include leaders from startups and global capability centers.
