Sandhya Devanathan, currently serving as Vice President and Head of India at Meta, has been assigned additional responsibilities to oversee the company’s operations in Southeast Asia. This development follows the impending departure of Dan Neary, Meta’s Asia-Pacific chief, after a 12-year tenure.
Devanathan announced her expanded role through a LinkedIn post, expressing enthusiasm about leading Meta’s business across both India and Southeast Asia. She also welcomed Benjamin Joe as the new Regional Vice President for the Asia-Pacific region, effective July 2025. Joe, a 14-year veteran at Meta, has been a significant part of the company’s APAC leadership team.
Since joining Meta in 2016, Devanathan has played a pivotal role in building the company’s presence in Singapore and Vietnam, as well as spearheading e-commerce initiatives in Southeast Asia. In 2020, she took on the leadership of Meta’s gaming division for the Asia-Pacific region, one of the company’s largest verticals globally.
In her expanded role, Devanathan will continue to lead Meta’s strategic initiatives in India while also driving growth and partnerships across Southeast Asia. Her appointment underscores Meta’s commitment to strengthening its presence and operations in these rapidly growing markets.
Prior to joining Meta, Devanathan held senior executive roles at Standard Chartered Bank, where she was Managing Director for Retail Banking and Payment Products in Singapore. She oversaw a $40 billion balance sheet and spearheaded key product innovations, including digital wallets and strategic partnerships. Her leadership contributed to regulatory advancements like PayNow and positive credit bureau frameworks.
Earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade at Citi, where she rose through leadership roles across India, the Philippines, and the United States. Her roles spanned credit cards, personal loans, digital banking, and portfolio management.
Beyond her corporate role, Devanathan actively serves on the boards of Jio Platforms, the National Library Board (Singapore), and is an advisor at Singapore Management University. She has also contributed to the Ministry of Communications and Information’s Digital Readiness Council, and served on the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society’s Asia Advisory Board.
