Who is Sandhya Devanathan? Meet Meta’s New South Asia Head: Know Her Journey from Visakhapatnam To Meta

Meta, the global tech giant and parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is making key changes in its leadership team as part of its continued focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Sandhya Devanathan, who is currently Meta's Vice President for India, has taken on a larger role. She will now lead Meta's business across both India and Southeast Asia.

This change comes as Benjamin Joe is set to become the new Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific from July 2025, replacing Dan Neary. Joe earlier worked as the Vice President for Southeast Asia and emerging markets at Meta.

Sandhya Devanathan: Meta South Asia Head

In a LinkedIn post, Sandhya Devanathan shared the leadership transition and her new role, stating, "I am excited to share that Benjamin Joe is Meta's new Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific from July this year. Ben is a 14-year Meta veteran, has been a key part of Meta's APAC leadership team for over 12 years and I am excited for his leadership in leading the region for us. He will succeed Dan Neary, who will be leaving the company in a few months."

"Following Ben's appointment, I am excited also to announce that I will take on additional responsibilities to lead our business in both India and Southeast Asia," she added.

Sandhya Devanathan Background and Career: From Visakhapatnam To Meta Head Position

Sandhya Devanathan hails from Visakhapatnam, a coastal city in Andhra Pradesh, India. She completed her undergraduate studies in Chemical Engineering and completed her Bachelor of Technology (BT) from at Andhra University, located in Visakhapatnam. She later went on to earn her Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the Faculty of Management Studies at Delhi University (DU). She also completed a leadership training course at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School in the United Kingdom.

Sandhya Devanathan has more than 22 years of experience in different fields like banking, payments, and technology. She joined Meta in 2016 and has worked in many important roles. She helped Meta grow its presence in countries such as Singapore and Vietnam. She also led several online shopping (e-commerce) projects across Southeast Asia.

In 2020, she moved into a new role and became the head of Meta's gaming division for the Asia-Pacific region. This gaming business is one of Meta's largest areas worldwide.

Outside her regular work, Sandhya is a strong supporter of women in leadership. She is the Executive Sponsor for Women@APAC at Meta, where she works to help more women grow into leaders. She also leads a global program called "Play Forward," which aims to bring more people from different backgrounds into the gaming industry.

She is also on the board of Pepper Financial Services Group. In the past, she was a board member of Singapore's National Library Board.