OpenAI has appointed Kiran Mani as Managing Director for Asia Pacific and Japan, as the company accelerates its expansion across key Asian markets.
Mani announced the move on LinkedIn, sharing that he has officially taken charge of the regional portfolio this week. He described OpenAI’s mission of making artificial intelligence abundant, affordable and useful as one of the most meaningful opportunities of his career.
The appointment comes shortly after Mani’s tenure as CEO of JioStar, the joint venture formed through the merger of Reliance-backed Viacom18 and Star India. During his time there, he played a key role in integrating the company’s digital streaming ecosystem, including JioHotstar.
Before JioStar, Mani spent more than 13 years at Google, holding several leadership positions across the US, Asia Pacific and Japan. His responsibilities included leading Android and Google Play operations in the region and managing relationships with some of Google’s largest global advertising partners.
Earlier in his career, Mani held leadership roles at Microsoft and IBM, after beginning his professional journey at Ogilvy & Mather.
At OpenAI, Mani will focus on expanding the company’s enterprise business, strengthening government partnerships and increasing developer adoption of OpenAI’s API ecosystem across Asia Pacific and Japan.
Commenting on his decision to join the company, Mani said that his interactions with OpenAI’s leadership reinforced his belief in the company’s long-term vision, adding that the combination of innovation and humanity within the organisation stood out to him.
The appointment comes as OpenAI continues to expand its presence in Asia through new offices, regional partnerships and investments in developer and enterprise ecosystems.