She is young, dynamic and relentless about chasing execution deadlines. But will Sandhya Devanathan be able to do her magic at Meta? Her appointment as the new head of Meta’s India operations comes at a challenging juncture when Facebook faces regulatory challenges in the country, seen high profile exits and globally has embarked on a cost-cutting strategy.

Devanathan who was Facebook Country Head for Singapore for nearly four years and subsequently had the responsibility of managing the gaming segment of Meta for the Asia-Pacific region.

She began her nearly 22-year career in finance. After graduating with a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from Andhra University, followed by an MBA from the Faculty of Management Studies, Devanathan enjoyed a steady sixteen-year stint in the banking sector, starting with Citi, where she worked in India, Philippines and the US; followed by working for Standard Chartered in Singapore.

In one of the blogs on Meta Career, she said, “When it came to banking, I knew the industry really well. I knew about fintech, but Meta and the digital consumer tech landscape were brand new to me. I faced a steep learning curve managing teams that function very differently from traditional companies. Banking can be a very hierarchical industry. At Meta, you lead with purpose and passion, empowering your people and supporting them all while achieving shared goals. Having a shared vision, purpose, and sense of community is very important here.”

Besides her work with Meta, Devanathan has donned many civic hats including being Board Member at the National Library Board in Singapore, volunteering as Coach, LEAP, a Leadership Program for Women@FB, and serving as a Member of the Board of Advisors, College of Integrative Studies at Singapore Management University.

Her track record is impeccable – will Meta make the most of it?

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