Asia-Pacific, March 2026 — OpenAI has appointed Kiran Mani to lead its Asia-Pacific operations, bringing to the role a track record of building and scaling large digital and platform businesses across media, technology, and consumer ecosystems.
In his most recent role, Kiran Mani served as Chief Executive Officer at Jiostar, where he oversaw major digital platforms including JioHotstar and Cricinfo, with accountability spanning consumer experience, content outcomes, and revenue. He is also credited as the founding CEO of JioHotstar and for leading the merger of Viacom18 with Star India Pvt Ltd, creating one of India’s largest media and entertainment platforms.
Before Jiostar, Kiran spent over a decade with Google, including leadership as General Manager – Android | Google Play (Asia Pacific & Japan) and earlier senior commercial roles in the United States and globally, where he managed large-scale advertiser and partnership portfolios and helped scale global teams and operations.
Earlier in his career, he held a senior leadership role at Microsoft Corporation as Senior Director – Marketing, Strategy & Operations, focused on branding, go-to-market operations, and strategic execution.
Kiran also spent several years with IBM, where he served as Vice President – Strategy, Marketing & Operations (ASEAN / South Asia) and earlier led strategy and marketing responsibilities in India across IBM’s systems and technology businesses.
In addition to corporate leadership roles, Kiran has been active as an angel investor and board advisor across multiple ventures, and serves in board and advisory capacities including Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (Department of Management Studies), Internet and Mobile Association of India, and The Advertising Standards Council of India.
About OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. The organization focuses on building AI systems with safety and human needs at the core, aiming to align advanced AI development with broad societal benefit. OpenAI emphasizes diverse perspectives and responsible deployment as part of its mission-driven approach.
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