Singapore – SAP, an enterprise application and business AI firm, has appointed Liher Urbizu as the new president and managing director for SAP Southeast Asia (SEA). Urbizu takes over the role from Verena Siow, who is now appointed as the company’s new regional business suite leader for SAP, Asia Pacific (APAC).
In this appointment, Urbizu will direct strategic initiatives, operations, and customer success across SAP’s market unit in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and emerging countries within Indochina.
Part of this role includes his goal to support organisations in the region to foster continued innovation and sustainable growth in the digital economy through data, AI, and the cloud.
Urbizu’s career spans multiple leadership roles at SAP, with his most recent role as the company’s chief business officer for APAC. His 25-year journey at SAP also includes him being a customer, a partner, and an SAP executive.
He further became the global head of partner success services, head of services Asia Pacific & Japan, chief operating officer Japan, and managing director for SAP Indochina, where he led the team to several significant achievements and accolades.
Following the endeavour, Urbizu said, “Southeast Asia was the launchpad of my career within the SAP ecosystem. I am energised by the opportunity to return and lead this dynamic market unit, with a focus on delivering tangible business outcomes for our customers by harnessing AI and SAP’s industry-leading business software solutions.”
“I firmly believe that by aligning our technology with the region’s growth ambitions, we will help businesses of all sizes and industries innovate and thrive in the digital-first era,” he also shared.
Simon Davies, president at SAP Asia Pacific, also remarked, “Southeast Asia is leading the world in this new era of AI adoption. Verena Siow’s contribution to SAP SEA over the past several years has been significant, and I am confident that her outstanding leadership will help us execute on our strategy and achieve tangible cloud momentum for SAP and our customers across the APAC region. Liher’s extensive leadership experience in Asia will also serve the SEA team well in its next phase of growth.”
“Liher combines a deep understanding of our customers’ evolving business needs with a proven track record of leading high-impact teams. As the new president and managing director of Southeast Asia, he will play a critical role in accelerating our cloud and AI initiatives, ensuring that organisations in SEA can fully leverage SAP’s innovation to solve their most pressing business challenges,” he further noted.
Meanwhile, Verena Siow, who has been with SAP for 13 years, will now transition to driving cloud growth and strategic business development across Asia Pacific.
In her new position as the regional business suite leader for SAP, Asia Pacific, Siow will prioritise the development of a seamless experience for SAP’s cloud customers, from demand generation to renewal. This move aligns with her goal of helping the company maintain excellence and consistency in its outcomes across diverse markets.
Siow then commented, “Over the past five years, the Southeast Asia team has demonstrated remarkable resilience and consistent success, anchored by our customers’ trust in SAP’s solutions and innovation. I’m excited to bring my experience to the whole of APAC, as SAP continues to deliver next-generation cloud solutions and expand our footprint across Asia.”
“I look forward to helping customers, both in Southeast Asia and across APAC, continue to accelerate to innovate and unlock further value on their transformation journeys,” Siow further noted.
