Enterprise software company SAP has appointed Liher Urbizu as the president and managing director of SAP in Southeast Asia. He steps into the role previously held by Verena Siow, who now moves up the ladder as regional business suite leader for SAP Asia Pacific.

The leadership changes signal SAP’s commitment to advancing cloud transformation and AI-powered business solutions in one of its fastest-growing markets.

Urbizu returns to lead Southeast Asia

For Urbizu, this appointment marks a full-circle moment. “Southeast Asia was the launchpad of my career within the SAP ecosystem,” he shared.

Now, with 25 years of experience under his belt, including stints as SAP customer, partner, and executive, he is returning to familiar terrain, this time to lead the charge.

Urbizu brings a wealth of operational and strategic know-how, having held high-impact roles such as chief business officer for APAC; global head of Partner Success Services; and managing director for SAP Indochina. His track record includes leading teams to numerous accolades and driven measurable growth across multiple regions.

In Urbizu’s new remit, he will oversee SAP’s footprint across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and emerging Indochina markets. His mandate will be to help businesses tap into the power of AI, cloud, and data to navigate the emerging digital economy and scale sustainably.

Urbizu summed up his vision with confidence: “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.

Leadership changes rooted in trust

The leadership transition comes at a pivotal time, with Southeast Asia emerging as a frontrunner in AI adoption. Simon Davies, president of SAP Asia Pacific, emphasised the importance of continuity paired with fresh energy.

“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,” Davies said.

“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 organizations in SEA can fully leverage SAP’s innovation to solve their most pressing business challenges,” Davies added.

With Urbizu at the helm, SAP SEA is expected to hit the ground running as it sharpens its focus on enabling customers to solve real-world business problems through innovation.

His leadership is set to play a pivotal role in accelerating SAP’s ambitions across the region.

Siow takes cloud leadership to APAC stage

After more than 13 years of service, Siow is taking on a broader regional mandate. In her new role as regional business suite leader for APAC, she will steer strategic business development and cloud growth across the region.

Her focus will be on ensuring a seamless experience for SAP’s cloud customers, from generating demand to driving renewals.

Reflecting on her time in SEA, Siow said: “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.”