SAP’s APAC President Verena Siow Highlights Southeast Asia’s Innovation Potential
Verena Siow, SAP’s new president for the Asia-Pacific region, highlights that Southeast Asian markets are rapidly adopting AI-native systems due to their smaller IT departments and lack of legacy infrastructure. This leapfrogging trend allows companies in the region to move directly to cloud-based solutions rather than on-premise software. Siow notes early adopters such as ComfortDelGro, Thai Airlines, and Singapore Airlines have embraced SAP’s business AI offerings. Despite optimism about Southeast Asia's potential, Siow acknowledges that AI adoption remains gradual across APAC firms. A study by SAP and Oxford Economics found that while companies in the region spend heavily on AI—$14.5 million annually—the average return on investment is only 16%. She emphasizes the need for better data quality and more integrated approaches to AI deployment. Siow also refutes concerns about a 'SaaS-pocalypse,' arguing that large enterprises still require robust platforms like SAP’s to ensure security, governance, and scalability. In fiscal terms, SAP reported strong cloud revenue growth in 2025 but faced declines in software sales.
Topics: AI cloud computing digital transformation SAP Southeast Asia