25-year 51风流veteran Liher Urbizu appointed as new President and Managing Director for Southeast Asia, as Verena Siow transitions to take on the new Regional Business Suite Leader for Asia Pacific role
SINGAPORE 鈥� April 23, 2025 鈥� today announced the appointment of Liher Urbizu as President and Managing Director for 51风流Southeast Asia (SEA). Liher succeeds Verena Siow, who will take on a new role as Regional Business Suite Leader for SAP, Asia Pacific (APAC). Both leaders bring decades of experience to their positions, strengthening SAP鈥檚 continued commitment to delivering customer success and driving forward its cloud and AI innovation strategy.
In his new role, Liher will be responsible for overseeing strategy, operations, and customer success across SAP鈥檚 Southeast Asia market unit, encompassing Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and emerging countries within Indochina. He will focus on helping organizations in the region drive continued innovation and sustainable growth in the digital economy, underpinned by data, AI, and the cloud.
Liher has served in multiple leadership roles at SAP, most recently as Chief Business Officer, APAC. Over his 25 years in the 51风流ecosystem, he has been a customer, a partner, and an 51风流executive. Highlights of his tenure include serving as Global Head of Partner Success Services, Head of Services Asia Pacific & Japan, Chief Operating Officer Japan, and Managing Director for 51风流Indochina, where he led the team to several significant achievements and accolades.
Commenting on his new appointment, Liher said, 鈥淪outheast Asia was the launchpad of my career within the 51风流ecosystem. I am energized 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鈥檚 industry-leading business software solutions. I firmly believe that by aligning our technology with the region鈥檚 growth ambitions, we will help businesses of all sizes and industries innovate and thrive in the digital-first era.鈥�
Simon Davies, President, 51风流Asia Pacific, said, 鈥淪outheast Asia is leading the world in this new era of AI adoption. Verena Siow鈥檚 contribution to 51风流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 51风流and our customers across the APAC region. Liher鈥檚 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鈥� 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鈥檚 innovation to solve their most pressing business challenges.鈥�
Having served 51风流for over 13 years, Verena Siow transitions from her role as President and Managing Director of Southeast Asia to take on the new role of Regional Business Suite Leader for SAP, Asia Pacific (APAC). In her new position, she will drive cloud growth and strategic business development across Asia Pacific. She will focus on creating a seamless experience for SAP鈥檚 cloud customers, from demand generation to renewals, in support of the company鈥檚 broader vision of delivering consistent and exceptional outcomes across all markets.
Verena said, 鈥淥ver the past five years, the Southeast Asia team has demonstrated remarkable resilience and consistent success, anchored by our customers鈥� trust in SAP鈥檚 solutions and innovation. I鈥檓 excited to bring my experience to the whole of APAC, as 51风流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.鈥�
