A New Ambassador, a Deeper Commitment: Sanas Expands in the Philippines

Our roots run deep in the Philippines. We’ve worked with the biggest businesses there for a long time and are proud to watch them show the world what exceptional customer experience looks like.  

The CX industry in the Philippines now generates more than $40 billion a year and employs 1.9 million Filipino workers. And one of the leaders responsible for driving that growth is Jack Madrid, President and CEO of the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP).

And we are thrilled to welcome Jack to Sanas as Ambassador to the Philippines. He starts with us in October - alongside Chris Venturina, our new Director of Business Development - to help us deepen our investment in this critical global market.

Jack’s appointment matters to us not only because of the experience he brings, but because of the future he believes in. “The Philippines has an opportunity to lead the next chapter of global customer experience by combining the strengths of its people with technology that helps them communicate, perform, and connect more effectively,” he says.

We agree.

As Sharath says, “We are investing in the Philippines because we believe the country can play a leading role in defining how people and AI work together to create better custom experiences.” 

That shared conviction is at the heart of why we’re expanding here.

A Familiar Leader for a New Era

Jack joins us at a pivotal moment for the Philippine IT-BPM industry. As President and CEO of IBPAP, he helped guide the sector through years of transformation, reinforcing the country's position as a global leader in technology-enabled services. Before that, he spent more than two decades in leadership roles across banking, technology, digital commerce, and media — at Citibank, Dell Technologies, Yahoo! Philippines, MTV Philippines, Ayala Corporation, and Multiply.com. Along the way, he became one of the country's most prominent voices on AI adoption, workforce readiness, and the future of work.

That's exactly the conversation his new role brings together: the Philippines' strength in human-led customer service on one side, and the growing role of AI in the workplace on the other.

"The conversation around AI and the Philippines should not simply be about what technology can replace. It should be about what technology can help Filipino talent do better," Jack says. "That is what makes this opportunity with Sanas particularly exciting to me."

Turning AI Interest Into Business Impact

Chris Venturina joins the Philippines team with deep experience across the country's outsourcing and customer experience ecosystem. As Director of Business Development, he'll focus on expanding our relationships with enterprise customers, BPO providers, and technology partners in the Philippines and across the region.

The timing couldn't be better. Philippine enterprises and BPOs are navigating a global market where customers expect faster, more personalized, and more seamless interactions while facing growing pressure to improve productivity and performance.

"The conversation has moved from whether AI will affect customer experience to how companies can use it effectively and responsibly," Chris says. "Our role is to help organizations turn that interest into practical applications that support employees, make conversations more effective, and deliver better customer experiences."

That's just what he’s here to do: help organizations combine technology with human expertise to create better experiences for everyone on the call.
 

Where We Go From Here

Sanas works with more than 200 enterprises around the world and processes millions of live voice conversations every day, many of them powered by Filipino professionals. Earlier this month, we were named the No. 1 fastest-growing AI company in America on the 2026 Inc. 5000, and No. 8 overall. The Philippines has been part of that story from the start, and it will be central to the next chapter.

"Technology should ultimately make it easier for people to understand and connect with one another," says our co-founder and CTO, Shawn Zhang. "We believe AI can help Filipino professionals and the organizations they work with take that capability even further."

The future of customer experience will be defined by the combination of AI and human expertise and the Philippines is uniquely positioned to lead it, pairing world-class talent with technology that helps people communicate more effectively, perform at a higher level, and deliver better outcomes for customers.

Welcome, Jack and Chris! We’re excited to get to work.