Salesforce names Paul Carvouni to lead ASEAN AI push

Salesforce has appointed Paul Carvouni as Senior Vice President and General Manager for ASEAN, strengthening the US software group's leadership bench in a region it views as a key growth market for artificial intelligence-driven customer management.

Carvouni will be based in Singapore and will oversee Salesforce's growth strategy across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He will focus on sales and operations in markets that include Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The move reflects Salesforce's expansion in Southeast Asia. The company opened a new office in the Philippines in 2025 and already runs offices in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

Salesforce has also expanded its AI product set in the region. The company recently made its Agentforce Service and Employee Agent products available in several ASEAN languages, including Indonesian and Vietnamese. This targets local-language demand in fast-growing markets with large domestic customer bases.

AI growth focus

Salesforce is positioning its regional strategy around what it describes as an emerging "agentic enterprise" model. The company says this model uses AI agents, human workers, software applications and data on a single platform. It pitches this approach as a way for businesses to move beyond traditional digital transformation programmes.

The company cites external estimates that AI represents a US$1 trillion growth opportunity for ASEAN by 2030. Governments in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and other markets have announced national strategies that seek to expand AI adoption across industries such as financial services, manufacturing, retail and the public sector.

Within that context, Salesforce is investing in language support and local presence. The new Philippines office extends its footprint beyond existing hubs in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

Arun Kumar Parmeswaran, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for South Asia at Salesforce, said Carvouni's appointment comes at a time of rapid change in the region.

"ASEAN is a vibrant and strategically vital region for us. We are in the midst of an agentic AI revolution that can vastly accelerate the region's economic growth," said Arun Kumar Parmeswaran, Executive Vice President & Managing Director, South Asia, Salesforce. "Paul possesses the exceptional pedigree and deep industry experience necessary to guide our customers as they leverage agentic AI to transform their businesses. We have tremendous confidence in his ability to lead our ASEAN team and accelerate the success of our customers in becoming the intelligent, adaptive Agentic Enterprises of the future."

Regional track record

Carvouni has more than two decades of experience in technology leadership roles. He has worked for companies including Microsoft and Riverbed Technology. His previous responsibilities have covered both the wider Asia Pacific region and ASEAN specifically.

Salesforce said he has built and led high-growth teams and has managed expansion at scale. The company also highlighted his experience in developing sales teams and regional market positions.

Carvouni will work with Salesforce's existing ASEAN workforce and its regional partner network. His remit covers customers ranging from small and medium-sized businesses to large enterprises and public sector organisations.

He said the regional AI market is entering a phase of rapid expansion.

"I am incredibly excited to lead Salesforce's commitment to the ASEAN region. The AI revolution presents an immense opportunity for impact across every country, industry and segment, from SMBs to large-scale Enterprise & Public sector organisations. This region is primed for significant growth, and the mission is clear: to empower every customer to become an Agentic Enterprise and unlock unprecedented productivity and intelligence," said Paul Carvouni, Senior Vice President and General Manager, ASEAN, Salesforce. "I look forward to working alongside our talented team and extensive partner ecosystem to deliver the trusted AI, data, and CRM solutions that will fuel ASEAN's next wave of innovation and growth."