HR tech firm Workday has appointed Jess O’Reilly as its new general manager for the ASEAN region. The move signals the company’s aim to deepen its presence in Southeast Asia, a market experiencing a brisk uptick in digital transformation efforts.

Operating out of Singapore, O’Reilly takes the reins at a time when businesses in the region are scaling up intelligent enterprise solutions to stay competitive.

In her role, O’Reilly will lead Workday’s regional sales strategy, nurture customer and partner ecosystems, and spearhead revenue growth initiatives. Her remit also includes expanding market share across ASEAN, while aligning closely with the wider Asia Pacific leadership team.

O'Reilly as a digital innovation leader

With over 15 years of experience under her belt, O’Reilly is a seasoned leader in the tech world. She has carved out a niche in championing digital innovation and scaling business outcomes across global and regional markets.

Her track record includes senior roles at SaaS and cloud powerhouses such as Salesforce, UiPath, and Twilio, where she honed her understanding of the Southeast Asian customer landscape.

O’Reilly’s appointment comes at a watershed moment. The region is undergoing a seismic shift in how organisations approach workforce management, driven by the need for greater efficiency, agility, and future-readiness.

Read: Workday AI agents work like humans

Workday, with its AI-first strategy and emphasis on elevating human potential, is positioning itself as the trusted partner for this transition.

“Organisations in ASEAN are transforming their approach to workforce management with impressive agility,” said O’Reilly.

“Workday has been leading workforce transformation and the integration of enterprise AI for well over a decade, with the vision to elevate humans, supercharge work and bring businesses forever forward. I am excited to build on this vision and momentum in ASEAN, continuing to deliver world-class innovations to support our customers on their transformation journey.”

Read: Meet your new boss: AI in the C-Suite

Understanding the ASEAN market

Simon Tate, president of Workday Asia Pacific, echoed the enthusiasm and highlighted O’Reilly’s deep-rooted understanding of the regional market.

“Jess’s deep understanding of the ASEAN market, particularly her experience in Singapore which is home to some of Workday’s largest and most strategic accounts in APAC, makes her the ideal leader to drive our next phase of growth,” said Tate.

He also pointed to Singapore’s fertile digital landscape as a springboard for innovation. “The Singapore government’s forward-thinking approach to digital transformation and its commitment to fostering innovation creates a dynamic environment for businesses to thrive,” he noted.

O’Reilly’s leadership is expected to be instrumental as organisations pivot towards skill-based strategies, embrace the potential of multi-generational workforces, and explore the transformative power of Agentic AI. In a business climate where agility is king and the war for talent is unrelenting, her appointment can be seen as both timely and strategic.

Workday is focused on its ASEAN ambitions by betting on local expertise and global capabilities to unlock new growth avenues.

With O’Reilly at the helm, the company appears poised to keep pace with change, enabling businesses to navigate complexity and build a workforce ready for whatever lies ahead.