Salesforce appoints former Google APAC leader Amit Chhangani as regional VP for partner business

The former Google executive will focus on strengthening Salesforce's partner ecosystem across ASEAN as enterprises turn to channel-led AI transformation initiatives.

Salesforce has appointed former Google APAC executive Amit Chhangani as regional vice president for partner business, bringing on board a technology leader with experience in enterprise transformation, ecosystem development and regional growth.

Chhangani joins Salesforce after spending over 12 years at Google, where he held several leadership positions across Asia Pacific and played a key role in expanding enterprise adoption of cloud, AI and digital platforms across the region.

The appointment comes at a time when enterprise technology vendors are relying on partners, system integrators and consulting firms to help customers navigate large-scale AI deployments and digital transformation initiatives.

In his new role, Chhangani will focus on strengthening Salesforce's partner ecosystem across ASEAN and helping customers accelerate AI adoption through collaboration with channel partners and technology services organisations.

Announcing the move on LinkedIn, Chhangani said his initial weeks at Salesforce involved engaging with teams and partners across Thailand and Singapore, while discussing opportunities to further strengthen the partner ecosystem and support customer transformation journeys.

Brings deep ecosystem-building experience

During his tenure at Google, Chhangani most recently served as APAC head for Global Clients and Agencies, where he worked closely with some of the world's largest brands and advised senior business leaders on digital transformation strategies.

He was responsible for driving the adoption of Google's cloud, AI, search and digital platforms across multiple industry sectors while helping align technology investments with business objectives.

Beyond enterprise customer engagements, Chhangani also played an important role in building and managing strategic ecosystem relationships across the region.

His experience included developing partnerships with major global agency groups and ecosystem players while helping shape Google's regional go-to-market and growth strategies.

This ecosystem-building background is likely to be particularly relevant at Salesforce as the company continues to expand its AI and data platform initiatives across Asia Pacific.

As AI deployments become complex, enterprise customers are relying heavily on implementation partners, consulting firms and managed service providers to integrate new technologies into existing business environments.

Focus shifts towards partner-led AI adoption

The appointment is a signal that reflects an industry trend where technology vendors are investing heavily in partner ecosystems to scale AI adoption.

Rather than relying solely on direct sales models, vendors are enabling channel partners to drive implementation, consulting, integration and business transformation services around AI platforms.

In his LinkedIn post, Chhangani highlighted the role of trusted partnerships in converting technology potential into measurable business outcomes.

He noted that while technology creates new possibilities, ecosystems and collaboration ultimately determine how effectively organisations can realise value from transformation initiatives.

The executive also reflected on witnessing three major technology shifts during his career - the transition from traditional business models to digital operations, the emergence of mobile-first experiences and the current rise of AI and agentic AI.

Salesforce has been expanding its AI portfolio through initiatives including customer relationship management, automation, analytics and agentic AI capabilities.

As enterprises across Southeast Asia increase investments in AI-driven transformation programmes, partners are expected to play a central role in helping organisations design, deploy and manage these technologies.

With Chhangani now leading partner business efforts across the region, Salesforce is strengthening its ecosystem leadership as the company knows very well that AI adoption is becoming dependent on collaboration between technology vendors, partners and enterprise customers.