The Speech AI company is strengthening its local operations as it builds deeper relationships with enterprises, BPO providers, and technology partners in the Philippines.
Speech AI company Sanas is strengthening its presence in the Philippines as artificial intelligence reshapes how businesses manage customer interactions. Effective October 11, 2026, the company will appoint Jack Madrid as Sanas Ambassador, Philippines, and Christopher Venturina as director of business development, Philippines, as part of a broader effort to deepen local operations and customer engagement.
The appointments come as Sanas increases its focus on the Philippine market, where the IT-BPM sector plays a major role in global customer experience delivery. The company says it sees the country as an important market for the next phase of AI-enabled customer service, particularly as enterprises and outsourcing providers look for ways to combine human expertise with new speech technologies.
Jack Madrid joins Sanas
Madrid joins Sanas after serving as president and CEO of the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines. He brings more than two decades of experience across banking, technology, digital commerce, media, and industry leadership, with previous senior roles at Citibank, Dell Technologies, Yahoo! Philippines, MTV Philippines, Ayala Corporation, and Multiply.com.
During his tenure at IBPAP, the Philippine IT-BPM industry surpassed US$40 billion in annual revenues and supported approximately 1.9 million Digital Filipino Workers, according to the release. Sanas positions Madrid’s appointment as a link between the country’s long-standing strength in human-led customer service and the growing role of AI in the workplace.
“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,” said Madrid. “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.”
His role will center on helping Sanas strengthen industry relationships and support conversations around AI adoption, workforce readiness, digital infrastructure, and the future of work.
Christopher Venturina to lead business development
Sanas is also expanding its commercial presence through the appointment of Christopher Venturina as director of business development for the Philippines. Venturina brings experience across the local outsourcing and customer experience ecosystem and will focus on building relationships with enterprise customers, BPO providers, and technology partners in the Philippines and across the region.
“The conversation has moved from whether AI will affect customer experience to how companies can use it effectively and responsibly,” Venturina said. “Our role is to help organizations turn that interest into practical applications that support employees, make conversations more effective, and deliver better customer experiences.”
His appointment reflects a broader shift among Philippine enterprises and BPOs as they respond to customers who increasingly expect faster, more personalized, and more seamless interactions. At the same time, businesses are under pressure to improve productivity and performance without losing the human element that remains central to customer service.
AI and human expertise
Sanas says its strategy is not centered solely on automating customer interactions. Instead, the company positions its technology as a way to help organizations combine AI with human expertise to improve communication and customer outcomes.
“The Philippines has spent decades building one of the world’s strongest customer experience industries. What AI changes is not the value of that talent, but what people can accomplish with the right technology,” said Sharath Keshava Narayana, co-founder and CEO of Sanas. “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 customer experiences.”
Shawn Zhang, CTO and co-founder of Sanas, echoed that view, saying technology should ultimately make it easier for people to understand and connect with one another. He added that the Philippines’ customer experience expertise provides a strong foundation for applying AI in ways that support, rather than simply replace, human capabilities.
Expanding in a key customer experience market
Sanas currently works with more than 200 enterprises globally and processes millions of live voice interactions every day, the company said. It was also ranked No. 8 overall on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies, while placing No. 1 in both AI & Data and California.
The company develops real-time Speech AI technology for enterprise and communications platforms. Its platform provides speech enhancement, accent transformation, and language understanding that can be embedded into applications, platforms, and carrier networks.
With Madrid and Venturina joining its Philippine leadership team, Sanas is positioning the country as a central market in its expansion strategy. The company sees the combination of Filipino customer experience talent and AI-enabled communication technology as an opportunity to improve how enterprises support customers while helping workers perform more effectively.
In Summary
Sanas is expanding its Philippine operations by appointing Jack Madrid as Sanas Ambassador, Philippines, and Christopher Venturina as director of business development, effective October 11, 2026.
Madrid brings extensive IT-BPM and corporate leadership experience, while Venturina will focus on expanding relationships with enterprises, BPO providers, and technology partners. Sanas says the appointments support its broader strategy of combining Speech AI with human expertise in customer experience.