Zendesk expands Maureen Chong’s role to lead business in India

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) firm Zendesk has announced that regional vice president (RVP) Maureen Chong’s role has been expanded to lead its business in South Asia, including India. Chong is currently leading the California-based company’s go-to-market teams across markets in Asia including South East and North Asia. Chong takes over from Vasudeva Rao Munnaluri who left Zendesk to pursue new opportunities.

Chong has been with Zendesk for three years since September 2021. She has worked across Asian markets, building and leading teams, growing company’s market reach, and achieving operational goals, the company said in a statement. In the past, she has worked with Akamai, SAP and Oracle. 

“India is a vital market for our regional and global growth. We have been growing with some of India’s major local brands across sectors to build on the local legacy of customer service through digital acceleration," said Chong.

I’m looking forward to working with Indian companies to support their growth plans, building on differentiating through exceptional customer experiences, she added.

Zendesk has been operating in India since 2016, working with businesses across industries such as finance, e-commerce, healthcare, retail, and edutech. With its AI-driven CX solutions, the company sees significant potential in India. According to Zendesk, 89% of industry leaders in India expect customer experience (CX) to change dramatically in the next three years.

Zendesk launched its global venture fund for artificial intelligence (AI)-first companies, in June. Called Zendesk Ventures, the fund aims at providing capital, CX and AI expertise, and strategic partnership opportunities to emerging companies. 

“With the Make AI in India initiative by the Union government, the AI startup ecosystem is booming in India. Unique value propositions and immense growth potential make AI startups a great investment in India," said Munnaluri, the then RVP, Zendesk India.