OpenAI appoints Asad Zia to lead public sector partner management across the Americas
OpenAI has appointed Asad Zia as Director of Public Sector Partner Management, Americas, placing him in charge of the company’s U.S. government partner ecosystem across federal civilian, defense, intelligence, and state and local sectors.
Zia confirmed the move in a LinkedIn post, marking a new phase for OpenAI’s public sector strategy as agencies seek secure, compliant ways to deploy AI at scale.
In the role, Zia is responsible for building and managing partnerships intended to support mission-aligned AI adoption, with a focus on governance, security, and compliance across government environments.
Expanding OpenAI’s government partnerships
In his LinkedIn post, Zia said he was “starting a new chapter” at OpenAI and noted his focus on leading public sector partner management across the Americas. Details of the role, outlined in Zia’s LinkedIn profile, note responsibility for managing partnerships across federal civilian, defense, intelligence, and state and local government sectors, with a focus on secure and compliant AI adoption.
The appointment comes as U.S. government agencies increase exploration of AI tools for operations, analysis, and service delivery, while facing growing scrutiny around procurement, data protection, and model governance. OpenAI has increasingly positioned partnerships as a route to scaling adoption within regulated environments.
Background in cloud and federal modernization
Before joining OpenAI, Zia spent nearly four years at Amazon Web Services, where he led public sector partnerships focused on U.S. federal civilian agencies. His work included shaping go-to-market strategies, supporting cloud adoption, and managing partnerships aligned with AWS’s public sector goals.
Earlier roles included leadership positions at Accenture Federal Services, where he worked on large-scale modernization programs for agencies including the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Courts. His experience spans cloud migration, enterprise platforms, and delivery of complex technology programs within government constraints.
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