Databricks appoints Simon Davies as Head of Asia Pacific & Japan

Databricks has named Simon Davies as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ), signaling a renewed push to scale its presence in one of its fastest-growing regions.

The company reported more than 85% year-on-year growth in APJ in the fourth quarter, underscoring strong enterprise demand for data and artificial intelligence capabilities. 

As part of its regional expansion, Databricks now employs over 1,500 people across APJ and is set to move into a new 32,000-square-foot headquarters in Singapore later this year, significantly expanding its footprint.

The appointment comes as organisations across Asia Pacific accelerate AI adoption across sectors such as financial services, telecommunications, and the public sector. New regional customers include Singapore Customs, Samsung Life Insurance, and Singtel, joining existing clients such as Atlassian, LG Electronics, National Australia Bank, and Toyota.

Based in Singapore, Davies will oversee strategy, operations, and growth across key markets including ASEAN, India, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, and Greater China. He brings more than three decades of experience in enterprise technology and cloud services, having held senior roles at SAP, Splunk, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Oracle. Most recently, he served as Regional President for Asia Pacific at SAP, where he led strategy and operations across the region.

“Simon brings not only deep regional and industry expertise but also an exceptional track record of building high-performing teams,” said Ron Gabrisko, Chief Revenue Officer at Databricks, adding that his leadership will be key to unlocking the next phase of growth in APJ.

Davies said the region presents a significant opportunity as organisations move from AI experimentation to scaled deployment. “This is one of the most digitally advanced and AI-ready regions in the world,” he noted, highlighting Databricks’ ability to help enterprises unify data and translate AI investments into tangible business outcomes.