Jack Madrid steps down as IBPAP chief to join speech AI firm Sanas

Jack Madrid is stepping down as president and CEO of the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) to join speech artificial intelligence company Sanas, as the US-based firm expands its operations and commercial presence in the Philippines.

Madrid will leave IBPAP and take up the role of Sanas Ambassador for the Philippines effective Oct. 11. Sanas is also appointing Christopher Venturina as director of business development for the Philippines.

Madrid's departure follows a period of significant growth for the Philippine IT-BPM industry. During his tenure, the sector surpassed $40 billion in annual revenues and expanded its workforce to about 1.9 million.

At Sanas, Madrid is expected to focus on the intersection of the Philippines' large outsourcing industry and the growing adoption of AI in customer service and business processes.

“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,” Madrid said.

“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. That is what makes this opportunity with Sanas particularly exciting to me.”

Madrid brings more than two decades of experience across banking, technology, digital commerce and media. Before joining IBPAP, he held senior roles at Citibank, Dell Technologies, Yahoo Philippines, MTV Philippines, Ayala Corporation and Multiply.com.

His move comes as the Philippine outsourcing sector faces growing questions over how generative and conversational AI will reshape jobs, customer service and business models.

Sanas develops real-time speech AI technology for enterprise communications, including speech enhancement, accent transformation and language understanding. The company said it works with more than 200 enterprises globally and processes millions of live voice interactions each day.

Sanas co-founder and CEO Sharath Keshava Narayana said the company views AI as a technology that can augment workers rather than reduce the importance of Filipino talent.

“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,” Narayana said.

“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.”

Venturina will oversee Sanas' relationships with enterprise customers, BPO companies and technology partners in the Philippines and the wider 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.”

Madrid's transition from the country's leading IT-BPM industry association to an AI company comes as businesses and policymakers increasingly focus on how technology can raise productivity and complement human skills rather than simply replace roles.