Smartsheet Expands APAC Leadership Amid AI-Driven Demand Surge…

Event summary

Smartsheet promotes Jarrod Kinchington to VP and GM of APAC, appoints Takeshi Osawa as Japan President.
Company reports 400% business growth in Japan since opening Tokyo office in 2023.
MCP Server AI adoption surged 500% across APAC since March 2026, with 600,000 AI actions executed.
Key sectors driving demand: Technology (70% process automation for EmberPoint), Manufacturing (warehouse migration for Motul), Professional Services (client delivery optimization for Bangkok Bank).
Zalaris reports 67% productivity gains using Smartsheet's AI capabilities across 34 countries.

The big picture

Smartsheet's leadership expansion reflects the growing strategic importance of APAC in its global AI transformation strategy. The region's stringent compliance requirements and fragmented enterprise systems present both challenges and opportunities for Smartsheet's platform approach. With AI adoption accelerating across key industries, the company is positioning itself as the connective tissue for enterprise-wide digital transformation.

What we're watching

Regional Scaling: Whether Smartsheet can sustain its 400% Japan growth rate while expanding leadership teams across APAC.
AI Integration: The pace at which MCP Server adoption will translate into measurable business outcomes for customers.
Competitive Positioning: How Smartsheet differentiates itself in APAC's increasingly crowded work management software market.