According to CNBC, OpenAI announced on Tuesday that it has hired Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its new Chief Revenue Officer. Dresser, who was named CEO of the messaging platform in 2023 after over a decade as a Salesforce executive, will oversee global revenue strategy across customer success and enterprise. Her appointment comes as OpenAI, which kickstarted the generative AI boom with ChatGPT three years ago, has ballooned into one of the world’s fastest-growing companies. Dresser stated she’s looking forward to bringing her experience scaling “category-defining platforms” to OpenAI as it enters a new phase. This move follows Salesforce’s acquisition of Slack for over $27 billion in 2020, giving Dresser deep experience in the exact enterprise ecosystem OpenAI now wants to dominate.
The Enterprise Pivot Is Real
This isn’t just another executive shuffle. It’s a cannonball into the deep end of the enterprise pool. OpenAI’s consumer fame with ChatGPT is one thing, but the real money—the recurring, massive, dependable revenue—is in convincing Fortune 500 companies to rebuild their workflows on your AI. That’s Dresser’s entire career. She helped scale Salesforce, then ran Slack. She knows how to sell software subscriptions to giant corporations better than almost anyone. And let’s be honest, OpenAI needs that expertise. They’ve got the killer tech, but building a global sales machine is a different beast.
Why Now, And What’s The Model?
So why hire a CRO *now*? The timing is pretty clear. The initial wave of developer and consumer hype is stabilizing. The next growth phase is entirely about monetization and deployment at scale. They need to move beyond API credits and ChatGPT Plus subscriptions to massive, multi-year enterprise contracts. Dresser’s background suggests OpenAI is doubling down on a classic enterprise SaaS model: land big clients, expand usage within them, and lock them in with deep integration. Think less “viral chatbot” and more “AI-powered operating system for business.” The beneficiaries here are clearly large organizations looking for a stable, supported AI partner, and investors wanting to see a clearer path to those legendary $100 billion revenue projections.
A Culture Clash In The Making?
Here’s the thing that fascinates me. OpenAI has a culture born from research and audacious product launches. Enterprise sales is a world of relationship-building, long sales cycles, and meticulous customer hand-holding. It’s a different rhythm. Can Dresser import that Salesforce/Slack playbook without stifling the innovative engine? It’s the classic scaling challenge. If she can bridge that gap, it’s a masterstroke. If not, well, let’s just say integrating sales cultures is tricky. But look, the signal is undeniable. OpenAI is done just being the cool lab that built ChatGPT. They’re now a commercial juggernaut, and they’ve hired a general to lead the charge into corporate America’s data centers. The AI arms race just entered its business development phase.
