What happened
OpenAI announced in mid-August that Dali Rajic, the president and COO at Google-owned cybersecurity company Wiz, will replace Denise Dresser as chief revenue officer. Dresser held the role for less than a year.
Why it matters
OpenAI now earns more revenue from enterprises than consumers, a milestone it hit earlier than planned. Rajic's cybersecurity background is key, as OpenAI is pitching businesses on using its models to prevent hacks and breaches through its flagship program Daybreak.
What to watch
Rajic starts this week and will travel frequently to clients, possibly living in San Francisco part time. OpenAI is working aggressively to capture market share from Anthropic, which is reportedly planning an IPO as soon as September.
Summaries like this, in your inbox every morning.
Dali Rajic's appointment as OpenAI's chief revenue officer marks a strategic shift toward enterprise sales as the company prepares for a potential IPO. Rajic's track record includes leading sales at AppDynamics, which was acquired by Cisco for $3.7 billion, and serving as CRO at Zscaler and Wiz. His cybersecurity expertise aligns with OpenAI's efforts to grow revenue in that area through its Daybreak program.
Rajic replaces Denise Dresser, who held the role for less than a year, part of a series of leadership changes at OpenAI. The company acknowledges the high turnover, attributing it to rapid growth. Meanwhile, OpenAI faces competition from Anthropic, which is reportedly planning an IPO as soon as September, potentially beating OpenAI to the public markets.
Rajic's sales philosophy, based on the MEDDPICC framework and a focus on predictable revenue, is expected to appeal to investors ahead of OpenAI's IPO. However, the question remains whether he will stay long-term, given his intense style and the demanding environment at OpenAI.
Pick your industry and the AI tools you use, and get news related to your work every day.
Free · 30 seconds with Google · unsubscribe anytimeWhat is AIToday? →
Ask AI anything about this article. The AI reads this article, earlier AIToday articles, and Wikipedia, and cites its sources. Q&As are published on this page for other readers too.
In Q2, billionaires or their funds sold six 'Magnificent Seven' AI stocks
Nvidia was rising early Friday, even as the wider chip sector kept falling, Barron's reported
ElevenLabs completed a $300 million employee tender at a $22 billion valuation, and co-founder Mati Staniszews…
On October 15, OpenAI announced the Rosalind Academic Plan, giving approved US university labs free access to…
Neostellar Capital principal Evan Schlossman said CoreWeave's $103.7 billion in remaining performance obligati…
Supermicro Computer appointed Mark Long as chief financial officer, bringing an experienced technology finance…
