OpenAI is facing another high-profile leadership change, with Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser leaving the artificial intelligence company after just eight months in the role. Her exit comes at a crucial stage for OpenAI, as the ChatGPT maker expands its enterprise business, reorganises its leadership team and prepares for a potential initial public offering (IPO).
OpenAI said Dresser is stepping down to pursue other opportunities. She will remain involved during the transition and work with the business team to ensure continuity for customers. Dali Rajic, who previously served as president and chief operating officer of cybersecurity company Wiz, will take over as chief revenue officer.
Dresser joined OpenAI in December 2025 after more than a decade at Salesforce. Her relatively short tenure makes the departure notable, particularly because the chief revenue officer is responsible for driving one of the company’s most important priorities: turning the growing demand for generative AI into sustained commercial revenue.
The change also comes only days after another major executive departure. Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s longtime chief operating officer and a key figure in the company’s business operations, announced his departure earlier this week. The succession of exits has put OpenAI’s leadership structure under renewed scrutiny as the company moves into a more commercially focused phase.
Dali Rajic takes over revenue role
Rajic arrives with experience in scaling enterprise technology businesses. Before joining OpenAI, he was president and COO of Wiz, the cybersecurity company that Google acquired for $32 billion this year.
OpenAI said Rajic will lead its global revenue organisation at a time when businesses are increasingly adopting AI tools across workplaces. The company expects him to help build a more repeatable sales and distribution system as AI becomes part of everyday business operations.
OpenAI President and co-founder Greg Brockman said Dresser had helped develop the revenue organisation during an important period for the company. He said Rajic would now focus on turning those lessons into a more scalable business operation.
The appointment reflects the growing importance of enterprise AI for OpenAI. While ChatGPT remains the company’s best-known product, OpenAI is increasingly competing for corporate customers that want AI systems for coding, customer service, research, productivity and other workplace functions.
That market is becoming more competitive. Anthropic has expanded rapidly in enterprise AI, putting additional pressure on OpenAI to convert its technological lead into long-term commercial relationships.
More than one executive exit
Dresser’s departure is not an isolated change at OpenAI. The company has seen a series of senior executives leave or shift responsibilities in recent months.
Lightcap, who had been one of CEO Sam Altman‘s closest senior executives, is leaving after years at OpenAI. His departure follows changes involving other senior leaders, including Fidji Simo, the former CEO of OpenAI’s applications business, as well as executives overseeing product, marketing and other functions.
The turnover has created a significant leadership reshuffle at a company that is simultaneously trying to increase revenue, develop increasingly powerful AI models and manage growing scrutiny around AI safety.
OpenAI has presented the changes as part of a broader organisational refresh rather than evidence of a crisis. Recent reporting suggests that co-founder Greg Brockman is taking a more active role in operations, particularly around customers and enterprise growth.
The timing, however, has attracted attention because OpenAI is preparing for a possible public listing.
IPO preparations add pressure
OpenAI has reportedly been moving closer to an IPO after years of operating as a private AI company. The company confidentially filed a draft registration statement with US regulators in June, according to reports, although the timing of any public offering remains uncertain.
An IPO would mark a major transformation for OpenAI. The company has grown from a research-focused organisation into one of the world’s most valuable AI businesses, with ChatGPT becoming a widely used consumer and enterprise product.
That growth has also brought much higher financial expectations. Recent reports have put OpenAI’s annualised revenue run rate above $40 billion, roughly double the level reported at the end of 2025. The company has been expanding revenue through ChatGPT subscriptions, enterprise services, coding products and other AI offerings.
For investors, that makes the stability of OpenAI’s leadership particularly important. A chief revenue officer leaving after eight months, followed closely by the departure of another senior executive, inevitably raises questions about the company’s organisational direction even if the changes are part of a planned restructuring.
Commercial growth takes centre stage
OpenAI’s latest leadership changes also show how quickly the AI industry is evolving. As the technology moves from experimentation into mainstream business use, companies such as OpenAI need executives who can build large-scale sales organisations and convert AI adoption into predictable revenue.
Rajic’s background at Wiz could be particularly relevant as OpenAI expands its enterprise operations. Cybersecurity companies typically work with large organisations and complex sales cycles, giving Rajic experience in selling technology to corporate customers.
OpenAI is also expanding partnerships and strengthening its go-to-market organisation. The company said it has formed a strategic partnership with Chad Peets and RPT Partners to support the development of its sales organisation.