OpenAI taps ex-Wiz exec Dali Rajic as new chief revenue officer
OpenAI appoints Dali Rajic, former Wiz COO, as new CRO to lead global sales as business customers double to 2 million. Outgoing CRO Denise Dresser departs after handoff. COO Brad Lightcap also exits this week. Company partners with RPT Partners for go-to-market strategy.
*this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only.
OpenAI has appointed Dali Rajic as its new Chief Revenue Officer, tasking him with leading the company’s worldwide sales and revenue efforts. The hiring marks a significant shift in commercial leadership, replacing outgoing CRO Denise Dresser, who will depart after a handoff period during which she will continue to support customers.
Rajic joins OpenAI from Wiz, where he served as president and chief operating officer before Google acquired the cybersecurity firm. His background also includes senior operating roles at Zscaler and AppDynamics. OpenAI framed the appointment as part of its preparation for a new wave of models expected to reshape organizational operations.
Leadership Transition and Context
The change in leadership comes amid broader organizational shifts at the AI firm. Greg Brockman linked the hire to a shift toward a "compute-powered economy," stating that Rajic will turn existing learnings into repeatable execution. Brockman credited Dresser with building the revenue organization and strengthening relationships with large customers during an early stage of enterprise AI adoption.
This is the second c-suite departure at OpenAI this week. Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap announced his exit on Thursday, citing plans to start a new venture. Lightcap will remain with the company for a few weeks to ensure a smooth transition.
Business Growth Metrics
The leadership change occurs as OpenAI reports significant growth in its user base. The company stated that its products now serve more than one billion weekly active users. Crucially for the revenue function, OpenAI said it serves more than two million businesses, a figure that represents double the business count from a year earlier.
| Metric | Current Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly Active Users | >1 billion | Total user base |
| Business Customers | >2 million | Double YoY |
Strategic Partnerships and Hiring
To support this growth, OpenAI announced a strategic partnership with Chad Peets and RPT Partners aimed at assembling a world-class go-to-market group. The company is also deepening its bench in anticipation of potential future public market activity.
Recent hires include:
- Lilian Weng, rehired last month to lead a new research team focused on recursive self-improvement.
- Liz Wamai, brought on in June as head of recruiting after tenure at Netflix.
- Prabhjeet Singh, former Uber India and South Asia President, appointed as managing director for the country.
- Dean Ball, White House artificial intelligence adviser, joined to shape frontier AI policy.
What the Numbers Show
The doubling of OpenAI's business customer base to over two million within a year highlights rapid enterprise adoption. This growth trajectory underscores the strategic importance of the new CRO role, shifting focus from early-stage relationship building to scalable, repeatable revenue execution as the company leverages its billion-user platform for commercial gain.
How might Dali Rajic's background in cybersecurity sales at Wiz influence OpenAI's strategy for selling enterprise AI solutions to risk-averse industries?
What specific metrics or revenue targets will define success for the new CRO in transitioning from early-stage relationship building to scalable, repeatable execution?
Could the simultaneous departures of the CRO and COO signal broader internal restructuring challenges or a shift in strategic priorities ahead of potential public market activity?
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