OpenAI has poached one of enterprise software’s most seasoned executives.
Slack CEO Denise Dresser will join the AI company to run its fast-growing enterprise unit. Her hire comes as OpenAI seeks to turn its runaway product ChatGPT into a reliable business, the company announced on Tuesday.
Dresser starts next week and will report to COO Brad Lightcap, OpenAI confirmed to ADWEEK.
OpenAI’s hire happens as the company enters its most financially turbulent stretch yet. The startup generated roughly $4.3 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025, up 16% from all of 2024. However, OpenAI burned $2.5 billion over the same period, largely from model development and the soaring cost of running ChatGPT, The Information reported in September.
The spending is steepening. OpenAI is forecasting $74 billion in operating losses next year, nearly 75% of its projected revenue. OpenAI is expected to burn money at a rate more than 14 times that of rival Anthropic, per The Wall Street Journal.
In November, CEO Sam Altman disclosed that OpenAI is on the hook for up to $1.4 trillion in commitments over eight years, prompting some investors and industry observers to question whether its business model can keep pace with its ambitions.
Diversified revenue
OpenAI executives have been signaling plans to diversify revenue beyond enterprise licensing, with early discussions around ads, tiered subscriptions, and more structured commercial packages.
“We’re on a path to put AI tools into the hands of millions of workers, across every industry,” Fidji Simo, CEO of applications at OpenAI, said in the blog post. “Denise has led that kind of shift before, and her experience will help us make AI useful, reliable, and accessible for businesses everywhere.”
