OpenAI has made the call to bring on a high-growth enterprise technology veteran in Dali Rajic, appointing him as its new Chief Revenue Officer. The move is part of an effort to make the company’s swift AI adoption the foundation of a more substantial and lasting business.
Rajic, who was President and COO of cloud security firm Wiz until 2026, will take the reins at OpenAI on August 13, 2026. He is replacing Denise Dresser, the ex-Slack CEO, who is moving on to other ventures after spending just under a year in the CRO position.
It is an apt time for such a hire. OpenAI is in the midst of broadening its enterprise footprint while contending with stiffer competition for corporate accounts and getting ready for a possible 2027 IPO.
Why OpenAI Chose Dali Rajic
The case for Rajic is clear. He has a long record of scaling enterprise tech. During his tenure at Wiz from 2024 to 2026 he was instrumental in guiding the cybersecurity outfit through its $32 billion sale to Google. Prior to that he was at Zscaler and AppDynamics in similar executive capacities. In each instance his approach has been one and the same: cultivate the sales side, put down roots with customers and make sure a fast-moving product becomes a scalable operation.
Rajic’s Mandate: Turn AI Demand Into Sustainable Revenue
Now his mandate at OpenAI will be to run the global revenue function and see to it that the company’s considerable product demand is converted into something more sustainable. With enterprises no longer content to merely experiment with AI but looking to put it to work in their daily operations, Rajic’s skill set should come in handy. Earning the trust of large corporations is about more than having a good product; it calls for security and a sales team that can handle them.
A Leadership Change at a Critical Time for OpenAI
Rajic arrives as OpenAI undergoes some executive shuffling. Dresser is out after eight months and there have been other changes at the top level in recent times. All the while the company is upping the ante against the likes of Anthropic for enterprise business and eyeing the public markets. The CRO post has never been more critical; OpenAI must prove its growth is of a calibre that will stand up to the scrutiny of being a public entity.
Why Rajic’s Cybersecurity Background Could Matter
There is also the matter of governance. Given the concerns that still dog corporate AI adoption, Rajic’s background in cybersecurity may well be an asset. It is not enough for OpenAI to show there is an appetite for AI anymore; it has to demonstrate it can sell and support it at scale. In a way, hiring Rajic is a wager on commercial discipline. As the next chapter of the AI race unfolds, what wins the day may be as much about revenue and relationships as the underlying technology.
