OpenAI is making a clear move.
It wants more enterprise customers, and it wants them fast.
As competition heats up, the company has reorganized part of its leadership and brought back a familiar name to lead its push into selling AI to businesses.
A Familiar Face Takes Charge of Enterprise Sales
According to The Information, OpenAI has appointed Barret Zoph to lead its enterprise efforts.
Zoph returned to OpenAI last week after a short stint at Thinking Machine Labs, the AI startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. He had served there as co-founder and CTO since October 2024.
Why did he leave?
That part is still unclear. Reports suggest a mix of quiet exits, possible firings, or even a planned return all along. OpenAI hasn’t commented.
From Research to Revenue
This role marks a big shift for Zoph.
Before leaving, he was OpenAI’s vice president of post-training inference, a deeply technical position.
Now, he’s stepping into a business-focused role. His job is simple to describe, but hard to execute: help OpenAI sell more AI to large companies.
That task matters because OpenAI is losing ground.
OpenAI Moved Early but Rivals Caught Up
OpenAI launched ChatGPT Enterprise in 2023, well ahead of many rivals. The company says it now has over 5 million business users, including big names like SoftBank, Target, and Lowe’s.
On paper, that sounds strong.
In reality, the market is shifting.
Enterprise AI Market Share Snapshot
| Company | Enterprise LLM Market Share |
|---|---|
| Anthropic | 40% |
| Google (Gemini) | 21% |
| OpenAI | 27% |
Source: Menlo Ventures (December report)
OpenAI’s share has dropped sharply – from about 50% in 2023 to 27% by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, Anthropic continues to grow, and Google is holding steady with Gemini.
Why Enterprises Are a Different Game
Selling AI to businesses isn’t like selling to consumers.
Companies care about:
- Security
- Reliability
- Long-term pricing
- Integration with existing tools
A flashy demo isn’t enough. Enterprises want guarantees.
That’s where OpenAI has faced pressure, especially as competitors position themselves as more stable or more focused on business needs.
Leadership Knows This Is a Problem
This slowdown hasn’t gone unnoticed internally.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly warned in a memo that Google’s enterprise growth was starting to encroach on OpenAI’s position.
More recently, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar wrote that enterprise growth will be a top priority in 2026.
Zoph’s appointment fits neatly into that plan.
Partnerships as a Shortcut to Scale
OpenAI is also leaning on partnerships.
The company recently expanded a multi-year deal with ServiceNow, giving ServiceNow customers direct access to OpenAI’s models.
For OpenAI, this approach makes sense. Instead of convincing each company one by one, it plugs into platforms businesses already trust.
The Bigger Picture
This leadership change sends a clear signal. OpenAI knows consumer buzz isn’t enough anymore.
If it wants to stay competitive, it must:
- Win back enterprise trust
- Slow down market share losses
- Prove it can serve businesses at scale
2026 is shaping up to be a turning point. And Barret Zoph now sits at the center of that bet.
Whether OpenAI can regain momentum, or whether rivals keep pulling ahead, will depend on what happens next.
