OpenAI and Anthropic are actively recruiting marketing specialists from competitors.

In the midst of a rapid AI market boom, it’s almost impossible not to be surprised by “headhunting” among developers of new systems. This happens at all levels—from engineers to top managers—and sometimes leads to headline-grabbing news about record compensation packages. CNBC notes that leading AI startups—OpenAI and Anthropic—are actively recruiting marketing specialists to better sell their products.

Both startups have recently poached several executives from Salesforce, Snowflake, and Datalog to strengthen their positions in the corporate market. A striking example is Denise Dresser’s move from Salesforce to OpenAI as Director of Revenue. At her former company she led the Slack communication platform. In addition, Jennifer Majlessi, who has experience at Salesforce, joined the OpenAI team to promote the company’s solutions. Anthropic is also actively hiring former Salesforce employees.

Having marketing leaders with deep corporate connections allows AI startups to more effectively promote their products and services. While Anthropic initially focused on the business segment, OpenAI only recently intensified its focus there. According to data from January of this year, 40 % of OpenAI’s revenue came from the corporate sector, and by the end of the current year that share should exceed 50 %. In November the company announced more than one million business users worldwide.

Moreover, OpenAI has recently brought in technical specialists from Palantir who are involved in implementing software solutions for clients. Such personnel are critically important for successfully promoting AI solutions in corporate environments.