Elon Musk Podcast Slack’s CEO Heads to OpenAI
14 snips
Dec 10, 2025 The discussion kicks off with Denise Dresser transitioning from Slack to OpenAI as chief revenue officer. She'll lead the enterprise unit, signaling a push for disciplined growth amidst competitive pressure from Google and Gemini. Slack's interim CEO Rob Seaman is introduced as leadership stabilizes. Dresser's experience with AI features at Slack, including meeting summaries, is noted as crucial for her new role. Immediate priorities at OpenAI include securing anchor customers and aligning teams for maximum impact.
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CRO Hire Signals Enterprise Focus
- Denise Dresser will join OpenAI as chief revenue officer to run its enterprise unit and report to COO Brad Lightcap.
- Her Salesforce and Slack enterprise background signals a push for disciplined, scalable revenue and customer delivery.
Use Interim Leaders To Maintain Stability
- Slack appointed chief product officer Rob Seaman as interim CEO to steady roadmap and feature delivery.
- Use interim leadership to buy time for evaluating internal and external permanent candidates.
Slack's Journey Into Salesforce
- Slack rose from a 2009 startup to a 2021 $28B Salesforce acquisition, then integrated into Salesforce operations.
- Founders and early leaders left post-acquisition, highlighting cultural and cadence frictions during integration.