Samwise High Tech Recruiting Newsletter
Friday, August 14, 2026
OpenAI Replaces Revenue Chief as Executive Turnover Accelerates
OpenAI has replaced Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser with Dali Rajic, formerly president and COO of Wiz before Google acquired the cybersecurity firm for $32 billion in March 2026. Dresser, who joined OpenAI in December 2025 from her role as CEO of Slack, departed after roughly nine months on the job. Greg Brockman announced the appointment via a company blog post. The transition follows COO Brad Lightcap’s August 11 departure to “start something new” and the July exit of AGI deployment CEO Fidji Simo, extending a broad executive shake-up at the company.
Lululemon’s AI Chief Departs After Less Than a Year
Ranju Das, Lululemon’s Chief AI and Technology Officer — the first person to hold that title at the athletic retailer — has departed the company effective August 13, according to a regulatory filing. Das joined Lululemon in September 2025. A Lululemon spokesperson confirmed his departure and said the company is searching for its next technology leader. The exit comes amid broader leadership churn: Chief Strategy Officer Rachel Acheson also recently departed, and incoming CEO Heidi O’Neill is preparing to take over next month. No additional details about the circumstances of his departure were disclosed.
IBM Partners with OpenAI to Retrain Tens of Thousands of Consultants
IBM will train and certify tens of thousands of consultants on OpenAI technologies through a new enterprise partnership, TechCrunch reported August 13. The agreement covers credentials in OpenAI’s Codex, API, cybersecurity, and consultative solutions, with employees primarily retraining rather than being newly hired. IBM will establish a dedicated OpenAI practice within IBM Consulting and create “Forward Deployed Experts” through OpenAI’s Partner Network. The deal includes joint marketing and industry-specific solutions targeting financial services, government, telecom, and retail. The arrangement follows a similar IBM–Anthropic partnership struck less than a year ago.
Sources: TechCrunch
Databricks Closes $5B Round at $190B Valuation; CEO Cites AI Talent Costs
Databricks has raised $5 billion in a new funding round at a $190 billion valuation, led by Coatue and Blackstone with participation from MGX, T. Rowe Price, and Sixth Street Growth. CEO Ali Ghodsi originally targeted $1 billion but received $15 billion in investor interest, settling at $5 billion. The company reported $7 billion in annual recurring revenue growing at 80 percent year over year and said it is cash-flow positive. Ghodsi cited an AI research team of 100 people as a major expense, calling AI research “very expensive.” Proceeds will fund hyperscaler commitments, AI research, and acquisitions.
Sources: TechCrunch, CNBC
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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