5 Big OpenAI Partner Executive Hires From AWS And Google Cloud
CRN breaks down five huge partner-focused executives OpenAI has hired over the past several months from Google Cloud and AWS—from presidents to partner program leaders.
OpenAI is striving to expand its channel ecosystem and partner go-to-market by hiring some of the biggest channel executives from AWS and Google Cloud.
The AI superstar has hired Google Cloud executives who led the Google Cloud Partner Network and global partner development, while OpenAI has also nabbed AWS executives who led partner sales.
Justin Copie, CEO of solution provider Innovative Solutions, says OpenAI is making waves in the channel in 2026 with the hiring of top talent while seeking partners to get skilled on OpenAI technology tied to cloud providers.
Copie said OpenAI benefits from having partner executives with deep experience at cloud leaders such as AWS and Google Cloud, enabling them to quickly navigate the channel ecosystem. “We’re going to be building this OpenAI partnership with confidence,” Copie said.
CRN breaks down five of the biggest executives that OpenAI has hired over the past several months who are now leading the OpenAI Partner Network and global partner expansion.
Philip Larson
Former Position: Google Cloud, Managing Director, Google Cloud Partner Network
New OpenAI Position: Senior Director, OpenAI Partner Network
Arguably the biggest OpenAI hiring on the channel front over the past few months was Larson.
Larson is a highly seasoned partner program veteran who has shaped some of the tech world’s largest programs, including those at VMware, Snowflake and Google Cloud.
Before joining OpenAI, Larson was managing director of the Google Cloud Partner Network. He was instrumental in the creation and launch of Google Cloud’s partner program that went live earlier this year.
Larson is now tasked with leading OpenAI’s Partner Network (OPN) and is responsible for the strategy, design, launch and global operations.
“The OPN is built around a simple principle: Partner programs should accelerate customer outcomes,” he said on LinkedIn recently. “OPN brings together a unified partner experience, clear progression and benefits, meaningful incentives and funding, and role-based enablement that takes partners from customer discovery through secure production deployment.
“I’m incredibly proud of the cross-functional team that brought OPN to life,” Larson said. “And excited to work with partners around the world as we build what comes next.”
Brian Kane
Former Position: Google Cloud, Head Of Global Partner Development
New OpenAI Position: Director, Cloud Partnerships
Kane has years of top partnership experience working for Google and AWS.
Kane was most recently head of global partner development management, business agents and platform ecosystem for Google Cloud.
He was tasked with driving worldwide partner development and business agents like Gemini, as well as overseeing a portfolio of technology partners that drove billions in Google Cloud consumption, AI services and Google Cloud Marketplace transactions.
Prior to joining Google Cloud in 2022, Kane was head of global ISV partner management for rival Amazon Web Services for over two years. He helped lead global co-sales with partners and established a co-sell Center of Excellence at AWS.
Kane is now director of cloud partnerships at OpenAI.
Kane recently said on LinkedIn he was “excited to share that my role at OpenAI is leading a team that oversees the go-to-market partnership with Google Cloud. Partnerships are a team sport and I’m excited to work with many other individuals across product, engineering, business development, partner marketing, funding and incentives, operations, finance, legal, and more to bring this partnership to our customers.”
Ignacio Guillen
Former Position: AWS, Senior Leader, Partner Sales, Commercial Accounts
New OpenAI Position: Go-To-Market Partner Director
Guillen has over a decade of top executive experience working for channel superstars like Google Cloud, AWS and Cisco.
He spent over eight years at AWS from 2018 until this year, most recently as senior leader of partner sales for AWS’ commercial accounts.
“At AWS, I helped businesses adopt cloud technology,” Guillen said in a LinkedIn post announcing his hiring in October.
“Over the past few months, I’ve been working with customers to apply AI across their businesses. I’m excited to bring that experience to OpenAI and continue working with customers and partners,” he said.
Guillen is now tasked with leading and directing OpenAI’s go-to-market for partners.
Dali Rajic
Former Position: Google Cloud’s Wiz, President, COO
New OpenAI Position: CRO
OpenAI’s new CRO was the former president and COO of security unicorn startup Wiz, which was acquired by Google for $32 billion this year.
Rajic has over 30 years of executive experience working for Zscaler, AppDynamics and BMC Software.
At Google-owned Wiz, Rajic was critical in building the operating discipline and customer-focused execution behind the fast-growing security company over the past several years.
Prior to Wiz, Rajic served as president and COO of Zscaler from 2019 to 2024. Before Zscaler, Rajic was AppDynamics’ chief customer and revenue officer.
Rajic said one major goal is to scale OpenAI’s business to reach more customers on a worldwide basis.
Jason Adae
Former Position: AWS, Head Of Partner Sales UKI
New OpenAI Position: Director, EMEA Partnerships
It’s key to know that OpenAI is hiring top talent on a global basis, not just in America, as the company seeks to expand its channel and customer base across the world.
This is why the appointment of Adae, AWS’ former partner sales leader for the U.K. and Ireland, is a big hire.
Adae spent the last eight years at AWS working in top EMEA roles including head of partner sales for the United Kingdom and Ireland; as well as AWS’ EMEA technology partner sales leader.
He also worked at Microsoft as a partner development manager for several years.
Adae is now director of partnerships in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for OpenAI.
He recently told CRN that OpenAI is giving channel partners new sales and customer opportunities around OpenAI Codex and ChatGPT Work.
Adae is responsible for building out OpenAI’s EMEA partnerships, including with vendors like AWS, in the enterprise space.