OpenAI taps Ismail Elmas to lead EMEA sales
Elmas will head up the AI giant’s EMEA sales activity as it looks to further expand its presence in the region
OpenAI has announced the appointment of Ismail Elmas as vice president of EMEA sales, as the AI giant looks to continue expanding its footprint in the region.
A seasoned industry leader, Elmas arrives with more than 25 years’ experience in enterprise software and cyber security. He joins OpenAI from SpaceXAI via its acquisition of Cursor, where he held the role of senior vice president for EMEA.
Prior to his spell at Cursor, Elmas served as group vice president of international business at Rubrik, and has previously spent four years at Zscaler, where he led teams across Europe and Asia. Other positions include leadership roles at AppDynamics and BMC Software.
In an announcement, Brian McCarthy, OpenAI’s vice president of worldwide sales, praised Elmas as “an exceptional leader” with expertise in building successful teams and helping companies leverage new technologies to drive value.
“He combines the discipline to deliver results with a clear focus on customers,” he said. “I’m excited to work with him as we grow across EMEA and help more businesses across the region put AI to work.”
Expanding OpenAI’s EMEA footprint
The appointment follows a strong period of expansion for OpenAI in EMEA – a region the company considers one of its largest and most important outside of the US. Over the past year, weekly users of ChatGPT in EMEA grew by more than 40%, while ChatGPT Business Enterprise seats across the region have more than doubled in that time.
The last few years have also seen the business add new offices in Dublin, Paris, Munich, Zurich, Brussels, and Abu Dhabi, following the 2023 opening of its first international office in London.
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OpenAI said it is now looking to further build on that progress, with new offices in Madrid, Berlin, and Stockholm due to open in the coming months and further expansion plans slated for 2027.
Commenting on his appointment, Elmas said OpenAI has transformed how people work and how businesses conduct their operations.
“The combination of frontier technology and products people already know and use creates an enormous opportunity for businesses across EMEA in this era of agentic AI,” he said.
“Realising that opportunity means being close to customers, understanding their challenges and working alongside them. I can’t wait to build on what the team has already achieved as we enter this next chapter.”
Dan is a freelance writer and regular contributor to ChannelPro, covering the latest news stories across the IT, technology, and channel landscapes. Topics regularly cover cloud technologies, cyber security, software and operating system guides, and the latest mergers and acquisitions.
A journalism graduate from Leeds Beckett University, he combines a passion for the written word with a keen interest in the latest technology and its influence in an increasingly connected world.
He started writing for ChannelPro back in 2016, focusing on a mixture of news and technology guides, before becoming a regular contributor to ITPro. Elsewhere, he has previously written news and features across a range of other topics, including sport, music, and general news.
