OpenAI appoints Airbnb executive Emmanuel Marill as first EMEA managing director

OpenAI Poaches Airbnb Executive to be First Director for EMEA

OpenAI is pushing to convince businesses to pay for its AI software, and has signed deals with companies and governments across Europe, despite facing resistance from officials and corporate leaders. OpenAI has hired its first managing director to oversee operations in Europe, helping guide its expansion in a key market where there are mounting political concerns about being overly reliant on US artificial intelligence services. Emmanuel Marill will be OpenAI's top executive for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the company said on Wednesday. The French executive joins from Airbnb Inc., where he served in a similar regional role, and will be based in OpenAI's Paris office. "As demand for ChatGPT and Codex continues to grow rapidly all over the world, we are investing significantly in our international leadership and operations," Jason Kwon, OpenAI's Chief Strategy Officer, said in a statement, referring to the company's flagship chatbot and programming tool. Marill will report to Kwon. OpenAI is pushing to convince more businesses in the US and abroad to pay for its AI software, offsetting the immense cost of building new models. In Europe, the company and its US peers are facing resistance from officials and some corporate leaders who argue that adopting American technology undercuts the continent's sovereignty. French startup Mistral AI, which makes some models that compete with OpenAI, pitches itself as a European alternative to US firms. Get the Tech Newsletter bundle. Get the Tech Newsletter bundle. Get the Tech Newsletter bundle. Bloomberg's subscriber-only tech newsletters, and full access to all the articles they feature. Bloomberg's subscriber-only tech newsletters, and full access to all the articles they feature. Bloomberg's subscriber-only tech newsletters, and full access to all the articles they feature. Plus Signed UpPlus Sign UpPlus Sign Up By continuing, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. At the same time, there is some uncertainty about OpenAI's plans to expand its data center footprint in the region. Earlier this month, OpenAI paused its Stargate infrastructure project in the UK, citing regulation and energy costs. Microsoft Corp., a major OpenAI backer, also agreed to rent data center capacity in Norway that was initially set for a Stargate site. OpenAI said it continues to explore a computing agreement there, however. Marill, who previously worked in France for Facebook and Groupon Inc., will also manage OpenAI's trajectory in the Middle East, where the company has bet heavily on the United Arab Emirates. G42, the company's partner in the country on plans for a massive data center, recently said that project is continuing despite the impact of the US war with Iran. The ChatGPT maker has signed deals with companies in banking, pharmaceuticals and media across Europe, as well as with German, Greek and Irish governments. OpenAI also recently announced plans to expand its headcount in London. As of February, OpenAI said it had seen a sevenfold annual increase in business subscriptions across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, but it didn't disclose sales. The company's Chief Financial Officer, Sarah Friar, has said annualized revenue worldwide topped $20 billion last year, Bloomberg News reported.

OpenAI taps Airbnb exec as first EMEA managing director

Marill previously led financial services and automotive industry at Facebook and Instagram. OpenAI has hired Airbnb's former European lead Emmanuel Marill as its first EMEA managing director, as the company continues to expand globally with an initial public offering in sight. Marill, who led Airbnb's EMEA, Australia and New Zealand operations for a number of years, also previously worked with Meta as their financial services and automotive industry lead for Facebook and Instagram. Marill's appointment reflects a "strong momentum in EMEA", OpenAI said. He will be based in Paris and report to chief strategy officer Jason Kwon. He will also collaborate with OpenAI's EU headquarters in Dublin, which currently has around 80 employees. "As demand for ChatGPT and Codex continues to grow rapidly all over the world, we are investing significantly in our international leadership and operations," Kwon said. Marill added: "There's real momentum across EMEA, with many countries here leading globally in adoption of AI." OpenAI has had a tougher time in Europe than in the US. The company faces increasing regulatory pressures from EU officials, as well as resistance from businesses over digital sovereignty. Though the company says that weekly active ChatGPT users in the EMEA region have grown 70pc since last year, with Germany, France, UK and Spain among its top markets for ChatGPT and Codex. In its home turf in the US, OpenAI faces an even bigger challenge from the likes of Anthropic, which is fast encroaching on the company's clientele. Anthropic appointed long-term technology executive Pip White as the head of its UK, Ireland, Northern Europe and Israeli operations last November. OpenAI reportedly plans to double its headcount by the end of the year. Late last year, Bloomberg reported that OpenAI and its rival Anthropic were both looking to expand their office footprints in their Dublin headquarters. Meanwhile, OpenAI also announced its first permanent London office next year with a capacity of more than 500. The announcement came despite an "indefinite hold" in the company's plans for a Stargate UK over energy costs and regulatory burden. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.