OpenAI's churn: Zoph exits enterprise sales after 5 months
barret zoph departed openai's enterprise sales unit just five months after rejoining. the rapid turnover signals instability in openai's revenue-critical enterprise division.
barret zoph has departed openai again after a brief five-month tenure leading the enterprise ai sales division, a core focus for the company's planned ipo. zoph had previously left openai in 2024 to co-found thinking machines lab with former cto mira murati but returned in january 2026 after abruptly leaving the startup following reports of misconduct. his exit from the critical enterprise group raises questions about openai's ability to stabilize its leadership team amid intense competition. the departure comes during a volatile period where several key executives have cycled in and out of the company.