OpenAI Names Model Training Lead Barret Zoph to Head Enterprise Sales

Barret Zoph, who oversaw training for GPT-4 and o1, has returned to OpenAI as head of enterprise AI sales, according to The Verge on June 19, 2026. Zoph and co-founder Luke Metz departed in September 2024 to start Thinking Machines Lab before rejoining OpenAI. The appointment puts a deep-credentialed researcher into a typically revenue-focused role, reflecting OpenAI's strategy of embedding technical expertise in customer-facing leadership as enterprise deals grow more technically complex.