ChatGPT developer OpenAI showed how serious it is about its enterprise channel program this week with the hire of channel veteran Colleen Kapase as VP of strategic global partnerships and ecosystems.
Kapase announced her new job on Tuesday evening on LinkedIn. She left Google Cloud in March.
“ChatGPT took the world by storm and opened possibilities to inspire humanity to do things differently,” Kapase wrote on LinkedIn. “OpenAI’s footprint quickly expanded to enterprise customers who are already realizing significant outcomes. But this ballgame is in the early innings and OpenAI’s future impact on joint customers will be monumental. Some would say the most impactful technological leap ever experienced.”
Kapase has led channel programs at Google, Snowflake VMware and Citrix. Most recently, she was VP of channel and partner programs at Google Cloud. There, she built Google’s AI ecosystem.
Colleen Kapase
She previously built the global Snowflake Partner Network, led VMware’s deal registration program and developed its GTM strategy for eight product business units, and headed Citrix’s global channel, deal registration, and software subscription programs.
“My professional journey has been building towards this inflection point,” Kapase wrote. “I have been brought up on partner principles for decades. We will continue to listen, we will build quickly, we will work to create meaningful value together across partners and an amazing sales team. This will be an epic journey but by no means can I do this alone.
“You know who you are, you know what this next evolution will mean, you have been building skills, offerings and strategies to lead your customers through this AI journey. The time to build your practice and technology around OpenAI is now. We are here building an epic GTM sales, marketing, operations and partner-machine tailor made and laser focused on AI.”
Channel management at the large AI companies will go a long way towards determining where and how the channel deploys AI solutions. OpenAI and Anthropic are the best-known and best-funded of the AI large language model companies. Anthropic – also seeking a channel leader and building out its channel program – is more enterprise-centric while OpenAI has been largely focused on consumers. Hiring a channel leader with Kapase’s background suggests that is about to change.
“Bringing value to enterprise customers through a vibrant, profitable and strategic ecosystem is my superpower,” Kapase wrote. “But this time I’m thinking differently than ever before. This time we will harness the power of AI to support, inform, train and engage with partners. Together we will sharpen new skills and build value for customers that will produce wonder and true ROI.”
OpenAI is already invested in the MSP market. It has an ownership stake ’s investment in Thrive Holdings, which is one of the owners of MSP portfolio firm Shield Technology Partners.