Barret Zoph departs OpenAI for the second time in two years
Barret Zoph has exited his role as head of enterprise AI sales at OpenAI, marking his second departure from the company in less than two years. His exit comes just five months after he rejoined the organization to spearhead its push into corporate markets, a core strategic priority for the firm’s upcoming IPO.
Zoph’s return in mid-January followed a brief tenure as co-founder and CTO of Thinking Machines Lab, an AI startup launched by former OpenAI executive Mira Murati. His time at Murati’s firm ended abruptly in January 2026 after reports surfaced regarding alleged misconduct involving an undisclosed relationship with a colleague. Murati confirmed at the time that the company had parted ways with its CTO.
OpenAI has acknowledged the latest departure, which Zoph announced internally via company Slack channels. His exit arrives as OpenAI attempts to streamline its operations, moving away from experimental side projects to focus on revenue-generating sectors like enterprise software and coding tools. The relationship between the two organizations remains complex; Murati, who briefly served as interim CEO during Sam Altman’s 2023 ouster, previously testified during trial proceedings that she struggled to maintain trust in Altman’s leadership.
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