OpenAI has appointed Ismail Elmas as the new vice president of sales for the EMEA region. The announcement was made on October 8, 2026, and Elmas will be based in Munich, where he will oversee the company's regional sales team.
Elmas previously served as senior vice president at the AI startup Cursor. Cursor was acquired by SpaceX for $60 billion in a deal that concluded on August 14, 2026. Prior to Cursor, Elmas held leadership roles at Zscaler and Rubrik.
This appointment marks the second executive hire from Elon Musk’s corporate orbit in recent weeks. In September 2026, Brian McCarthy joined OpenAI from SpaceX. The company is currently focused on expanding its European operations.
OpenAI is navigating regulatory scrutiny and concerns regarding data residency among European enterprise customers. The company is exploring new revenue streams and is reportedly targeting an initial public offering in 2027.
