Editor’s Note (January 2026): This article is preserved for historical purposes. Since its original publication, Denise Dresser transitioned from her role as CEO of Slack in December 2025 to join OpenAI as Chief Revenue Officer. Following her departure, Slack’s Chief Product Officer, Rob Seaman, was named interim CEO.
Executive Profile: Denise Dresser
- Former Role: CEO, Slack (2023–2025)
- Current Role: Chief Revenue Officer, OpenAI (Joined Jan 2026)
- Key Achievement: Led Slack’s “Agentic Work OS” transformation.
- Career Path: 14+ years at Salesforce (President of Accelerated Industries).
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced in late 2023 that Denise Dresser would be the new CEO of Slack. Dresser was a long-time leader at Salesforce with 14 years of experience. Benioff praised her as an “incredible business leader” who truly cares about customers.
A Period of Transition
Dresser took over from Lidiane Jones, who left Slack to become the CEO of Bumble. This was a busy time for Slack leadership:
Since Salesforce acquired Slack for $28 billion in 2021, the leadership role has seen several transitions:
- Stewart Butterfield: Founding CEO (Departed 2022)
- Lidiane Jones: CEO (2022–2023)
- Denise Dresser: CEO (2023–2025)
- Rob Seaman: Interim Lead (2026–Present)
Strategic Evolution and AI Focus
While Dresser was CEO, she helped Slack become more than just a messaging app. She worked to build AI tools directly into Slack, making it a place where “AI agents” can help people get their work done faster.
This era also marked a significant “boomerang” phase for Salesforce, where the company recruited 3,000 individuals—including many former employees—to intensify efforts in AI innovation.
2026 Update: The Move to OpenAI
As of December 2025, Denise Dresser’s chapter at Slack concluded as she was tapped by OpenAI to become their first-ever Chief Revenue Officer. Her move underscores the tightening relationship between enterprise productivity tools and the underlying LLM technologies that power them.
While Slack continues to evolve under the interim leadership of Rob Seaman, Dresser’s legacy remains tied to the successful stabilization of Slack during a period of rapid AI transformation within Salesforce.
