SAN FRANCISCO — In a major move into the commercial space, OpenAI has hired Samantha Jacobson as its new Vice President of Partnerships (Monetization). Jacobson joins the AI giant from The Trade Desk, where she served as Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President of Strategy.
Strategic Role at OpenAI
At OpenAI, Jacobson will report to Torben Severson, VP and Head of Global Business Development. Her remit is critical to the company’s evolving revenue strategy, including:
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Leading Monetization Partnerships: Shaping how OpenAI integrates with advertising and distribution platforms.
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Infrastructure & Business Models: Managing relationships across platform infrastructure and developing emerging business models for AI integration.
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Advertising Synergy: Leveraging her deep ad-tech background to explore how generative AI can interface with the global marketing ecosystem.
Continuity at The Trade Desk
While stepping down from her executive role at The Trade Desk to join OpenAI later this month, Jacobson will continue to serve on The Trade Desk’s Board of Directors. This rare arrangement highlights her ongoing influence within the ad-tech industry while she helps lead OpenAI’s commercial expansion.
The Bigger Picture
The hiring of a top-tier ad-tech strategist like Jacobson signals OpenAI’s shift toward more aggressive monetization. As the company transitions from a research-heavy entity to a major commercial platform, Jacobson’s expertise in data, media, and strategy will be instrumental in building sustainable revenue streams beyond consumer subscriptions.
