OpenAI has appointed Emmanuel Marill as its first Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), marking a significant step in the company’s international expansion strategy.
Marill, who previously held a similar regional leadership role at Airbnb, will be based in Paris and report directly to OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon, according to a statement reported by Bloomberg.
OpenAI said the appointment reflects its growing global demand for products such as ChatGPT and Codex, and its commitment to strengthening international leadership.
“As demand for ChatGPT and Codex continues to grow rapidly all over the world, we are investing significantly in our international leadership and operations,” Kwon said.
However, the company’s expansion comes amid increasing scrutiny in Europe over dependence on U.S.-based artificial intelligence providers. Policymakers have raised concerns about digital sovereignty, prompting interest in regional competitors such as Mistral AI.
OpenAI’s European strategy is also being shaped by infrastructure and regulatory challenges. The company recently paused its Stargate data centre project in the United Kingdom due to regulatory and energy cost concerns.
In a related development, Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI, agreed to lease data centre capacity in Norway that had originally been earmarked for the project.
Despite this, OpenAI says it continues to explore additional computing partnerships across Europe and the region.
Marill’s role will also extend to the Middle East, where OpenAI has expanded partnerships, including a major collaboration with G42 in the United Arab Emirates focused on large-scale data infrastructure.
The company has been growing its enterprise and government footprint across EMEA, signing partnerships in sectors such as banking, pharmaceuticals and media, as well as collaborations with governments in countries including Germany, Greece and Ireland.
OpenAI has also announced plans to expand its workforce in London as part of its broader regional growth strategy.
Commercial adoption in the region appears to be accelerating, with the company reporting a sevenfold year-on-year increase in business subscriptions across EMEA as of February. Globally, OpenAI’s annualised revenue surpassed $20 billion last year, according to its Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar.
The appointment of Marill underscores OpenAI’s push to deepen its presence in strategically important markets while navigating regulatory, geopolitical and competitive pressures shaping the global AI landscape.
