‘After more than two decades building and leading partner ecosystems, I’m excited to share that I’ve joined OpenAI to help shape and scale its global partner ecosystem,’ says Philip Larson, Google Cloud’s now former managing director of its Partner Network.
OpenAI continues to win over Google Cloud’s top partner executives as OpenAI hires Google Cloud’s Partner Network managing director, Philip Larson, who has shaped some of the tech world’s largest partner programs including those at VMware and Snowflake.
Larson is now tasked with leading OpenAI’s newly launched Partner Network as senior director of the OpenAI Partner Network, in charge of everything from channel incentives to partner enablement.
“After more than two decades building and leading partner ecosystems, I’m excited to share that I’ve joined OpenAI to help shape and scale its global partner ecosystem,” said Larson in a LinkedIn post Monday. “I’m energized by the team I’ve joined.”
Larson’s departure from directing Google Cloud’s global partner program comes just a few months after Google Cloud’s global partner program leader, Colleen Kapase, left to join OpenAI.
Kapase is now OpenAI’s channel chief as vice president of strategic global partnerships and ecosystems.
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Both Larson and Kapase were instrumental in the creation and launch of Google Cloud’s new partner program, which went live in January.
Google did not immediately respond for comment on the matter.
OpenAI’s New Director: ‘The Opportunity Is Unparalleled’
In June, OpenAI unveiled its inaugural OpenAI Partner Network backed by $150 million in funding.
“Across VMware, Google Cloud and Snowflake, I’ve seen that the best partner programs are not defined by their complexity,” Larson said on LinkedIn.
“They are defined by the customer outcomes they accelerate—helping partners co-sell, co-deploy, and build differentiated, durable customer solutions around transformational technology,” he said. “That is the work I’m excited to continue at OpenAI—helping partners translate the extraordinary pace of AI innovation into meaningful, measurable impact for customers around the world.”
Larson said he is tasked with leading the strategy, design, launch and global operations of the OpenAI Partner Network with the goal of enabling partners to co-sell, co-deploy and build AI solutions with OpenAI.
He is accountable for partner strategy, partner programs, partner incentives, partner operations and partner enablement—including the partner experience, program structure and tiering, benefits and funding, training, badges and specializations.
Larson could not be reached by press time.
OpenAI’s partner program officially goes live this month.
“The opportunity is now, and the opportunity is unparalleled,” he said.
Larson’s Google, Snowflake And VMware Channel History
Larson was managing director of the Google Cloud Partner Network for over two years, playing a critical role in building and deploying Google’s new Partner Network and partner portal this year.
“This is not just an update; it’s a complete transformation,” Larson told CRN in an interview in January.
Larson told CRN that from recruiting and on-boarding to enablement and training to joint business planning, marketing, demand generation, delivery, co-sell, services, support—everything inside Google Cloud’s new program was “getting revolutionized by AI.”
Prior to Google Cloud, Larson was at Snowflake for nearly five years in the role of senior director of the Snowflake Partner Network.
Larson led the design, rollout and management of the Snowflake Partner Network program and portal.
Before Snowflake, Larson had an 18-month stint at Google Cloud as head of worldwide partner programs and enablement from 2018 to 2019, when the company was just formalizing its channel strategy.
From 2010 until 2018, Larson held top channel program roles at VMware when the virtualization giant had over 80,000 partners globally.
He was responsible for the worldwide partner programs that comprise the VMware Partner Network.
One top executive from a Google Cloud partner told CRN he was saddened by the departure of Larson.
“It’s a loss for Google’s partner community for sure,” said the executive, who wished to not be identified. “Larson was at all the [Google Cloud] events. He was in the spotlight. He did a lot of good things for partners like us and others.”
The executive said he’s becoming more interested in joining OpenAI’s partner program now more than ever as OpenAI invests millions in hiring top-notch channel talent and launching the OpenAI Partner Network.
“We’re looking to see right now what the requirements are needed from us. Still in the early stages with that, but we see that OpenAI understands now that the channel is the way to scale,” he said. “We’ll probably get some training soon and see what the opportunities are.”
The New OpenAI Partner Network
OpenAI’s inaugural partner program is a three-tier program with specializations, such as OpenAI Codex, that opens huge enterprise AI sales opportunities for skilled, AI-focused solution providers, Kapase told CRN last month.
“This is a massive opportunity for any partner out there,” said Kapase.
“I mean, we have 900 million weekly active users of OpenAI technology—900 million weekly—that’s amazing. Partners do not want to miss this opportunity,” she said. “We’re really showing here that we need these partners, we care about them, we’re co-investing with them, and we’re going to do some amazing things together.”
The San Francisco-based AI superstar is investing $150 million up front to support its new partner ecosystem with the goal of training 300,000 certified OpenAI consultants by the end of 2026.
Karapse is a longtime channel champion who led partner programs for some of the biggest channel players in the world, including Google Cloud, Snowflake, Citrix and VMware. Over her 25 years of top channel leadership, she’s formed tight relationships with some of the largest solution providers on the planet.
One thing she wants partners to know is that OpenAI “is for real” when it comes to investing and developing a global ecosystem of systems integrators, AI MSPs, AI consultants and more.
“I’m here for the long haul. I’m here to create a world-class partner experience for these organizations, and I certainly don’t think this is the end of our investment in partners,” she said. “This is just the beginning.”
