Marill previously led financial services and automotive industry at Facebook and Instagram.

OpenAI has hired Airbnb’s former European lead Emmanuel Marill as its first EMEA managing director, as the company continues to expand globally with an initial public offering in sight.

Marill, who led Airbnb’s EMEA, Australia and New Zealand operations for a number of years, also previously worked with Meta as their financial services and automotive industry lead for Facebook and Instagram.

Marill’s appointment reflects a “strong momentum in EMEA”, OpenAI said. He will be based in Paris and report to chief strategy officer Jason Kwon. He will also collaborate with OpenAI’s EU headquarters in Dublin, which currently has around 80 employees.

“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.

Marill added: “There’s real momentum across EMEA, with many countries here leading globally in adoption of AI.”

OpenAI has had a tougher time in Europe than in the US. The company faces increasing regulatory pressures from EU officials, as well as resistance from businesses over digital sovereignty.

Though the company says that weekly active ChatGPT users in the EMEA region have grown 70pc since last year, with Germany, France, UK and Spain among its top markets for ChatGPT and Codex.

In its home turf in the US, OpenAI faces an even bigger challenge from the likes of Anthropic, which is fast encroaching on the company’s clientele.

Anthropic appointed long-term technology executive Pip White as the head of its UK, Ireland, Northern Europe and Israeli operations last November.

OpenAI reportedly plans to double its headcount by the end of the year. Late last year, Bloomberg reported that OpenAI and its rival Anthropic were both looking to expand their office footprints in their Dublin headquarters.

Meanwhile, OpenAI also announced its first permanent London office next year with a capacity of more than 500. The announcement came despite an “indefinite hold” in the company’s plans for a Stargate UK over energy costs and regulatory burden.

Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.