Anthropic hires Orange’s AI chief to lead Europe push

Anthropic has recruited Steve Jarrett, the outgoing chief AI officer of Orange ↗ 1.42%, to spearhead its expansion across European and African markets, according to a report published Wednesday by Reuters. Jarrett will be based in Paris and begin his role on August 25.boursorama

A Veteran AI Leader Moves to the Frontier

Jarrett spent more than six years at Orange, where he led the telecom giant's data and AI department and helped shape its "AI at Scale" strategy. Under his watch, Orange set a target of generating more than €600 million in value from AI by 2028. His career also includes stints at Apple, Facebook, and General Magic.telecomtv+1

Orange announced on Tuesday that Usman Javaid, currently chief product and marketing officer at Orange Business, will succeed Jarrett as chief AI officer starting September 1. The company credited Jarrett with helping "structure the group's AI approach, establish strong technological foundations and position Orange among the most recognised players in the field of AI".mobileworldlive+1

Anthropic's Broader European Ambitions

The hire fits into a larger pattern of international expansion for Anthropic. In late May, the company opened its sixth European office in Milan, and in September 2025 it announced plans to triple its international workforce. The company has also been recruiting for data center capacity roles in London as it seeks infrastructure across the continent.reuters+3

Anthropic confidentially filed for an IPO on June 1, with Bloomberg reporting earlier this year that the company is targeting a listing as early as October 2026. The combination of aggressive European hiring and IPO preparations suggests Anthropic is positioning itself as a global competitor to rivals like OpenAI, which is also pursuing a public offering.thehill+2

Jarrett's appointment brings deep telecommunications and enterprise AI expertise to a company that has largely grown through direct-to-developer and consumer channels. His experience navigating regulated European markets and African operations at Orange — which serves customers across dozens of countries on both continents — could prove valuable as Anthropic seeks large enterprise contracts outside the United States.