Denise Dresser, the newly appointed CEO of Slack, has quickly become a key figure in steering the company through its most critical phase yet. Known for her sharp business insight and ability to lead transformative changes, Dresser’s approach at Slack reflects her deep understanding of the complexities that come with integrating a company into a larger ecosystem like Salesforce. She emphasizes the importance of balancing Slack’s identity as a standalone brand while aligning it closely with Salesforce’s broader objectives. Her ability to ask the right questions and maintain an organized, methodical approach has allowed her to build on the foundation laid by her predecessors while imprinting her unique style on the company’s direction.
Before stepping into her role at Slack, Dresser had a long and successful career at Salesforce, where she served as President of Accelerated Industries Sales. Her leadership there was marked by a strong focus on strategic accounts and cloud solutions, driving significant growth and innovation. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she studied accounting, Dresser’s journey has been shaped by her experience at major tech companies like Oracle and Salesforce. Her commitment to mentoring future women leaders and her involvement as an executive sponsor for ALSForce reflect her dedication to not just business success but also social impact.
One of the major challenges Dresser faces is the integration of generative AI into Slack and its competition with Microsoft Teams. While the task of incorporating AI into Slack’s communication platform is formidable, Dresser views it as a natural fit that can unlock new potential for users. She believes that merging the unstructured data from Slack with Salesforce’s structured customer data could create a powerful platform for the future. Despite the hurdles, including the departure of Slack’s Co-Founder and CTO, Cal Henderson, Dresser remains focused on fostering human connections and leveraging Slack’s strengths in interoperability and ease of use to ensure the company’s continued growth and relevance within the Salesforce ecosystem.