March 24 (Reuters) - OpenAI's Chief Operating Officer

Brad Lightcap will oversee global expansion and corporate

partnerships, CEO Sam Altman said on Monday, as the

Microsoft ( MSFT )-backed startup seeks to cement its dominance

in the fast-growing AI industry.

The ChatGPT-maker is partnering with SoftBank Group

and Oracle to establish a network of data centers under

the $500-billion Stargate project, aimed at powering artificial

intelligence workloads.

"Brad will lead our global deployment, focusing on business

strategy, key partnerships, infrastructure, and operational

excellence to maximize the impact of our research," Altman said.

OpenAI has also expanded the role of Chief Research Officer

Mark Chen, who will integrate research and product development,

the startup's co-founder said in a blog post.