‘We remain true to our mission’: Salesforce UKI CEO Zahra Bahrololoumi talks up unwavering UK commitments

It’s been a summer of change in the UK, with a new prime minister, cabinet, and an overhaul of the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT).

Regardless of the new leadership and approach to British tech, Salesforce UKI CEO Zahra Bahrololoumi said the company remains committed to its goal of boosting digital skills and helping the UK capitalize on the generative AI boom.

Speaking at Dreamforce 2026, Bahrololoumi told ITPro it’s business as usual for the CRM giant, which is investing heavily in both the UK and Ireland.

Indeed, the company is one of a host of tech giants including IBM, Google, and Microsoft that committed to helping train 10 million Brits in AI by 2030.

“We’re apolitical, and irrespective of government we are still committed to and very active in the skilling of people, contributing to the 10 million by 2030, and of course, we’ve been very proactive with our Future Trailblazers program,” she told ITPro.

“We've trained 15,000 people. We're in schools, we’re in primary and secondary schools, we’re not stopping,” Bahrololoumi added. “We remain true to our mission. We remain active and true to our customers, irrespective of government.”

Bahrololoumi conceded that she thinks the UK needs to be “way more aggressive on skills”, but there's plenty to shout about for the UK and its place in the global tech economy, particularly compared to European competitors.

This isn't the first time Bahrololoumi has talked up the UK's tech credentials. Last year, she told ITPro that the country has “some fabulous conditions” to help it become a global AI leader.

“I think one of the things that we've got to remember is going for us … we don’t have the labor laws that we have in wider Europe,” she told ITPro. “So we have a bit more flexibility and versatility in how we deploy that responsibly and ethically.

Salesforce is all-in on the UK

Speaking to assembled press at Dreamforce, Bahrololoumi said the company is keen to build on long-standing ties with the UK, tech sector a view echoed by Paul O’Sullivan, SVP for Solutions Engineering at Salesforce.

O’Sullivan highlighted recent moves by Salesforce in the UK, including an expansion of its London campus which combined its AI Center with the firm’s headquarters.

That move formed part of a commitment by the firm to invest $6 billion in the UK over the next five years. Crucially, O’Sullivan said the expanded campus will provide a springboard to boost engagement with partners and top tech talent.

“We have seen a tremendous amount of success, and we’ve seen the opportunity to leverage that space, that physical space to inspire, excite and educate not just our customers but young people,” he said.

All told, O’Sullivan revealed that the company has engaged with 900 customers through the space. Since the inception of the AI Center, it’s had more than 15,000 customers come through.

Looking ahead, Bahrololoumi said Salesforce is embarking on a significant hiring spree, will invest heavily in apprenticeship schemes, and plans to double the number of forward deployed engineers (FDEs) to support customers.

“We are hiring, and we're not just hiring in FDEs,” she said. “We're hiring in all aspects of our organization. Actually, we need more talent.”

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