OpenAI Communications Chief Exits Company
▼ Summary
– OpenAI’s Chief Communications Officer, Hannah Wong, is leaving the company in January, as confirmed by an internal announcement and a company spokesperson.
– Company leadership praised Wong for her defining role in shaping OpenAI’s public understanding and for bringing clarity to complex ideas over her five-year tenure.
– Wong led communications through major events, including ChatGPT’s rise to a global product and the 2023 leadership crisis surrounding Sam Altman’s temporary ouster.
– Following her departure, VP Lindsey Held will lead the communications team temporarily, while CMO Kate Rouch leads the search for a permanent replacement.
– In her statement, Wong expressed gratitude for her role in telling OpenAI’s story and plans to spend time with family while considering her next career move.
OpenAI’s chief communications officer, Hannah Wong, has announced her departure from the company, marking the exit of a key executive who guided its public messaging through a period of explosive growth and significant internal turbulence. Wong informed colleagues internally on Monday that she will leave in January, a move confirmed by the company. Her tenure spanned the organization’s evolution from a specialized research lab into a global leader in artificial intelligence, largely driven by the unprecedented success of its consumer product, ChatGPT.
In a joint statement, CEO Sam Altman and CEO of applications Fidji Simo praised Wong’s contributions. “Hannah has played a defining role in shaping how people understand OpenAI and the work we do,” they said. They highlighted her skill in bringing clarity to complex technological concepts and noted her leadership over the past five years. Wong joined OpenAI in 2021 and ascended to the chief communications officer role in August of this year, overseeing an expansion of the communications team.
Her time at the company included navigating the intense public relations challenges surrounding Sam Altman’s brief ouster and subsequent reinstatement in late 2023, an episode internally referred to as “the blip.” Wong was widely seen as instrumental in managing the company’s narrative during that volatile period.
In a drafted LinkedIn post, Wong reflected on her intense and formative years with the organization. “I’m grateful I got to help tell OpenAI’s story, introduce ChatGPT and other incredible products to the world, and share more about the people forging the path to AGI during an extraordinary moment of growth and momentum,” she wrote. She indicated that her immediate plans involve spending more time with her family before determining the next step in her professional journey.
For the interim, OpenAI’s vice president of communications, Lindsey Held, will assume leadership of the communications team. The search for a permanent replacement will be led by the company’s chief marketing officer, Kate Rouch. This leadership transition comes as OpenAI continues to operate at the forefront of both technological innovation and the complex public discourse surrounding AI’s future.
(Source: Wired)
