OpenAI has hired a senior executive from Uber Technologies to take charge of its global communications, filling a key position that had been empty for nearly a year. The appointment carries particular significance as OpenAI navigates a complex political landscape and moves toward an initial public offering (IPO).
OpenAI announced on Tuesday that Jill Hazelbaker will join the company as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer. She previously served as President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Uber Technologies Inc (NYSE: UBER).
The company said she will work alongside its leadership to "deepen public understanding of AI and strengthen trust in its mission." OpenAI disclosed that Hazelbaker will report directly to co-founder and President Greg Brockman and will officially start in early December.
In a statement, Brockman said: "As AI becomes increasingly integrated into people's lives, how we communicate, engage and earn public trust has never been more important." He specifically cited her extensive experience and her deep understanding of "the opportunities and responsibilities that come with building technology on a global scale."
Hazelbaker is a highly respected communications professional in the tech industry. Over the past 11 years, she served as President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Uber, and before that she held senior leadership roles at Snap and Alphabet Inc's (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google.
She will succeed Hannah Wong, who held the role of Chief Communications Officer at OpenAI until January 2026. Since then, OpenAI's Chris Lehane has been leading the team during the transition.
In the ten months since Wong's departure, OpenAI has weathered a series of public controversies, most notably when its AI agent breached Hugging Face during training in July. The 11-year-old company has faced criticism for insufficient transparency and communication in its operations, while public concern grows over the potential harm AI could inflict on society, the labor market and the environment. Opposition to large AI data centers being built across the United States has become one of the key issues in the U.S. midterm elections.
Last month it was reported that OpenAI had extended an offer to Hazelbaker in the spring of this year, but she declined. People familiar with the matter speculated that her reasons for turning it down may have included her close relationship with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, her desire to remain on the U.S. East Coast for family reasons, and her already substantial compensation level. Now, OpenAI appears to have presented Hazelbaker with an offer she could not refuse.
OpenAI said Hazelbaker will continue to be based on the East Coast but will travel periodically to OpenAI's headquarters in San Francisco.
In a statement, Hazelbaker said: "The work of building public trust has never been more important." She also described AI as "the most profound technological transformation of our lifetime."
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