OpenAI has appointed Fidji Simo, the former CEO of Instacart and former vice president of product at Meta Facebook, as the CEO of its applications, restructuring its management system. CEO Altman is reported to have delegated overall control of the app business to Simo and will focus on research and long-term strategy. This appointment has been analyzed as related to OpenAI’s preparation for an initial public offering (IPO).
On the 14th (local time), according to foreign media, Simo, the CEO, will oversee the profitability and operations of the application business, including the ChatGPT app, and will directly receive reports from key executives such as OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Chief Product Officer (CPO). At the same time, Simo will also serve as a bridge connecting the executives and CEO Altman.
CEO Altman stated on his blog, “Simo will join as the CEO of applications and will receive direct reports from key institutional sectors,” adding, “I will maintain my position as CEO but will focus more on core technology areas such as research, computing, and infrastructure.” The industry reports that he is interested in future projects, such as space business, like Musk.
CEO Simo, originally from France, graduated from HEC Paris Business School and started her career at eBay in 2007, overseeing app, game, and revenue strategies at Meta for a decade. She has been part of the OpenAI board since March 2023. During her time as CEO of Instacart, she successfully led the IPO in 2023.