OpenAI’s chief communications officer is leaving the company

Head of Communications at OpenAI Hannah Wong announced internally on Monday that she will leave the company in January, WIRED has learned. In a statement to WIRED, OpenAI spokeswoman Kayla Wood confirmed the departure.

“Hannah has played a critical role in shaping how people understand OpenAI and the work we do,” CEO Sam Altman and CEO Fidji Simo said in a joint statement. “She has an extraordinary ability to articulate complex ideas, and to do so with care and grace. We are extremely grateful for her leadership and partnership over the past five years, and wish her the best.”

Wong joined OpenAI in 2021 when it was a relatively small research lab, and led the company’s communications team as ChatGPT grew into one of the world’s largest consumer products. She was instrumental in leading the company through the PR crisis that marked Altman’s brief firing and rehiring in 2023 — a period the company internally calls a “bright spot.” Wong took over as chief communications officer in August 2024, and has expanded the company’s communications team since then.

In a LinkedIn post shared with WIRED, Wong said that OpenAI’s VP of Communications, Lindsey Held, will lead the company’s communications team until a new chief communications officer is hired. OpenAI’s VP of Marketing, Kate Roche, is leading the search for Wong’s replacement.

“These years have been very intense and formative,” Wong said in a LinkedIn post. “I’m grateful to have helped tell the OpenAI story, introduce ChatGPT and other great products to the world, and share more about the people shaping the path to AGI during an extraordinary moment of growth and momentum.”

Wong says she’s looking forward to spending more time with her husband and children while she figures out the next chapter in her career.