OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence firm, has announced the appointment of Sarah Friar as its first Chief Financial Officer, effective June 10, 2024. Friar, known for her previous roles as CEO of Nextdoor and CFO of Square, brings extensive financial expertise from her tenure at Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and Salesforce. Her appointment underscores OpenAI’s strategic move to bolster its leadership team amidst a period of growth and operational scaling. Alongside Friar, Kevin Weil, who has held prominent roles at Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, joins as Chief Product Officer, further enhancing OpenAI’s executive lineup.
The new hires come after a number of notable shifts at OpenAI, including the resignation of co-founder and chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, in May 2024 and his replacement by former business R&D head, Jakub Pachocki. These shifts reflect the efforts of OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, to restructure leadership and propel the company forward after internal management challenges, including Altman's temporary removal and subsequent reinstatement orchestrated in part by Sutskever. As OpenAI continues to advance its AI research and development, the addition of Friar and Weil aims to strengthen operational capabilities and strategic direction, positioning the firm for continued innovation in artificial intelligence technologies.
