OpenAI has announced the appointment of Sarah Friar as its first Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Kevin Weil as Chief Product Officer (CPO). These high-profile hires come amid the company's growth into a global organization serving millions of users and businesses, and a series of recent departures from its safety teams.
Friar, former CEO of Nextdoor and CFO at Square, brings extensive experience in finance and management to support OpenAI's mission by ensuring continued investment in research capabilities and scaling operations to meet the growing customer base and complex global environment.
Weil, who has previously held leadership positions at Planet Labs, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, will lead the product team in applying OpenAI's research to products and services that benefit consumers, developers, and businesses.
really looking forward to working with kevin and sarah! https://t.co/j5kS9g5LFK
— Sam Altman (@sama) June 10, 2024
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman emphasized the importance of these hires in enabling the company to scale operations, set a growth strategy, and ensure teams have the necessary resources to thrive. The appointments come as OpenAI prepares to launch new consumer products and a high-profile partnership with Apple.
Despite recent controversies surrounding employee departures and NDAs, OpenAI maintains strong product momentum with its AI offerings generating excitement across various sectors. The addition of Friar and Weil is expected to help the company balance its numerous product ambitions and compete with rivals, including its largest shareholder, Microsoft.