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OpenAI Remained Without Communications Chief Since January

The company has operated with a vacant communications leadership role for nine months while navigating executive shifts.

Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Isometric editorial illustration of a clean, minimalist boardroom table model with a single chair, representing institutional vacancy and search.
OpenAI has operated without a chief communications officer since January 2026, as the firm continues an executive search facilitated by Daversa Partners. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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OpenAI has operated without a chief communications officer since Hannah Wong stepped down in January 2026. The firm recently retained Daversa Partners to assist with the executive search after a candidate decline earlier this spring.

Why it matters

The prolonged vacancy reflects the challenges OpenAI faces in stabilizing its leadership team as it navigates growth and considers an IPO. Recruiting for this role is critical to how the firm manages its messaging during a period of shifting public sentiment toward AI.

The firm has functioned without a chief communications officer for 9 months and has kept the chief marketing officer position vacant since April 2026.

The players

OpenAI

An artificial intelligence research and deployment company currently evaluating structural changes and a potential IPO.

Daversa Partners

An executive search firm retained by OpenAI to identify candidates for the vacant communications leadership position.

Hannah Wong

The former chief communications officer who stepped down from her role at OpenAI in January 2026.

Jill Hazelbaker

A communications executive who declined an offer to join OpenAI as the chief communications officer in the spring of 2026.

The details

OpenAI is currently evaluating various organizational reporting structures for the role, including whether the officer should report directly to the president or the chief marketing officer. The recruitment process is being facilitated by executive search firm Daversa Partners, with the company prioritizing a deliberate selection over an expedited hire.

Timeline

  1. January 2026: Hannah Wong stepped down as chief communications officer.

  2. Spring 2026: Jill Hazelbaker declined the offered communications role.

  3. April 2026: The chief marketing officer position became vacant.

  4. August 2026: A Pew survey measured American sentiment toward AI.

The Tech Race

The search for leadership follows a downward trend in public sentiment, with only 8% of Americans now expressing excitement about AI compared to 18% in 2021. This executive search coincides with the company's broader strategic evaluation as it considers an IPO.

The leadership vacancy does not currently affect existing product access or user workflows. The shift in organizational hierarchy, however, may eventually change how the company communicates technical releases and policy updates to its user base.

The takeaway

OpenAI continues its search for a communications head to navigate a period of cooling public sentiment toward AI. Observers should track any future executive appointments for indicators of the company's evolving approach to IPO readiness.

Further reading

For more on the industry's evolution, explore our coverage of Artificial Intelligence.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Fortune.

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Should large technology companies prioritize public communication as a core business function?