OpenAI’s Communications Reset as Hannah Wong Prepares to Exit

For technology companies operating at the intersection of scale, scrutiny, and societal impact, communications leadership is no longer a support function; it is core infrastructure. Few companies illustrate this more sharply than OpenAI, where product velocity, public trust, and regulatory attention move in parallel. Against that backdrop, the upcoming departure of OpenAI’s Chief Communications Officer marks a notable transition.

OpenAI’s chief communications officer, Hannah Wong, will leave the company in January, the company confirmed internally on Monday. The exit comes after a five-year run that coincided with OpenAI’s evolution from a research-focused lab into one of the most influential AI companies globally.

“Hannah has played a defining role in shaping how people understand OpenAI and the work we do,” said Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications at OpenAI, in a joint statement. “She has an extraordinary ability to bring clarity to complex ideas, and to do it with care and grace. We’re deeply grateful for her leadership and partnership these last five years, and we wish her the very best.”

From Research Lab to Consumer-Scale AI

Wong joined OpenAI in 2021, well before ChatGPT became a household name. At the time, OpenAI operated largely within technical and research circles. Over the following years, its products moved into mass adoption, placing unprecedented pressure on how the company communicated risk, capability, and intent.

As OpenAI’s communications lead, Wong oversaw messaging during a period when AI systems shifted from experimental tools to widely deployed platforms used by enterprises, developers, and consumers alike. Her role expanded further as the company navigated regulatory debates, enterprise partnerships, and questions around AI governance.

In August 2024, Wong formally stepped into the role of chief communications officer and expanded the communications team as OpenAI’s public footprint continued to grow.

Navigating Crisis and Continuity

Wong was also considered instrumental during one of the most turbulent moments in OpenAI’s recent history, the brief ouster and rehiring of Sam Altman in 2023, an episode the company internally refers to as “the blip”. The period tested OpenAI’s internal governance and external credibility simultaneously.

For communications leaders in frontier technology firms, such moments often define tenure as much as product launches. Managing internal alignment while maintaining public trust requires precision, speed, and restraint, qualities that became central to OpenAI’s communications posture during that time.

Interim Leadership and What Comes Next

According to a drafted LinkedIn post shared internally, Lindsey Held, VP of Communications, OpenAI, will lead the communications function on an interim basis. The search for Wong’s successor is being led by Kate Rouch, Chief Marketing Officer, OpenAI.

“These years have been intense and deeply formative,” Wong said in the LinkedIn post. “I’m grateful I got to help tell OpenAI’s story, introduce ChatGPT and other incredible products to the world, and share more about the people forging the path to AGI during an extraordinary moment of growth and momentum.”

Wong also indicated that she plans to spend more time with her family as she considers her next professional chapter.

In high-growth AI companies, communications strategy increasingly sits alongside product, policy, and security as a board-level concern. OpenAI’s next communications leader will inherit a landscape shaped by enterprise adoption, regulatory engagement, and rising expectations around transparency.

Wong’s departure does not signal instability, but it does underscore how leadership transitions in AI companies now carry broader implications for markets, partners, and public discourse alike. As OpenAI continues to scale its applications and influence, how it explains itself may remain as consequential as what it builds.