Instacart CEO Fidji Simo is joining OpenAI
3 minute readPublished: Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 6:30 am
Instacart CEO Fidji Simo Jumps to OpenAI: A New Chapter in AI
Big news in the tech world! Instacart CEO Fidji Simo is leaving the grocery delivery giant to join OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, as their new Application CEO. This move, announced on Thursday, marks a significant shift for both companies.
Simo, already a board member at OpenAI, will transition out of her role at Instacart over the next few months and join OpenAI full-time later this year. She'll be reporting directly to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who will continue to oversee key areas like research and compute.
As Application CEO, Simo will lead a team focused on bringing OpenAI's groundbreaking research to the world. This includes existing business and operational teams responsible for how OpenAI's innovations are used and benefit the public. Altman praised Simo's unique qualifications for the role, highlighting her contributions as a board member over the past year.
Simo's experience is a major asset for OpenAI. Before leading Instacart, she spent over a decade at Meta, where she played a crucial role in launching ads on the News Feed, heading monetization for the Facebook app, and building its advertising business. She also oversaw product development for Facebook Video.
In a statement, Simo expressed her excitement about joining OpenAI, emphasizing the company's potential to accelerate human potential. She will also remain as chair of the Instacart board. Instacart has announced that a current member of the company's management will replace her as CEO.
This move signals OpenAI's commitment to expanding its reach and impact, leveraging Simo's expertise in product management, monetization, and scaling businesses. It's a fascinating development to watch as the AI landscape continues to evolve.
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