Fidji Simo, the CEO of Instacart, is set to join OpenAI as the CEO of Applications, the AI firm announced Thursday. Simo, who already serves as a board member at OpenAI, will gradually step away from her role at Instacart and transition into her new full-time position later this year.
According to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Simo will take charge of the Applications division, which encompasses business and operational teams focused on delivering AI-powered tools and experiences to users. She will report directly to Altman, who will continue to oversee core areas such as research, compute, and applications.
“Applications brings together a group of existing business and operational teams responsible for how our research reaches and benefits the world, and Fidji is uniquely qualified to lead this group,” Altman wrote in a blog post on the OpenAI website. “She has already contributed significantly to our direction as a board member over the past year.”
Simo will also work on scaling OpenAI’s traditional business functions, though specific details have not yet been disclosed. A report from Bloomberg noted that key executives including COO Brad Lightcap, CFO Sarah Friar, and CPO Kevin Weil will report to her once she assumes the role.
Simo brings a wealth of experience in product management, monetization, and company growth. Before joining Instacart in 2021, she spent more than a decade at Meta, where she led major initiatives such as monetization of the Facebook News Feed, Facebook Video, and overall product development for the app. She ultimately served as the head of the Facebook app and played a key role in building its advertising business. Under her leadership, Instacart successfully went public in 2023.
Simo confirmed via a post on X (formerly Twitter) that she will remain chair of Instacart’s board. In a letter to Instacart employees, she mentioned that a current executive will be named as the next CEO, with the announcement expected soon.
“Joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility,” she said in a public statement. “This organization has the potential of accelerating human potential at a pace never seen before, and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good.”
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