Fidji Simo Named OpenAI’s First Applications CEO

OpenAI has appointed Instacart CEO Fidji Simo as its first CEO of Applications, a new role reporting directly to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. This leadership restructuring aims to let Altman focus on research, compute, and safety as OpenAI pursues superintelligence, while Simo will lead application development to scale the company’s impact. Simo, an OpenAI board member since 2024, will continue as Instacart CEO for several months before transitioning to board chair. OpenAI’s nonprofit parent will retain control as the company transitions to a public benefit corporation. The specific applications Simo will oversee have not been detailed. Instacart is expected to announce her successor soon, with Simo remaining as board chair to support the new leadership.