OpenAI is overhauling its executive ranks, including hiring a former U.K. chancellor of the exchequer.
Former U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said on X, the social network, on the 16th local time that he will serve as an executive director at OpenAI and as program lead for the "OpenAI for Countries" initiative. Launched in May, OpenAI's "OpenAI for Countries" plan is the overseas expansion of Stargate, a $500 billion (about 740 trillion won) project to build large-scale data centers in the United States.
The plan also includes cooperation with the Korean government. Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer (CGAO), said in a statement on LinkedIn that the initiative aims to "build global AI systems on democratic values and ensure AI expands global prosperity and freedom to benefit all humanity," adding, "George is the ideal leader to guide the next phase of this critical mission."
Former Minister Osborne said, "Through conversations with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sam Altman, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Brad Lightcap, and others, I confirmed that they are particularly impressive leaders who are deeply focused on developing the power of AI responsibly and ensuring that everyone can share in its benefits," adding, "That is exactly what country-by-country OpenAI seeks to achieve," and, "I am honored to join the team."
Former Minister Osborne plans to be based in London rather than in the United States, where OpenAI is headquartered. Reuters said Osborne's move to OpenAI signals rising interest in viewing AI as core national infrastructure and in the geopolitical stakes of AI governance.
Meanwhile, Hannah Wong, OpenAI's chief communications officer (CCO), who led the company's communications for about five years since Feb. 2021, said on LinkedIn that she is leaving the company. Wong has overseen external communications from the first announcement of ChatGPT through recent months and is seen as having played a key role in navigating the external-relations crisis when CEO Altman was briefly ousted and then reinstated in 2023. Lindsey Held Bolton, vice president of communications, will lead the communications organization on an interim basis until a new CCO is hired.
This month, OpenAI hired former Slack CEO Denise Dresser as chief revenue officer (CRO) and brought in Albert Lee, who handled mergers and acquisitions (M&A) at Google Cloud and DeepMind, as vice president of corporate development, as part of a broader executive reshuffle. Last month, it also recruited Intel chief technology officer (CTO) Sachin Katti to lead computing infrastructure.