OpenAI's core communication Officer, Hannah Wong, announced internally on Monday that she will leave the company in January, WIRED has learned. In a statement to WIRED, OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wood confirmed the departure.
“Hannah has played a defining role in shaping how people understand OpenAI and the work we do,” CEO Sam Altman and CEO of Applications Fidji Simo said in a joint statement. “She has an extraordinary ability to bring clarity to complex ideas, and to do so with care and grace. We are deeply grateful for her leadership and partnership over the past five years, and we wish her all the best.”
Wong joined OpenAI in 2021 when it was still a relatively small research lab and has led the company's communications team as ChatGPT has grown into one of the world's largest consumer products. She was considered instrumental in leading the company through the PR crisis that marked Altman's brief resignation and rehiring in 2023 — a period the company internally calls “the blip.” Wong took on the role of Chief Communications Officer in August 2024 and has since expanded the company's communications team.
In a prepared LinkedIn message shared with WIRED, Wong said OpenAI's VP of communications, Lindsey Held, will lead the company's communications team until a new Chief Communications Officer is hired. OpenAI Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch is leading the search for Wong's replacement.
“These years have been intense and very formative,” Wong said in the LinkedIn post. “I'm grateful to help tell OpenAI's story, introduce ChatGPT and other incredible products to the world, and share more about the people who paved the way to AGI during an extraordinary moment of growth and momentum.”
Wong says she is looking forward to spending more time with her husband and children as she works on the next chapter in her career.
Update: 12/15/2025, 7:30 PM EDT: WIRED has clarified Kate Rouch's title.
