Several OpenAI executives are transitioning into new roles, according to a report from Bloomberg. An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed these personnel changes to TechCrunch.
In an internal memo, Fidji Simo, CEO of AGI development, announced that Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s COO, is taking on a new position leading “special projects,” which will encompass “complex deals and investments across the company.” He will report directly to CEO Sam Altman.
Denise Dresser, the former Slack CEO who recently joined OpenAI as chief revenue officer, will assume some of Lightcap’s commercial responsibilities.
Simo also revealed personal news, stating she will be taking medical leave for several weeks to manage a neuroimmune condition.
“I have done everything possible to avoid it, but sadly my body isn’t cooperating,” Simo wrote in the memo obtained by Bloomberg.
“The timing is maddening because we have such an exciting roadmap ahead that the team is executing on, and I hate to miss even a minute of it,” she said.
While she is on leave, OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman will oversee product management.
Kate Rouch, OpenAI’s marketing head, will also be stepping down from her role to focus on cancer recovery. The memo indicates she will return to a “different, more narrowly scoped role when her health allows,” and the company plans to search for a new CMO.
“We have a strong leadership team focused on our biggest priorities: advancing frontier research, growing our global user base of nearly 1 billion users, and powering enterprise use cases,” OpenAI stated to TechCrunch. “We’re well-positioned to keep executing with continuity and momentum.”
Update, 4/3/26, 6:25 PM ET: Further context regarding Dresser’s role has been added.