OpenAI’s search for chief communications officer extends to nine months

Nine months. That’s how long OpenAI has been looking for someone to run its communications operation, a search that began when Hannah Wong stepped down in January 2026 and has quietly become one of the more conspicuous vacancies in tech.

For a company with over one billion weekly active users and a communications team that has ballooned to more than 50 people, operating without a permanent chief communications officer is a notable gap.

How the vacancy happened

Wong joined OpenAI back in 2021, well before ChatGPT turned the company into a household name. She was promoted to CCO in August 2024, making her the first person to officially hold the title. During her tenure, she steered the comms team through a remarkable gauntlet: the ChatGPT launch, waves of regulatory scrutiny, and the now-infamous November 2023 leadership crisis that the company internally refers to as “the blip.”

That crisis saw CEO Sam Altman briefly ousted by the board before being reinstated days later.

She announced her departure in December 2025 via a LinkedIn post, citing a desire to spend more time with her family. Her last day was at the end of January 2026.

Since then, the role has been covered on an interim basis, first by Lindsey Held Bolton and later by Chris Lehane. Kate Rouch, who initially led the search for Wong’s replacement, stepped back from that effort earlier in 2026. The musical chairs have continued while the global hunt for a permanent hire grinds on.

Why this matters more than a typical C-suite vacancy

The organization is simultaneously managing explosive user growth, a sprawling international expansion, intense media scrutiny, and an ongoing debate about AI safety. Its communications team grew from roughly eight people at the time of ChatGPT’s launch to over 50 across multiple regions.

The vacancy also exists against a backdrop of broader executive turnover at OpenAI throughout 2026. The company appointed a new chief revenue officer in August, along with senior regional leaders including a new head of communications for Singapore and Southeast Asia. But the top comms job remains stubbornly unfilled.

The candidate problem

OpenAI’s communications leader needs to manage relationships with reporters, regulators, policymakers, and a global public simultaneously fascinated by and anxious about artificial intelligence.

The practical effect of the extended vacancy is that OpenAI’s external messaging has been managed by committee rather than by a single strategic voice. OpenAI has millions of business customers relying on its products and a weekly active user base that surpasses the population of every country except China and India.

Meanwhile, competitors like Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and Meta AI are all actively building out their own communications operations with permanent leadership.