OpenAI spent 10 months hunting for a head of public relations, finally poaching the Uber president who had previously turned down its offer.

Breaking from Beating AI Insight: OpenAI announced that Jill Hazelbaker, Uber’s president, will join in early December to take on the newly created role of Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, responsible for global PR, brand reputation, and external communications, reporting directly to OpenAI President Greg Brockman. The recruitment was far from smooth. OpenAI’s former Chief Communications Officer Hannah Wong left in January, leaving the role vacant for nearly 10 months. OpenAI offered Hazelbaker the position as early as spring, but she turned it down; the company later even hired a headhunter to continue the search. Hazelbaker was only promoted to Uber president in May this year. A veteran tech industry crisis PR and policy expert, Hazelbaker spent 11 years at Uber, where she helped manage the company’s crisis following founder Travis Kalanick’s ouster, and led the campaign for California’s Proposition 22—securing Uber drivers’ status as independent contractors in the state, avoiding a full shift to employee classification. Before Uber, she held executive roles at Google and Snap, and worked on communications for US presidential candidate John McCain. OpenAI is currently grappling with AI safety controversies, regulatory pressure, and IPO preparation challenges. For the company, this hire is more than a brand PR head: it’s a seasoned professional skilled in navigating corporate reputation, regulatory battles, and public trust crises.