OpenAI has experienced significant leadership changes with the recent departures of Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew and Research VP Barret Zoph, shortly after the announcement that CTO Mira Murati would also be leaving the company. CEO Sam Altman shared this news in a post on X, outlining the transitions in leadership.
Altman stated that McGrew, Zoph, and Murati made their decisions independently but that the timing coincided to facilitate a smooth transition. Mark Chen, previously the VP of research, will be promoted to Senior VP of Research, collaborating with Jakub Pachocki, who will serve as the new Chief Scientist. Matt Knight, who led security efforts, will step into the role of Chief Information Security Officer. Meanwhile, Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil and VP of Engineering Srinivas Narayanan will continue to oversee the team responsible for applying OpenAI’s technology to business and consumer sectors.
Josh Achiam, a research scientist, will take on the newly established position of head of mission alignment, focusing on aligning the company’s culture and objectives. Altman noted that the new leadership team reporting to him will allow him to dedicate more time to the company’s technical and product developments.
In his communication, Altman attempted to reassure both employees and external observers that these leadership changes are common in rapidly growing companies. He acknowledged the abruptness of the departures but emphasized the importance of timing for a smooth transition.
McGrew expressed his desire to take a break, reflecting on his eight years with OpenAI as a remarkable journey. He praised OpenAI for becoming a leading research and deployment organization globally. McGrew began at OpenAI in 2017 and gradually rose through the ranks to his current position.
Zoph, who joined OpenAI in 2022, mentioned that his departure comes as a natural point for him to seek new opportunities in his career. He played a crucial role in the post-training team that enhances OpenAI’s models before deployment.
While the departing executives publicly framed their exits as amicable, they follow reports of OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit entity and a new funding round that values the company at $150 billion. Differences over the company’s future direction may have contributed to these significant departures.
OpenAI is scheduled to hold an all-hands meeting on Thursday, which could provide further insights into the context of these leadership changes. Recently, several other key figures have also left the company, including prominent researcher Andrej Karpathy and co-founder John Schulman. Currently, only three of the original 13 founders remain at OpenAI.
Altman acknowledged the intense nature of leadership at OpenAI, balancing the privilege of leading such an innovative company with the challenges that come with it. The company’s press office has not yet responded to inquiries regarding these changes.