Fidji Simo Leaves Instacart to Lead Applications at OpenAI

Fidji Simo, the current CEO of Instacart, is stepping into a major new role as the CEO of Applications at OpenAI later this year. OpenAI announced this news on Wednesday night.

Simo has served on OpenAI’s board for the past year. Now, she will take on a full-time executive role and will report directly to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Her Role 

Simo will lead the Applications division team that focuses on turning AI research into real-world tools. It includes products like ChatGPT and other user-facing technologies.

Sam Altman described Applications as the group responsible for how OpenAI’s research “reaches and benefits the world.” He added that Simo is “uniquely qualified” to lead that effort.

In her new position, Simo will also help scale OpenAI’s internal operations. These include traditional company functions such as finance, product, and business management. 

According to Bloomberg, several top executives, COO Brad Lightcap, CFO Sarah Friar, and CPO Kevin Weil, will report to her.

A Track Record of Leadership

Simo brings deep experience to OpenAI. She joined Instacart in 2021 and under her leadership, the company expanded rapidly. In 2023, she led Instacart through its public listing.

Before Instacart, she spent more than a decade at Meta. There, she oversaw Facebook’s core app. She also led major product efforts, including News Feed ads, Facebook Video, and mobile monetization. 

And when she left Meta, she was the head of the Facebook app.

A Smooth Transition

Simo will not cut ties with Instacart completely as she will remain as chair of the board. In a message to employees, she confirmed that a current Instacart executive will succeed her as CEO. The company will announce that decision soon.

Simo shared her excitement: “Joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility… I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good.”