OpenAI Hires Uber’s Jill Hazelbaker as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
Uber’s president will lead OpenAI’s global communications and report to Greg Brockman, a day after the company hired former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.
Published
Last updated / Fact-checked on
OpenAI has hired Jill Hazelbaker, Uber’s president and chief corporate affairs officer, as chief corporate affairs officer, a new role. Hazelbaker will run the company’s global communications and report to president Greg Brockman.
Photo: geralt / Pixabay
At a glance
| Role | Chief Corporate Affairs Officer (new title) |
| Reports to | Greg Brockman, president and co-founder (Axios) |
| Joins from | Uber, president and chief corporate affairs officer |
| Start | Early December (Fortune) |
| Base | East Coast, with time in San Francisco (Fortune) |
| Previous comms lead | Hannah Wong, until January 2026; Chris Lehane interim (Fortune) |
The appointment
OpenAI announced the appointment on November 3. In the announcement, the company said Hazelbaker will lead its global communications and corporate positioning, working closely with leaders across OpenAI “to deepen public understanding of AI and strengthen trust in its mission.”
Axios first reported the move in a story by Mike Allen. According to Axios, Hazelbaker will report to Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president and co-founder. Axios said her remit covers global communications and reputation, corporate brand and positioning, social media, and cultural and community partnerships and convenings. It described the role as covering how the company communicates, engages with the world and builds public trust.
Hazelbaker told Axios: “For me, it’s the chance to help shape how the world understands, engages with, and ultimately benefits from the most consequential technology of our generation.”
Brockman told Axios that as AI “becomes part of more people’s lives, how we communicate, engage, and earn public trust has never been more important.”
Hazelbaker’s background
OpenAI said Hazelbaker spent a decade at Uber and most recently served as its president and chief corporate affairs officer. In that job, according to OpenAI, she oversaw the company’s global communications, marketing, public policy, safety and people teams. The company credited her with a central role in shaping Uber’s reputation and handling complex regulatory and reputational challenges.
Before Uber, she led communications and public policy at Snap. At Google, she held senior roles overseeing corporate communications globally, communications across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and government relations in Europe, OpenAI said.
She began her career in U.S. politics. OpenAI said she was national communications director and chief spokesperson for Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign and press secretary to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Timing and transition
According to Fortune, Hazelbaker starts in early December. The company told Fortune she will stay on the East Coast and spend time in San Francisco, where OpenAI is headquartered.
Fortune also reported that she replaces Hannah Wong, who was OpenAI’s chief communications officer until January 2026. Chris Lehane has led the team in the interim, according to Fortune.
A second senior hire this week
The appointment came a day after another senior hire. On Monday, November 2, OpenAI announced that former U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will join as senior counselor for national security modernization, a newly created role. The company said he will work with senior leadership and external partners on how advanced AI can strengthen national and cyber security, with a particular focus on working with U.S. allies.
CNBC reported that Driscoll resigned as Army secretary earlier this year following reported tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
What to watch
Hazelbaker’s first moves after she starts in early December, including any changes to how OpenAI’s communications team is organized under Brockman. Also watch how Driscoll’s advisory role develops with U.S. allies.
More coverage is on our Artificial Intelligence hub.
How we reported this
We checked the Axios report against OpenAI’s announcements of both appointments and against coverage from Fortune and CNBC. Pay, Driscoll’s exact resignation month (sources differ) and claims linking the hires to other corporate plans could not be verified and were left out.
Published and fact-checked November 3, 2026.
Sources
- OpenAI: OpenAI appoints Jill Hazelbaker as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
- Axios: Jill Hazelbaker jumps to OpenAI as chief corporate affairs officer
- Fortune: OpenAI hires Uber President Jill Hazelbaker to lead communications
- OpenAI: OpenAI appoints Dan Driscoll as Senior Counselor for National Security Modernization
- CNBC: OpenAI hires former U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll for national security role
DailyMech used AI tools to help research and draft this article; it was fact-checked by our editors.