OpenAI appoints Gail Hazelbaker as chief corporate affairs officer to lead global communications
Key Facts
OpenAI announced on November 3, 2026, that it had appointed Gail Hazelbaker as chief corporate affairs officer, leading the company’s global communications and corporate positioning. The company said Hazelbaker would work closely with its leaders to deepen public understanding of AI and strengthen trust in its mission. The appointment places engagement with the public and institutions among OpenAI’s direct leadership responsibilities. The company said the choice reflects an investment in the leadership and capabilities needed to engage more deeply with the stakeholders shaping AI’s future. The announcement comes as OpenAI describes communication, engagement and earning public trust as increasingly important as AI enters the lives of more people.
The role extends beyond communications in the narrow sense; according to Axios, it covers global communications, reputation, corporate brand and positioning, as well as social media, cultural and community partnerships, and events. Hazelbaker will also report to Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s co-founder and president, according to Axios. The arrangement brings public image and relations with communities and institutions under one leader. Brockman said communication, engagement and earning public trust had become more important as AI’s presence in people’s lives expands. In the company’s account, this reflects the role these functions play in its engagement with a broader public.
In a statement announcing her appointment, Hazelbaker said AI "represents the most profound technological shift of our lives," adding that "the stakes are enormous, the potential is extraordinary, and the work of building public trust has never been more important." Her remarks link the technology’s growing impact with the importance of earning public trust, a task OpenAI said she would undertake with the company’s leaders. That includes, in the company’s description, deepening public understanding of AI and strengthening trust in its mission. Brockman said communication and engagement with the public had become more important as the technology enters the lives of more people. The executives’ remarks align with the scope of a role that includes communications, reputation and corporate positioning.
Before joining OpenAI, Hazelbaker was chief corporate affairs officer at Uber, where she oversaw global communications, marketing, public policy, safety and human resources teams, according to OpenAI. Uber’s published biography also says she led recruiting and real estate teams, alongside marketing, communications, public policy and safety. During her decade at Uber, she played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s reputation, handling complex regulatory and reputational challenges, and building the capabilities needed to support its growth worldwide, according to OpenAI. The company adds that she has nearly two decades of experience advising technology companies and political leaders. That career provides a direct background for the new role, which combines communications, reputation and corporate policy.
Hazelbaker previously led communications and public policy at Snap and held senior roles at Google covering global and regional communications and government relations in Europe, according to OpenAI. Her experience also extends to politics: she was national communications director and chief spokesperson for Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, then press secretary to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. These roles span work at major technology companies and political and government communications. At OpenAI, she will take on responsibilities including communications and corporate positioning, while her stated priorities include deepening public understanding of AI and building trust. The company’s announcement did not specify a subsequent date or next step related to her taking up the role.