According to Wired, OpenAI’s chief communications officer, Hannah Wong, announced internally on Monday that she is leaving the company in January 2025. Wong joined OpenAI back in 2021 and was promoted to the top comms role in August 2024. She is credited with leading the company’s public relations through the massive growth of ChatGPT and, crucially, through the PR crisis of CEO Sam Altman’s brief ouster and re-hiring in late 2023—a period insiders call “the blip.” OpenAI’s VP of communications, Lindsey Held, will lead the team temporarily, while VP of marketing Kate Rouch leads the search for a permanent replacement. In a drafted LinkedIn post, Wong cited a desire to spend time with family while figuring out her next career move.
The Post-“Blip” Exodus Continues
Here’s the thing: Wong’s departure feels like part of a pattern, not an isolated event. She was a key player who helped navigate OpenAI‘s transition from a niche research lab to a household name, and she specifically steadied the ship during its most chaotic public moment. When a chief communications officer who successfully managed a crisis like “the blip” decides to move on, it makes you wonder about the internal climate. Is the story just too hard to tell now? The company’s narrative has gotten infinitely more complex, balancing breakneck product releases with intense regulatory scrutiny and ongoing safety debates. That’s a tough comms job for anyone.
The Narrative Shift Ahead
So what does this mean for OpenAI’s story? Wong’s tenure was defined by introducing ChatGPT to the world and explaining AGI in aspirational terms. But the next chapter might be less about wonder and more about weariness. The new CCO will have to frame discussions about power consumption, copyright lawsuits, and potential market saturation. They’ll need to communicate not just breakthroughs, but also limitations and responsibilities. It’s a fundamentally different messaging challenge. Basically, the “rocket ship” growth story is over; now it’s about governing the rocket.
Stability or More Churn?
Now, the immediate handoff to VP Lindsey Held suggests they want internal continuity. But letting Rouch from marketing lead the external search is interesting. Does that signal a desire to blend comms and marketing more tightly, especially as they push harder into enterprise and developer markets? The big question is who would even want this job. It’s one of the highest-profile, highest-pressure comms roles in tech right now. Finding someone with the right mix of crisis experience, technical understanding, and sheer stamina won’t be easy. And if they can’t, or if the wrong person steps in, the company’s already-fraught public perception could get even messier.
