OpenAI Hires Uber's Jill Hazelbaker to Lead Corporate Affairs

OpenAI has appointed Jill Hazelbaker, formerly President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Uber, as its Chief Corporate Affairs Officer — a hire that puts a two-decade veteran of tech PR and political spin squarely in charge of the company's public engagement, communications and trust-building effort around artificial intelligence.

Hazelbaker arrives with nearly 20 years of experience advising technology companies and political leaders. Her speciality, per the appointment announcement, is guiding organisations through rapid expansion alongside "major business, regulatory and reputational challenges" — a job description that reads like it was written with OpenAI's current position in mind.

What did she do at Uber?

Hazelbaker spent a decade in senior leadership at Uber, most recently as President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer. Her remit covered global communications, marketing, public policy, safety and people teams. She also played a key role in managing Uber's public image and handling regulatory and reputational fallout as the ride-hailing company pushed into international markets.

Anyone who followed Uber's expansion years knows that was not a quiet desk job. Regulators, city governments and headlines were constant companions.

Before Uber, she led communications and public policy at Snap. Before that, she held senior roles at Google, including global corporate communications, communications across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and government relations in Europe.

Where did she come from before tech?

Her career began in US politics. Hazelbaker worked on local, state and national election campaigns, including a stint as National Communications Director and Chief Spokesperson for Senator John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign. She also served as Press Secretary to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

In other words: crisis communications in two of the least forgiving arenas available — national politics and Big Tech.

OpenAI Co-Founder and President Greg Brockman said: "As AI becomes part of more people's lives, how we communicate, engage, and earn public trust has never been more important. Jill brings exceptional judgment, seasoned leadership, and a deep understanding of the opportunities and responsibilities that come with building technology at global scale."

Brockman added: "She's exactly the kind of leader we need for this next chapter, and I'm thrilled to welcome her to OpenAI." Companies rarely say new hires are the wrong kind of leader, so treat the enthusiasm accordingly. But the substance of the quote — public trust as a boardroom-level concern — is the signal worth noting.

What does this change for communications practitioners?

For the comms trade, the move confirms a trend that's been building for a while: corporate affairs is no longer a support function at AI companies. It's a survival function. OpenAI says the appointment reflects its focus on strengthening leadership to handle "the opportunities and responsibilities" associated with AI — corporate-speak for the fact that regulators, journalists and the public are all watching closely.

The company frames the hire as part of a broader push to expand engagement with the public and with institutions shaping AI's future. For agency people and in-house teams, expect a heavyweight operator on the other side of briefing requests — someone who has managed comms for a company that fought regulators on multiple continents.

One more hiring-market note: a leader who has run communications, policy, marketing, safety and HR in a single portfolio is exactly the profile boards now want. Generalist corporate affairs chiefs with crisis credentials are commanding senior titles. Hazelbaker's move is the latest proof.

Two decades of campaigns, Google, Snap and Uber. Now the trust problem in AI. It's a formidable CV for a formidable job.