OpenAI’s search for a chief communications officer hits 9 months after a top candidate turned down the role

"After nearly five years at OpenAI and a lot of reflection, I've decided it's time for me to step back and move into my next chapter," said OpenAI's former chief communications officer (CCO) Hannah Wong in a January 2026 LinkedIn post announcing her departure.

That was nine months ago—practically a lifetime in the fast-moving AI world—and Wong's role remains empty.

The absence of a chief communications officer is particularly remarkable given the year OpenAI has had. For much of 2026, the company has lurched from crisis to crisis: A controversial deal with the Pentagon, a high-stakes courtroom showdown with Elon Musk, a swarm of agents that hacked Hugging Face and made international headlines, an Apple lawsuit alleging trade-secrets theft, and more. Along the way, OpenAI's corporate reputation has taken a hit, and public trust in AI is cratering.

The company's future chief communications officer will need to untangle all of these threads. It's not a role for the faint of heart, but could be a career-defining opportunity for the right person—and a rare opportunity to claim significant equity before the company goes public. (CEO Sam Altman recently told Fortune the company would not IPO before 2027 , and the company is reportedly exploring raising a private round of funding that would value the company at as much as $1.5 trillion).

The combination of novel communications challenges and a potentially life-changing payout would seem to be an irresistible set-up for any number of crisis and communications professionals at the top of their game. Yet OpenAI has struggled to fill the role, and recently tapped a headhunting firm to assist in the process.

In a statement to Fortune , OpenAI said it's looking for the right person for the role; it is not rushing to hire until it finds them.

Depending on when OpenAI plans to go public, however, the need to fill the role may become more pressing. "The issue isn't whether OpenAI can operate without a chief communications officer. They most certainly can," Paul Argenti, who has been teaching corporate communications at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business for 45 years, tells Fortune .

"The issue is whether they are going to face constant controversy, [and] whether recurring reputation challenges lead investors to assign a higher risk premium, and that would be a lower IPO valuation."

After the top candidate says "no," OpenAI ramps up its search

OpenAI's top choice, Jill Hazelbaker of Uber , turned down the role in the spring, according to a source familiar with the search who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. Hazelbaker has been at Uber for almost 11 years, and was promoted in May to President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer. She declined to comment for this article, but those who know her list a few reasons she may have turned it down.