OpenAI Hires Instacart CEO Fidji Simo as Applications Chief

OpenAI is bringing on Instacart CEO Fidji Simo for the newly created role of CEO of Applications, signaling a significant strategic move to accelerate the translation of its cutting-edge AI research into tangible, widely used products.

Simo, who joined OpenAI’s board in March, will transition from Instacart over the coming months and join OpenAI full-time later this year, the company announced in a blog post. This high-profile hire underscores OpenAI’s commitment to productization and scaling its diverse range of AI-powered applications.

In this new structure, Simo will report directly to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Altman stated via X that Simo’s appointment allows him to deepen his focus on research, compute, and safety systems, elements he deems critical as the lab approaches superintelligence.

The Applications division, led by Simo, consolidates existing business and operational teams tasked with deploying OpenAI’s research effectively.

Altman added, “Applications brings together a group of existing business and operational teams responsible for how our research reaches and benefits the world, and Fidji is uniquely qualified to lead this group. Serving as an OpenAI board member over the past year, Fidji has already contributed a great deal to our company. She will transition from her role at Instacart over the next few months and join OpenAI later this year,”, and noted Simo will also help scale OpenAI’s “traditional” company functions.

For Simo, the move represents a pivotal opportunity; “Joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility. This organization has the potential of accelerating human potential at a pace never seen before and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good,”, she stated. While embracing this new challenge, Simo confirmed via X she will “stay on as chair of the Instacart board”. Instacart plans to announce a successor from its current management team soon, according to a letter to employees.

From Instacart IPO to AI Product Strategy

Simo, 39, brings a formidable track record in scaling consumer technology and building robust business models. The French-American executive, who also serves on Shopify’s board, led Instacart through its 2023 IPO, a period during which the company achieved profitability; with a $242 million profit in H1 2023 versus a $74 million loss the prior year.

Under her leadership, Instacart also garnered several workplace accolades, including for diversity and leadership teams, as Comparably data shows. Before Instacart, Simo spent over ten years at Meta, rising to head the main Facebook app after pivotal roles in launching News Feed ads and developing Facebook Video.

Her drive was evident early on; “As a little girl in a French fishing town, it was not obvious that I would go into tech… But I was always interested in business and technology, in part because it was so different from the world I grew up in. I wanted to stretch myself and discover new horizons.”, she reflected to Chief, adding “My parents taught me that with hard work and willpower, I could accomplish anything”.

Instacart founder Apoorva Mehta previously stated “Fidji will simply be a better CEO than me for Instacart’s coming years.” upon her previous appointment in 2021. Beyond tech, Simo co-founded the Metrodora Institute for neuroimmune disorders.

Accelerating OpenAI’s Application Ambitions

Simo’s arrival aligns with OpenAI’s clear push towards more practical, agentic AI applications. In March, OpenAI Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil declared that 2025 would be the year AI moves beyond answering questions to actively performing tasks, stating “Take ChatGPT. This is the year it goes from answering questions for you to doing things for you in the real world” and “You can just have it go off and do a bunch of work… Then it’s not just how efficient can you make yourself, it’s also how many agents can you have (going) off solving problems for you.” 

This vision is supported by OpenAI’s expanding user base, which Weil noted included roughly 400 million weekly ChatGPT users and millions of developers and business users earlier this year.

Recent initiatives underscore this application focus. Winbuzzer reported in April on code suggesting a potential native shopping function in ChatGPT, possibly using Shopify integration. The company also recently agreed to acquire AI coding assistant Windsurf for a reported $3 billion, significantly boosting its developer tools.

Furthermore, OpenAI activated an enhanced memory feature in ChatGPT to create more personalized, continuous interactions. This aligns with an enterprise strategy that involves delivering highly customized models and AI agents, moving beyond standard API offerings.

Leadership and Governance Context

Simo steps into her role following other recent leadership adjustments at OpenAI. In March the company restructured its leadership, with COO Brad Lightcap taking on expanded responsibilities for global business operations and partnerships, allowing Altman to concentrate more on core AI development. This followed the departure of CTO Mira Murati in September 2024.

Crucially, Simo will operate under OpenAI’s recently reaffirmed governance structure, where the founding nonprofit retains ultimate control. This structure, finalized after significant external pressure and dialogue with state Attorneys General, aims to ensure OpenAI’s commercial activities remain aligned with its mission of safe AGI development.

The complex partnership with Microsoft also remains a key factor, with ongoing negotiations reported by Bloomberg following the governance reversal. While OpenAI leverages Microsoft Azure, it has also pursued compute diversification through deals like its $11.9 billion CoreWeave contract. Simo’s expertise in navigating complex operational landscapes will be vital as OpenAI pushes its applications forward under this unique structure.