OpenAI Loses Top HR Exec Amid Talent Battle

Microsoft MSFT-backed OpenAI is saying goodbye to one of its senior leaders. Chief People Officer Julia Villagra will leave the company on Friday, August 22, 2025, less than six months after stepping into the role.

Villagra joined OpenAI as head of HR in early 2024 and was quickly promoted, but she's now choosing a different path. In a note, she said she'll focus on her passion for art, music and storytellinghoping those creative tools can help people better grasp the changes that artificial general intelligence will bring.

For now, Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon will handle her responsibilities until Fidji Simo, the company's new CEO of applications, names a successor.

The timing is striking. Microsoft-backed OpenAI is in a heated battle for top AI researchers while also weighing a share sale that could value it at $500 billion, a big jump from today's $300 billion.

For investors, Villagra's exit is a reminder that even as OpenAI scales into one of the world's most valuable startups, it still has to hold onto the leadership talent steering that growth.