OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind Chat GPT, announced on Monday that it hired Northern Ireland business executive Sarah Friar as their first chief financial officer. Friar previously served as the CEO of the social media company Nextdoor.
According to OpenAI, Friar will be tasked with leading its finance team and securing funds for the company’s future AI research and AI product development. Kevin Weil, who previously worked with Twitter and Facebook, also joins OpenAI as chief product officer.
“Sarah and Kevin bring a depth of experience that will enable OpenAI to scale our operations, set a strategy for the next phase of growth, and ensure that our teams have the resources they need to continue to thrive,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in a statement.
Friar’s resume includes roles as senior vice president of finance and strategy at cloud-based software company Salesforce and CFO role with fintech firm Square (now rebranded as Block). Friar is currently also on the board of Walmart and ConsenSys.
“I’m honored to join a team that is uniquely talented and mission-focused,” Friar said in a statement. “My goal is to help OpenAI continue excelling at what it does best—producing top-tier research and collaborating to maximize the benefits of AI tools for everyone.”