OpenAI’s Chief People Officer Julia Villagra steps down

As per reports, with Villagra departing to pursue passion projects for the interim the role will be handled by Open AI’s strategy chief

by e4m Staff
Published: Aug 22, 2025 11:42 AM | 1 min read

The San Francisco-based Artificial Intelligence manufacturer OpenAI has informed Reuters that Julia Villagra, its chief people officer, will depart the company on Friday.

A month after joining OpenAI in February 2024 as head of human resources, Villagra was elevated to chief people officer. As OpenAI defines artificial general intelligence as AI exceeding humans at the most economically useful work, she is resigning to follow her love of using art, music, and storytelling to educate others about this shift.

Jason Kwon, the chief strategy officer of OpenAI, will take up Villagra's position until Fidji Simo, the CEO of applications, appoints a replacement.

The move occurs as OpenAI, sponsored by Microsoft, contends with intense competition for AI expertise. The industry-wide talent battle has reportedly intensified as a result of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg offering $100 million in signing bonuses to entice researchers away.

A recent employee share sale valued OpenAI at $500 billion, up from $300 billion, indicating the company's explosive growth in both revenue and users. Despite today's low unemployment rates, 71% of Americans surveyed by Reuters/Ipsos expressed anxiety that AI could result in permanent job losses, which is another reason for the leadership leave.