OpenAI appointed Instacart CEO Fidji Simo as its new CEO of applications, company chief Sam Altman announced in a blog post to employees.Altman clarified that he would continue to be the CEO and said that the decision will allow him to increase focus on research, computation, and safety.“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,” he said.The AI company said that in her new role, Fidji Simo will focus on enabling the company’s “traditional” functions to scale as it enters a new phase of growth. Sam Altman, the company’s CEO, praised her, saying, “Fidji brings a rare blend of leadership, product and operational expertise, and genuine commitment to ensuring our technology benefits everyone.”Who is Fidji Simo?Fidji Simo was born in France and has built an impressive career in Silicon Valley. Before becoming the CEO of Instacart, she was a key figure at Meta (formerly Facebook), where she led the Facebook app and played a central role in its product development.Simo is an alumna of the UCLA Anderson School of Management and HEC Paris, where she earned a Master of Science in Management degree.Her career began in January 2007 when she joined eBay as a strategy manager. In 2011, she moved to Facebook, where she steadily advanced through the ranks to become the head of the Facebook app by 2019, a position she held until 2021.Simo joined Instacart as a board member in January 2021 and was appointed CEO in 2021. Additionally, she became a board member at OpenAI in March 2024 and has served on the Shopify board since December 2021.Expressing her excitement on the new journey, Fidji said, “Joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility.” She also mentioned that the organisation has the potential to rapidly enhance human capabilities like never before. “I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good,” she added.