OpenAI appoints BlackRock exec to its board

OpenAI has appointed an executive at investment firm BlackRock to its board of directors.

Adebayo “Bayo” Ogunlesi, a senior managing director at BlackRock and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners, an infrastructure investment platform, has joined OpenAI’s board, OpenAI announcement OpenAI board chairman Brett Taylor said in a statement Tuesday that Ogunlesi “has an exceptional track record of driving success in organizations with global reach, skillfully navigating complex and dynamic commercial landscapes.”

Ogunlesi spent 23 years at financial services firm Credit Suisse, where he held a number of positions, including Executive Vice Chairman of Credit Suisse’s investment banking division. Previously, Ogunlesi was an attorney at the New York law firm of Cravath, Swain & Moore and served as a law clerk to Thurgood Marshall, the nation’s first black U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Ogunlesi also sits on the boards of BlackRock, Topgolf Callaway Brands, Kosmos Energy Holdings, and Terminal Investment Limited.

“The rapid advancement and development of AI offers a unique opportunity to build a better future. As part of this, thoughtful strategy and investment in infrastructure will be key to unlocking AI’s full potential and delivering its benefits responsibly,” Ogunlesi said in a press release. “I’m excited to contribute to this effort and look forward to being a part of the OpenAI board.”

OpenAI’s current board bears little resemblance to its board in late 2023, whose members fired CEO Sam Altman only to reinstate him days later. As a condition of return, Altman claim A rebuilt board – and he finally got his wish.

OpenAI’s board today includes Taylor, Altman, Corea CEO Adam D’Angelo, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-HellmanFormer NSA director Paul M. JonadeFormer Sony Corporation of America president Nicole Seligman, Instacart CEO Fiji Simo, economist Larry Summersand Carnegie Mellon computer scientist Zico Colter. D’Angelo is the only holdover from the previous board.