OpenAI appoints BlackRock exec to its board

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

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

Ogunlesi spent 23 years at financial services company Credit Suisse, where he held several positions, including executive vice chairman of Credit Suisse’s investment banking division. Previously, Ogunlesi was an attorney with the New York law firm of Cravath, Swaine & 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 strategies 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 bares little resemblance to its board in late 2023, the members of which fired CEO Sam Altman only to reinstate him days later. As a condition for returning, Altman demanded a remade board — and he eventually got his wish.

OpenAI’s board today includes Taylor, Altman, Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann, former NSA director Paul M. Nakasone, former Sony Corporation of America President Nicole Seligman, Instacart CEO Fidji Simo, economist Larry Summers, and Carnegie Mellon computer scientist Zico Kolter. D’Angelo is the sole holdover from the previous board.