PeopleofSuperintelligence

Builder

Bret Taylor

Bret Taylor is a software builder whose current work includes customer-facing AI agents at Sierra and board leadership at OpenAI. He earned computer science degrees at Stanford, where he recalls students trying out projects, then helped create Google Maps and co-founded FriendFeed. He became Facebook's CTO, co-founded Quip, and later served as Salesforce co-CEO. He joined OpenAI's initial board in 2023 and served on its Safety and Security Committee in 2024. As of October 2026, he is Sierra's CEO and co-founder and chairs OpenAI's board.

Now at
OpenAI and Sierra
Badges

Timeline

  1. 2002–2003

    Computer science at Stanford

    He earns B.S. and M.S. degrees in computer science at Stanford in 2002 and 2003. In a 2009 interview, he recalls computer science students there always trying out projects.

  2. 2007–2009

    Google Maps and FriendFeed

    At Google, he helps create Google Maps before co-founding FriendFeed with three former Google colleagues in October 2007. Facebook agrees to acquire FriendFeed in August 2009.

  3. 2009

    CTO at Facebook

    He joins Facebook in 2009 after its acquisition of FriendFeed and serves as its chief technology officer.

  4. 2012–2016

    Co-founding Quip

    He co-founds Quip, a collaboration platform for teams, in 2012; Salesforce completes its acquisition in August 2016.

  5. 2017–2023

    Leading Salesforce

    Salesforce names him president and chief product officer in November 2017. He becomes president and chief operating officer in 2019, then vice chair and co-CEO in November 2021. He steps down from the role in January 2023.

  6. November 2023–May 2024

    Joining OpenAI's board

    He joins OpenAI's initial board in November 2023. In May 2024, he serves on its Safety and Security Committee.

  7. As of October 2026

    CEO and co-founder of Sierra

    He is Sierra's CEO and co-founder, where the company develops AI agents for customer service. In October 2026, he discusses an agent his team built that calls a specialist's office until a patient referral gets booked; he is also chair of OpenAI's board.

Career

  1. Since 2023OpenAIInitial Board Member, Safety and Security Committee member
  2. NowSierraCo-founder, CEO
  3. 2017–2023SalesforcePresident and Chief Product Officer, President and Chief Operating Officer
  4. 2012–2016QuipCo-founder
  5. From 2009MetaChief Technology Officer
  6. 2007–2009FriendFeedCo-founder

Education

  1. 2003Stanford UniversityM.S. in computer science
  2. 2002Stanford UniversityB.S. in computer science

From the biography.

  1. The median h-index is 54 at universities and 19 at frontier AI labsIncludes Bret Taylor. The median h-index is 54 at universities and 19 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, citations and moves to estimate how universities and frontier labs contribute to AI research.
  2. Google alumni founded or led 81 other organizations, the most among the labs we compareIncludes Bret Taylor. We trace 194 organizations founded or led by AI lab alumni, and 202 career moves between the labs.
  3. 12 of 76 people shaping AI with a former OpenAI role now work at AnthropicIncludes OpenAI. Our estimates of where OpenAI recruits came from and where people with former OpenAI roles work now.
  4. 44% of AI career moves go from one university to anotherIncludes OpenAI. We estimate how 13,335 AI career moves link universities, companies, labs and government research centers, with net flows and the most common paths.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Bret Taylor yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Stanford friendships fed success of social networking innovator FriendFeed engineering.stanford.edu. Checked 18 October 2026.
  2. Facebook Agrees to Acquire Sharing Service FriendFeed about.fb.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  3. Salesforce Names Bret Taylor President and Chief Product Officer and Names Alex Dayon President and Chief Strategy Officer salesforce.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  4. Quip + Salesforce = Big News quip.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  5. Bret Taylor Promoted to Vice Chair and Co-CEO of Salesforce salesforce.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  6. Bret Taylor to Step Down as Salesforce Vice Chair and Co-CEO; Marc Benioff to be Chair and CEO salesforce.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  7. Sam Altman’s officially back at OpenAI, and the board gains a Microsoft observer techcrunch.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  8. OpenAI’s new safety committee is made up of all insiders techcrunch.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  9. Bret Taylor on applied AI, tokens, renting intelligence and owning the context iconiq.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  10. Interview: Bret Taylor of Sierra and OpenAI sierra.ai. Checked 18 October 2026.