PeopleofSuperintelligence

Lab leader

Fidji Simo

Fidji Simo is a technology executive whose AI career includes leading OpenAI teams that brought research to users and joining the board of AI cloud company Nscale. She studied at HEC Paris on scholarship, began in eBay strategy, and later led product work at Facebook, including its main app. She led Instacart as CEO from 2021 through its 2025 transition to Chris Rogers. After leaving OpenAI's full-time role in July 2026, she continued as an adviser.

Now at
Nscale
Photo of Fidji Simo

Timeline

  1. 2004–2008

    A scholarship at HEC

    She grew up in a family of fishermen and studied at HEC Paris from 2004 to 2008 on a scholarship.

  2. 2007

    An eBay strategy role

    After an HEC internship, she joined eBay's strategy team in 2007.

  3. 2011–2021

    Building the Facebook app

    She joined Facebook in 2011 and drove its mobile monetization strategy. Before joining Instacart, she became vice president and head of the Facebook app.

  4. August 2021–August 2025

    Leading Instacart

    She became Instacart CEO in August 2021. The company named Chris Rogers as her successor, effective August 15, 2025.

  5. 2025–July 2026

    Bringing research to users

    OpenAI named her CEO of Applications in May 2025, reporting to Sam Altman. She later served as CEO of AGI Deployment, leading business and product teams responsible for bringing the company's research to users.

  6. July 2026

    Stepping back to advise

    In July 2026, she left OpenAI's full-time leadership role and moved to part-time advising.

  7. September 2026

    Joining an AI cloud board

    Nscale appointed her to its board as an independent director on September 11, 2026.

Sources and credits

Photo: Anthony Quintano from Westminster, United States, via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0. Source: commons.wikimedia.org. Cropped to a square and resized. Ask us to remove or replace this photo.

  1. Fidji H.08 hec.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. Fidji Simo, jefa de la app de Facebook about.fb.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. Instacart Appoints Board Member Fidji Simo to Chief Executive Officer and Announces Founder and Current CEO Apoorva Mehta Will Serve as Executive Chairman of the Board company.instacart.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. Leadership Update: A Letter from Fidji Simo company.instacart.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. Instacart CEO Fidji Simo is joining OpenAI techcrunch.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  6. Fidji Simo Joins Nscale Board of Directors nscale.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  7. Fidji Simo steps down from OpenAI’s No. 2 role techcrunch.com. Checked 14 October 2026.