OpenAI President Fidji Simo, the company’s CEO of AGI deployment, announced on Thursday that she is stepping down from her full-time position to focus on recovering from a chronic neuroimmune condition. Simo, 40, had been on medical leave since April following a “severe exacerbation” of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a disorder she has managed since 2019. She will transition to a part-time advisory role at the ChatGPT maker. Her departure removes a key operational leader as OpenAI races toward a blockbuster initial public offering and battles rival Anthropic for dominance in the enterprise market. Simo joined OpenAI’s board in March 2024 and took on the role of CEO of Applications in May 2025, later changed to CEO of AGI deployment, with Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap, Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar, and Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil reporting to her. Prior to OpenAI, she led Instacart through its 2023 IPO. Her exit is the latest in a series of high-level departures, including Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch.