Former Meta marketing exec Gary Briggs named interim head of marketing at OpenAI

Kate Rouch, OpenAI’s chief marketing officer, announced she will step away from her role for three months to undergo treatment for invasive breast cancer. In a LinkedIn post, Rouch shared that Gary Briggs, former chief marketing officer at Meta, will assume interim leadership of the marketing department during her absence.

Diagnosed earlier this year, just weeks after starting at OpenAI, Rouch described managing chemotherapy at UCSF while leading the team as “the hardest season of life” for her and her family. She expressed optimism about her prognosis, which she called “excellent,” and expects a full recovery.

Highlighting the broader public health challenge, Rouch noted that one in eight American women will face invasive breast cancer, with 42,000 deaths annually and rising incidence among younger women. “A routine exam saved my life,” she wrote. “It could save yours too.”

Rouch, who joined OpenAI in December, brings extensive marketing experience from her previous roles as CMO of Coinbase and leadership positions at Meta platforms including Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook. She had previously worked alongside Briggs during their tenure at Meta.

Read more: OpenAI gets its first-ever CMO; Coinbase's Kate Rouch joins Sam Altman's AI firm as CMO