OpenAI appoints Indian-origin executive Arvind KC as chief people officer

OpenAI has appointed Indian-origin executive Arvind K C as its new chief people officer (CPO), bringing in an experienced leader with a long track record in the tech industry as the company enters its next phase of growth. His appointment follows the departure of Julia Villagra in August 2025, after less than six months in the role.

 

Arvind joins a growing group of Indian-origin leaders at the artificial intelligence (AI) firm, including Vijaye Raji, chief technology officer (CTO) for applications, and Srinivas Narayanan as vice president.

 

Speaking about his new role, KC said, “This is a moment where every organisation is being asked to rethink how work happens, what teams need, how people grow, and how to adapt as the tools change. I'm excited to join OpenAI as we work through those questions ourselves, and alongside our ecosystem of users, customers, and partners building the future with us.”

 

What will be the role of Arvind KC?

Announcing the appointment, the San Francisco-based firm said KC brings a rare combination of engineering depth and people leadership. The company noted that he understands how high-performing technical teams operate and how strong, practical systems can enable people to do their best work without slowing them down.

 

As CPO, KC will help OpenAI scale in a way that supports its workforce, from strengthening hiring, onboarding and development frameworks to building systems and policies that make collaboration easier, enable faster execution and sustain high performance.

 

“We believe the way we scale OpenAI should reflect the future we’re helping to create. KC will play a key role in ensuring our people processes, policies and systems match our ambition, while preserving the culture and operating principles that have helped us get here,” said Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications at OpenAI.

Who is Arvind KC?

Over a career spanning more than 25 years, Arvind has held senior leadership roles at major technology firms including Roblox, Google, Palantir Technologies and Meta. Across these organisations, he has helped build both products and the teams behind them at scale.

 

Most recently, he served as chief people and systems officer at US-listed gaming platform Roblox. Before that, he held senior leadership positions at Google, Palantir Technologies and Meta.

 

At Palantir, Arvind was chief information officer (CIO) and head of people operations, overseeing technology strategy and organisational systems. At Google, he served as vice president of engineering, leading enterprise collaboration and productivity-focused product development initiatives.

 

His experience spans internal product development, IT, information security and engineering leadership at global technology companies. He began his career in supply chain systems within the semiconductor industry, developing early expertise in managing complex operational processes before moving into broader technology and people leadership roles.

 

Arvind holds an MBA from Santa Clara University and a degree in chemical engineering from North Maharashtra University, according to The Economic Times.

 

In a LinkedIn post announcing his departure from Roblox, Arvind described AI as a structural shift in how work gets done, framing his move to OpenAI as an opportunity to help shape that transition from within.