OpenAI announces Michael Tabtabai as its Global VP of Creative

OpenAI has appointed veteran advertising and brand leader Michael Tabtabai as its Global Vice President of Creative on Friday. According to media reports, this newly created role reflects the company’s growing investment in marketing and storytelling.

Tabtabai, in a post on LinkedIn, wrote, “I am very excited to begin this next chapter at OpenAI. (Re)uniting with Kate Rouch, Gary Briggs, Zach Stubenvoll, Sarah Russell, Ali Layng, and so many others is a dream come true.”

“It's only been a few days and yet I'm already blown away by the people and the possibilities”, he added.

Tabtabai most recently served as Vice President of Creative at Coinbase from 2022 to 2025, and prior to that, spent seven years at Google as Executive Creative Director, where he led projects such as Year in Search and campaigns spotlighting racial justice and Black history.

Earlier, he was Creative Director at Wieden+Kennedy and Saatchi & Saatchi, and held roles at TBWA\Chiat\Day, Modernista!, and Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

Alongside his professional career, he founded Leave It On The Road, a nonprofit that raises funds for cancer charities through endurance cycling events.