OpenAI CMO Kate Rouch announces she is cancer free and returning to full-time work

Kate Rouch shares health update and reflects on leadership, support, and mentorship at OpenAI.

Kate Rouch, Chief Marketing Officer at OpenAI, has announced that she is now cancer free and will return to her full-time role in November. The update was shared in a personal LinkedIn post reflecting on her recovery, her time away from work, and the support she received from colleagues and mentors.

In her post, Rouch wrote: “I’m excited to share that I’m now both cancer free AND done with cancer treatment. I will be returning to work full-time on 11/3!”

She thanked her team and the company for their support during treatment, adding: “Sam, Fidji Simo, OpenAI and all of you were truly more generous than I could have possibly imagined. That abundant generosity was nowhere more evident than in Gary Briggs’ willingness to step in and manage the Marketing org while I’ve been gone.”

Rouch said the opportunity to focus on her recovery allowed her to return “to a job I truly love — helping the world's most innovative founder and company win.”

Recognizing mentorship and long-term support

Reflecting on her career, Rouch described how Gary Briggs, who stepped in to lead OpenAI’s marketing team during her treatment, has been a consistent mentor since her early days at Facebook.

“When I started working for him I was 28 years old, and had never managed a single person,” she wrote. “He came in as Facebook's first CMO and he needed to build the org 0-1. Without frankly much evidence to support this thesis, he bet that I could grow rapidly and become a leader at the company. And he took the time to teach me — how to manage, and how to market at scale. He invested in me as a person, not in a transactional way to help himself.”

She added that Briggs later supported her career transitions to Coinbase and OpenAI, and stepped in again when she was diagnosed. “He dropped everything to help me,” she said, calling him “the first manager who really bet on me.”

Rouch concluded her post by emphasizing the importance of generosity and leadership built on trust.

“The only way I can possibly repay Gary is by paying this kindness and generosity forward, which I fully intend to do. I can’t wait to see you all soon!”