BlackRock executive Adebayo Ogunlesi joins OpenAI's board of directors.

• Adebayo Ogunlesi, founding partner of Global Infrastructure Partners, or GIP, has been appointed to OpenAI's board.
• It's OpenAI's latest move in its push toward a for-profit structure.
• BlackRock bought GIP for $12 billion a year ago, and Ogunlesi is now a senior managing director at BlackRock.

Adebayo Ogunlesi, a senior managing director at , has been appointed to the board of directors of OpenAI, marking the latest step in the company's transition to a for-profit structure.

Ogunlesi, a founding partner of Global Infrastructure Partners, was previously employed at Credit Suisse for 23 years before the acquisition of GIP by BlackRock for $12 billion in 2020.

"Ogunlesi stated in OpenAI's announcement on Tuesday that the rapid growth of AI presents a unique opportunity to create a better future. To fully realize AI's potential and deliver its benefits in a responsible manner, thoughtful strategies and investment in infrastructure are crucial. Ogunlesi is thrilled to contribute to this effort and is eager to be a part of the OpenAI Board."

The addition of Ogunlesi to OpenAI's board signifies another significant milestone in its transformation from a non-profit to a for-profit organization. Since late 2023, the board has undergone a complete overhaul, with CEO Sam Altman being abruptly removed before being reinstated.

Bret Taylor, who was chairman at Twitter before its acquisition by Elon Musk, became chair of OpenAI after the Altman ordeal in November 2023. Larry Summers, a former Treasury secretary, joined at the same time. The board added several new faces last year, including CEO Fidji Simo and Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, now known as the Gates Foundation.

In late December, OpenAI, a nonprofit founded in 2015, announced that it will establish a public benefit corporation to manage its commercial operations, thereby lifting some of its nonprofit limitations and enabling it to operate more like a fast-growing startup.

In 2022, OpenAI experienced a $157 billion valuation as it released updated large language models and new tools, contributing to the ongoing generative artificial intelligence boom.

In December, OpenAI stated that by becoming a Delaware PBC with ordinary shares of stock, it could conduct commercial operations while separately hiring staff for its nonprofit arm and enabling that division to engage in charitable activities in healthcare, education, and science.

One of OpenAI's co-founders, Musk, is attempting to halt the organization's transformation into a fully commercial enterprise through a lawsuit.

Ogunlesi holds board positions at BlackRock, Topgolf Callaway Brands, Kosmos Energy Holdings, and Terminal Investment Ltd.

— CNBC's Hayden Field contributed to this report.

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