Samantha Jacobson Appointed VP of Partnerships at OpenAI

By: WE Staff | Saturday, 9 May 2026

• Samantha Jacobson is leaving The Trade Desk to join OpenAI as VP of Partnerships (Monetization)
• She will lead monetization partnerships across advertising, distribution, and emerging business models at OpenAI
• Samantha will continue serving on The Trade Desk’s board of directors after the transition

OpenAI has announced that Samantha Jacobson, who is currently the Chief Strategy Officer at The Trade Desk, has been hired for the position of Vice President of Partnerships (Monetization).

Samantha Jacobson has not only confirmed her move to OpenAI, but she will also continue to serve as a member of The Trade Desk's board of directors going forward while working at OpenAI.

As Vice President of Partnerships (Monetization) at OpenAI, Samantha will be in charge of establishing all monetization partnerships and developing OpenAI's partnerships regarding advertising, distribution, platform infrastructure, and new business models.

Per an OpenAI spokesperson, Samantha  will report directly to Torben Severson, the Vice President and Head of Global Business Development, and she is expected to begin her new position at OpenAI sometime this month.

The Trade Desk also confirmed via email that Jacobson will be joining OpenAI as their Vice President of Partnerships (Monetization) and will remain a member of The Trade Desk's board of directors.

“She’ll continue to play a critical role there,” a Trade Desk spokesperson said.

“Samantha will join OpenAI as VP of partnerships (Monetization), where she will lead the AI company’s monetization partnerships, shaping how it works with partners across advertising, distribution, platform infrastructure, and emerging business models. She will report to Torben Severson, vp and head of global business development, and is expected to start later this month”, according to a spokesperson from OpenAI.