OpenAI announced the appointment of David Vélez and Robin Vince to the boards of both the OpenAI Foundation and OpenAI Group PBC, the company said Monday.
Vélez is the founder, chairman, and global CEO of Nubank, Latin America’s largest digital bank with more than 135 million customers. Vince is chairman and CEO of BNY, the over-240-year-old financial services company. Vince will chair the board’s audit committee, according to an earlier Wall Street Journal report.
Financial Services Expertise for IPO Readiness
“David and Robin are exceptional leaders who have used technology to reshape financial services and expand opportunity at global scale,” said Bret Taylor, chair of both OpenAI boards, in the announcement. “Their experience will be invaluable as OpenAI serves more businesses and people around the world.”
The appointments are a direct signal of IPO preparation. Vince’s audit committee role brings institutional financial oversight at a moment when OpenAI is expected to go public as early as late 2026. Before joining BNY, Vince spent 26 years at Goldman Sachs, where he served as Chief Risk Officer, Treasurer, and Head of Operations.
Vélez brings a different lens: digital-first financial infrastructure at scale. Nubank, which he founded in 2013, recently secured conditional approval to establish a U.S. national bank, expanding beyond its Latin American base.
Board Composition After November 2023
The board additions follow OpenAI’s turbulent governance history. In November 2023, a previous board briefly dismissed CEO Sam Altman before reinstating him, triggering a governance overhaul that replaced the original nonprofit-only structure.
The current board composition reflects OpenAI’s strategic priorities: fintech infrastructure (Vélez) for payment rails relevant to agent-driven transactions, and institutional banking governance (Vince) for regulatory compliance and enterprise credibility.
“AI can be the ultimate capacity creator, expanding what people and institutions are capable of,” Vince said in the announcement. “Realizing AI’s promise requires creativity, strong governance, and responsible deployment.”