Cat Wu and Austin Lau leave Anthropic for OpenAI

Cat Wu, who led product for Anthropic’s Claude Code, announced on X early on 5 November that she is joining OpenAI to lead product management for Core Products. The same morning, Austin Lau posted that he had also recently joined OpenAI. Neither company’s communications team issued a parallel statement that this desk found.

Wu wrote:

“Some news: I’m joining OpenAI to lead product management for Core Products!

I have a lot of respect for OpenAI for showing the world that scaling works, for bringing AI to over a billion people, and for believing great products are core to the mission.

I’m excited to work with @thsottiaux, an incredible PM team, and everyone across OpenAI. Together, we’ll build agents that have your back and your team’s, and keep you in control, so you get more time for the people and work you love.

Lots to learn, and lots to build. Please keep your feedback coming!”

The @thsottiaux handle is Thibault Sottiaux, OpenAI’s Core Products lead. Business Insider and Unite.AI both called the hire a significant product coup.

From Claude Code to Core Products

Business Insider and Unite.AI place Wu’s last day at Anthropic around 30 October, with a public exit note on 3 November. She had led product for Claude Code and Cowork. This desk has not independently verified Anthropic’s internal dates beyond those outlets and Wu’s own posts.

The Decoder said Sottiaux welcomed her publicly. Wu’s own words put the job on agents that “keep you in control.” She did not name a specific OpenAI product or timetable.

A second Anthropic departure

Lau’s post was shorter, and he did not name a title at OpenAI:

“lots of news breaking these days so I may as well sneak mine in if anyone cares and share that I recently joined @OpenAI 🫡

my time at Anthropic was a fever dream in the best way possible. got to help build the growth function, work alongside some really really talented people, and tackle some of the most challenging problems of my career.

incredibly grateful for the experience and excited for what’s ahead. also in case you were wondering, Ant has better coffee/drinks and OAI has better snacks.”

The Decoder described Lau as a growth marketing manager moving from Anthropic to OpenAI. In his own words, he helped build Anthropic’s growth function. Treat secondary biography as such; the only primary claim in his post is that he has joined OpenAI.

Talent moves are not product releases. Nothing in either post confirms roadmap changes at OpenAI or Anthropic. What is clear from the primary posts is that two Anthropic product and growth voices chose the same day to say they are now at OpenAI, and that Wu’s brief is Core Products under Sottiaux.

This report is not legal, financial, or health advice. See the disclaimer.