In her LinkedIn banner photo, Sarah Friar quotes the late Irish poet Seamus Heaney: “Walk on air, against your better judgment.” The line, from his poem “The Gravel Walks,” is about a “paradoxical sense of lightness” when doing hard physical labor. Sarah has never shied away from the heavy lifting life demands, daring to dream big and raise up others along the way. “Sarah is just an amazing person and I’m honored to be her classmate,” says David Yoon, MBA ’00.
David continues with some of Sarah’s many accomplishments. “Sarah is the CFO of OpenAI and co-founded Ladies Who Launch, a nonprofit that celebrates and empowers women entrepreneurs. She was also granted an Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II for her commitment to entrepreneurship and is on the Advisory Board of Operation HOPE.” Prior to OpenAI, Sarah was CEO of Nextdoor, the neighborhood networking app, taking the company public in 2021. And before that, she was CFO at Square (now Block, Inc.), launching its initial public offering in 2015. She is active on boards, including Walmart and Consensys.
Sarah grew up in Northern Ireland, where her parents gave her “a great grounding on what it meant to invest back in your community.” She earned a master’s in engineering at University of Oxford prior to Stanford GSB, where she graduated as an Arjay Miller Scholar. Her work ethic led her to success as a leader in the financial and tech industries — values she shares with others. “My leadership mantra is people first,” Sarah says. “I believe if you get the right people and let them fly, that involves giving them a lot of autonomy, encouragement, and tough love.” Sarah was named to the 2023 NACD Directorship 100, an award celebrating leadership, innovation, and excellence. When asked why she chose the Irish poet’s quote as her tagline, Sarah explains, “Take risks. Your intuition, let it guide you. Don’t always be logic-driven, but walk on air despite your better judgment.”
In a career defined by bold moves and breakthrough moments, Sarah proves that the greatest leaders don’t just walk on air themselves — they create the conditions for others to take flight alongside them.
