Elisabeth Diana, the former head of communications at Deel, has officially left the company, as indicated by her LinkedIn profile. This development follows reports by Bloomberg, which highlighted her resignation amid serious allegations against Deel regarding corporate espionage involving rival company Rippling.
Diana joined Deel in November 2021 and concluded her tenure in April 2025. Prior to her role at Deel, she served as the head of communications at Instagram and held a similar position at Facebook. Deel expressed its gratitude for Diana’s contributions, wishing her well in her future pursuits.
The controversy surrounding Deel escalated when Rippling announced a lawsuit against the company on March 17, accusing it of various forms of corporate misconduct, including violations of the RICO Act, misappropriating trade secrets, and unfair competition. Initially, Rippling did not disclose the name of the alleged spy, but later revealed the identity of Keith O’Brien, an employee who submitted an affidavit supporting Rippling’s claims. The circumstances surrounding these allegations have been described as resembling a corporate espionage thriller, replete with covert operations and dramatic elements like a damaged phone.
As the situation unfolds, the viability of Deel, which recently boasted a valuation of $12.6 billion, is under scrutiny. The startup is backed by notable investors such as General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, Spark Capital, and Y Combinator, and it was reportedly considering entering public markets just two months prior to these events.
In response to Rippling’s legal action, Deel has categorically denied any wrongdoing, suggesting that Rippling is attempting to divert attention from its own legal troubles concerning alleged violations of Russian sanctions. O’Brien previously indicated that he made statements implicating Rippling in facilitating Russian payments under the direction of Deel executives, although he later claimed that these statements were false.
The departure of Diana from Deel, juxtaposed with the ongoing legal battles, raises questions about the company’s future as it navigates through this tumultuous period.
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