According to her LinkedIn profile, Elisabeth Diana, the former head of communications at human resources company Deel, has departed from the organization. This information was initially reported by Bloomberg, which noted Diana’s resignation amidst accusations against Deel for allegedly planting a spy at the rival company Rippling.
Efforts to reach Diana for comments were unsuccessful at the time of publication. Her LinkedIn profile indicates that she began her tenure at Deel in November 2021 and left in April 2025. Previously, she held the position of head of communications at Instagram and was the corporate head of communications at Facebook.
In a statement, Deel expressed appreciation for Diana’s contributions, saying, “We are grateful for the work Elisabeth did while at Deel and wish her the best in her next endeavor.”
Rippling, a workforce management platform, announced on March 17 that it had filed a lawsuit against Deel, alleging espionage and accusing them of violating the RICO racketeering act, misappropriation of trade secrets, and engaging in unfair competition. Although Rippling did not initially disclose the identity of the implicated employee, Keith O’Brien, the employee in question, signed an affidavit on April 2 that seemed to validate Rippling’s claims.
O’Brien’s account provided a dramatic narrative resembling a corporate espionage film, involving a sting operation and a damaged phone. This development added a new dimension to the already sensational lawsuit Rippling had leveled against Deel in March.
The future trajectory of Deel, which was last valued at $12.6 billion, remains uncertain. Supported by investors like General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, Spark Capital, and Y Combinator, the startup was reportedly considering a public offering just two months prior.
In response to the lawsuit, Deel denied any legal wrongdoing, asserting that Rippling was attempting to “shift the narrative” from allegations that Rippling had violated Russian sanctions. O’Brien later claimed that he, influenced by Deel executives, had made untruthful declarations to authorities, alleging that Rippling was facilitating payments to Russia.
This report has been updated with a statement regarding Diana’s departure from Deel and additional context on O’Brien’s statements.
