Deel Comms Chief Leaves During Rippling Spying Lawsuit

Departure of Communications Head at Deel

Elisabeth Diana, who previously served as the head of communications for the human resources platform Deel, is no longer employed by the company. This information is reflected in her LinkedIn profile.

The news regarding Diana’s resignation from Deel was initially reported by Bloomberg. This follows recent allegations that Deel engaged in the act of placing a spy within competitor Rippling.

TechCrunch attempted to contact Diana for comment, but had not received a response as of the time of this report.

Previous Roles and Tenure

According to her LinkedIn profile, Diana began her tenure at Deel, led by CEO Alex Bouaziz, in November 2021. Her employment with the company concluded in April 2025.

Prior to joining Deel, she held the position of head of communications at Instagram and previously served as the corporate head of communications for Facebook.

Deel's Official Statement

Deel released a statement expressing gratitude for Diana’s contributions during her time with the company. They extended their best wishes for her future professional endeavors.

Legal Dispute with Rippling

On March 17, Rippling, a workforce management platform, initiated legal action against Deel. The lawsuit alleges corporate espionage.

The charges leveled against Deel encompass violations of the RICO racketeering act – a law frequently utilized in prosecuting organized crime – as well as accusations of trade secret misappropriation and unfair competition.

Initially, Rippling did not disclose the identity of the employee involved. However, on April 2, an affidavit signed by Keith O’Brien was released, seemingly corroborating Rippling’s claims.

Details of the Alleged Espionage

O’Brien’s account of events, as detailed in the affidavit, resembles a narrative typically found in a corporate espionage thriller, involving covert operations and the destruction of evidence, specifically a mobile phone.

Future Outlook for Deel

The future trajectory of Deel, which most recently held a valuation of $12.6 billion, remains uncertain.

The startup has received backing from prominent venture capital firms including General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, Spark Capital, and Y Combinator.

Reports indicated that Deel was considering an initial public offering (IPO) as recently as two months ago.

Deel's Response to the Lawsuit

Deel responded to Rippling’s lawsuit with a statement asserting its innocence and denying any legal wrongdoing.

The company further claimed that Rippling was attempting to divert attention from allegations concerning Rippling’s potential violations of Russian sanctions.

O’Brien later stated that, at the direction of Deel executives, he made false statements to authorities regarding Rippling’s alleged facilitation of payments to Russia.

Update

This article has been updated to include Deel’s statement regarding Diana’s departure and to provide additional context surrounding O’Brien’s statements.