Elisabeth Diana, who had served as head of communications at HR tech giant Deel, has officially parted ways with the company, according to updates on her LinkedIn profile. Her departure, first reported by Bloomberg, comes just weeks after Deel found itself at the center of a major corporate espionage scandal involving competitor Rippling.
Diana joined Deel in November 2021 and exited in April 2025, marking the end of a tenure that coincided with the company’s rapid rise and growing visibility. Prior to her role at Deel, she held high-profile communications positions at Instagram and Facebook, leading public relations for two of the biggest names in tech. Deel, for its part, released a brief statement saying, “We are grateful for the work Elisabeth did while at Deel and wish her the best in her next endeavor.”
Her resignation follows closely behind serious accusations made against Deel by Rippling, a competing workforce management startup. On March 17, Rippling filed a lawsuit alleging that Deel had engaged in corporate spying. The charges weren’t minor. They ranged from violating the RICO Act — a law typically reserved for prosecuting organized crime — to misusing confidential trade secrets and engaging in unfair business practices.
Initially, Rippling did not name the employee allegedly planted at the company, but that changed on April 2 when the company released a signed affidavit by Keith O’Brien. In it, O’Brien appeared to confirm that he had been working undercover at Rippling on behalf of Deel. His detailed testimony read more like a Hollywood thriller than a legal document, describing internal sting operations and even a destroyed mobile phone to erase digital footprints.
The lawsuit has quickly become one of the most explosive stories in the HR tech world, casting a long shadow over Deel’s future. Just two months ago, the company — most recently valued at $12.6 billion — was rumored to be preparing for a public market debut. Its investor list includes some of the most powerful names in venture capital, including General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, Spark Capital, and Y Combinator.
In response to the lawsuit, Deel issued a strong denial, stating it had committed “no legal wrongdoing” and accusing Rippling of attempting to shift focus away from its own alleged misconduct. According to O’Brien, Deel executives pushed him to make statements to authorities accusing Rippling of violating Russian sanctions. He later admitted those statements were knowingly false and made under pressure.
As the legal battle unfolds, the implications for Deel — both reputational and financial — are still unclear. What is clear, however, is that this saga is far from over, and the departure of a high-ranking communications leader like Diana only deepens the uncertainty surrounding the company.
