Meta Hands Its AI Data Center Build-Out to a Former AWS Executive as Infrastructure Chief Santosh Janardhan Steps Down
Santosh Janardhan, Meta's head of infrastructure and co-head of engineering since joining in 2009, told staff in a memo on November 11 that he will step down, CNBC and TechCrunch report. Dave Brown, who spent 19 years at Amazon and joined Meta in July, will lead infrastructure within the Meta Compute initiative. Janardhan will stay through the first quarter of 2027 for the transition and then move to an advisory role on Meta Compute. Meta did not give a reason.
Meta is putting the most expensive part of its AI strategy in the hands of someone who built a cloud for a living. Santosh Janardhan, who has run Meta's infrastructure for years, is stepping aside for Dave Brown, a former Amazon Web Services senior vice president who joined Meta only in July. The handover comes as Meta's data center spending is drawing more scrutiny from investors and credit raters.
What changes#
Janardhan, Meta's head of infrastructure and co-head of engineering, announced his departure in an internal memo on November 11, CNBC reported after obtaining it; Bloomberg first reported the move. He joined in 2009. In the memo he said "it's time to pass the baton" and that he will support Brown through the first quarter of 2027. A Meta representative told TechCrunch he is moving into an advisory role on Meta Compute.
Brown will formally lead Meta's infrastructure work within Meta Compute, the initiative led by president and vice chairman Dina Powell McCormick and technical leader Daniel Gross, according to CNBC. TechCrunch, citing his LinkedIn, says Brown spent 19 years at Amazon working on compute, cloud and AI before joining Meta as vice president of infrastructure.
Why the timing matters#
Meta told investors with its third-quarter results that it expects full-year capital expenditure of $135 billion to $145 billion, CNBC notes, and it recorded negative free cash flow of $2.12 billion, which S&P Global Ratings cited when it moved Meta's outlook to negative in late October. Meta has also been borrowing more, and paying more to borrow, to fund its AI build-out.
Limits#
- Neither the memo nor Meta gives a reason for Janardhan's departure; TechCrunch says Meta did not immediately clarify.
- The memo's contents are as reported by CNBC and TechCrunch; we did not see it.
- An exact departure date has not been announced beyond the transition through the first quarter of 2027.