Meta Platforms has confirmed that Santosh Janardhan, its longtime head of infrastructure and co-head of engineering, will leave the company in early 2027. Dave Brown, a former Amazon Web Services (AWS) executive who joined Meta earlier this year, will succeed Janardhan as the company expands its artificial intelligence infrastructure operations.
Janardhan will remain at Meta through the first quarter of 2027 to support the leadership transition. A Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch that Janardhan will also move into an advisory role within Meta Compute, the company’s initiative focused on expanding its computing capacity and data center investments.
Leadership Transition After 17 Years
Janardhan joined Facebook in 2009 and has spent more than 17 years overseeing infrastructure operations that support Meta’s platforms and services. His responsibilities have included developing the company’s software, hardware, networks, data centers, and computing infrastructure.
Bloomberg first reported his planned departure on November 11, citing an internal memorandum circulated to employees. The memorandum did not specify a reason for his decision, although Janardhan reportedly indicated that it was time to “pass the baton” to new leadership.
Meta has not provided further details regarding the reasons for his departure. Janardhan’s transition follows his appointment earlier this year to help lead Meta Compute, which oversees the company’s long-term computing infrastructure requirements.
Former Amazon Executive to Lead Infrastructure
Brown joined Meta in July 2026 as vice president of infrastructure following approximately 19 years at Amazon. During his tenure at AWS, he held senior leadership positions involving cloud computing, computing infrastructure, and artificial intelligence services.
Before joining Meta, Brown served as a senior vice president at AWS, overseeing computing and machine-learning services. His appointment places him in charge of Meta’s infrastructure operations as the company continues investing in data centers and AI computing resources.
Meta Expands AI Infrastructure Investments
Meta established Meta Compute in January 2026 to coordinate its long-term strategy for securing, managing, and allocating computing capacity. The initiative supports the company’s plans to increase data center capacity and develop the infrastructure required for its artificial intelligence systems.
Janardhan was appointed to help lead the initiative alongside Daniel Gross, Meta’s vice president of product, while Dina Powell McCormick, the company’s president and vice chair, also holds a leadership role in its infrastructure strategy. The initiative forms part of Meta’s growing investment in computing resources as it expands its AI operations.
Meta has increased its infrastructure spending substantially in recent years, including investments in data centers, specialized computing hardware, and AI-related infrastructure. Janardhan’s planned departure comes during this expansion, with Brown taking responsibility for the infrastructure organization he previously led.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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