Meta Platforms is losing one of its influential technology executives, as Indian American Santosh Janardhan steps down as head of infrastructure and co-head of engineering after more than 17 years at the company.
Janardhan is expected to leave Meta in early 2027. Dave Brown, who joined the company earlier this year as vice president of infrastructure, will take over his responsibilities. Janardhan will remain with Meta during the transition before moving into an advisory role with Meta Compute, an initiative focused on expanding the company’s data center infrastructure and computing capabilities.
In an internal memo to employees, Janardhan said it was the right time to “pass the baton” to someone else. He did not disclose specific reasons for his departure.
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“As we make the next set of choices about our priorities, this is the right time for Dave to take the lead in shaping that work. Dave has spent his career building and operating dependable infrastructure for a wide range of demanding workloads. He has the instincts, depth and judgment this moment requires,” Janardhan wrote in the memo.
Janardhan joined Meta, then known as Facebook, in 2009. He played a major role in building the company’s global technology infrastructure as its user base expanded across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
As head of infrastructure and co-head of engineering, he oversaw critical systems supporting Meta’s applications, data centers, networking, servers and computing operations. Earlier this year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg assigned Janardhan to lead Meta Compute as the company expanded its computing capacity to compete with rivals such as Google, Microsoft and OpenAI.
Brown will succeed Janardhan. Before joining Meta, he spent nearly 19 years at Amazon, where he worked extensively on cloud computing, infrastructure and AI technologies through Amazon Web Services (AWS). He joined Meta earlier this year as vice president of infrastructure.
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“Santosh will stay on for transition, and he is moving into an advisory role on Meta Compute,” a Meta representative said.
Meta has been significantly increasing its infrastructure spending as it seeks to strengthen its position in the global AI race. The company has projected capital expenditures of between $135 billion and $145 billion this year, with investments directed toward data centers, servers and other computing infrastructure.
The heavy spending contributed to negative free cash flow of approximately $2.12 billion in the company’s third-quarter report. However, Zuckerberg has continued to position AI as a central pillar of Meta’s long-term strategy.
Meta shares closed at $628.77 on Nov. 11, down $12.62, or 1.97%. They traded at $624.90 in after-hours trading.