Meta appoints AI "chief steward": Former Trump adviser named president, Zuckerberg forms executive team to oversee data center investments

Meta is assembling a team of top executives to manage its multi-billion-dollar data center projects, supporting the infrastructure investments needed for its pursuit of "superintelligence." This move highlights the global tech giants' aggressive bets on infrastructure amid the AI race.

On Monday, US Eastern Time, Meta announced the appointment of Dina Powell McCormick, a senior advisor during President Trump's first term, as the company's President and Vice Chair, focusing on cooperation with governments and investors around AI projects. Hours later, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the promotion of two executives to lead an internal organization called Meta Compute, overseeing the company's global data centers and supplier partnerships.

Zuckerberg previously pledged to invest $600 billion in infrastructure over the coming years and has sought tens of billions in external financing to support some projects. The new team will be responsible for overseeing these investments and raising more funds for future projects. The data center Meta is building in Louisiana will have a scale of 5GW, and Zuckerberg said its area is close to that of Manhattan.

On Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social congratulating Powell McCormick’s appointment, saying Zuckerberg made an "excellent choice" and praising her as “an outstanding and highly talented individual who served the Trump administration with strength and excellence.”

One of Wall Street’s Most Senior Female Executives Joins Meta

Powell McCormick joined Meta's board in April last year but unexpectedly resigned eight months later. This week, she returns to Meta as President and Vice Chair, reporting directly to Zuckerberg. A Meta spokesperson confirmed that she will guide the company’s overall strategy, with a special focus on AI infrastructure.

Photo of McCormick from Meta

Meta’s statement released Monday said McCormick’s “experience at the highest level of global finance and her deep global relationships give her a unique advantage to help Meta manage its next phase of growth as President and Vice Chair.” Zuckerberg stated in a post that she will be “especially focused on cooperating with governments and sovereign entities.”

Media report Powell McCormick as “one of Wall Street’s most senior female executives.” Public information shows that in her over 25-year career, McCormick spent 16 years as a senior leader at Goldman Sachs, leading the bank’s global sovereign investment business.

McCormick was previously President and Global Head of Client Services at investment firm BDT & MSD Partners. The company’s Co-CEO Gregg Lemkau revealed that after leaving to join Meta, McCormick will continue to serve as a member of its advisory board.

McCormick was born in Egypt and has held various US government positions for more than a decade. She served as Deputy National Security Advisor during Trump’s first term and as Senior Advisor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Assistant Secretary of State during the Bush administration. Her husband Dave McCormick is currently a Republican Senator for Pennsylvania and won that state’s key Senate seat for the GOP in 2024.

McCormick is the second former Trump administration member Meta has appointed this month. Earlier, Meta hired Curtis Joseph Mahoney as Chief Legal Officer, who served as Deputy United States Trade Representative during Trump’s first term.

Meta Compute Leadership Announced

On Monday, Zuckerberg posted on Facebook announcing the establishment of the high-level organization Meta Compute. His post said: “Meta plans to build tens of gigawatts (GW) this decade, eventually reaching hundreds of GW or more. How we design, invest in, and cooperate to build this infrastructure will be a strategic advantage.”

This work will be led by Santosh Janardhan and Daniel Gross. Janardhan is Meta’s head of infrastructure. He will continue to oversee the company’s data center technical architecture, software stack, chip projects, developer productivity, and the construction and operation of global data centers and networks. Unlike before, he will now report directly to Zuckerberg.

Gross joined Meta last summer to help recruit AI talent. He will lead a new team focused on capital strategy, supplier partnerships, industry analysis, planning, and building commercial models around Meta AI initiatives. He will also report to Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg said Janardhan and Gross “will closely collaborate with Dina Powell McCormick, who just joined Meta as President and Vice Chair and will be responsible for working with governments and sovereign entities to build and deploy Meta’s infrastructure, related investments, and financing. I look forward to working closely with Daniel, Santosh, Dina and their teams to expand Meta Compute and deliver personal superintelligence to billions of people worldwide.”

AI Race Drives Infrastructure Investment Boom

Meta is seeking to realize "superintelligence"—AI systems that surpass humans in many tasks—by actively investing in AI infrastructure. Meta is building multiple GW-level data centers across the US, including a rural Louisiana data center, which Trump said involved a $50 billion investment. This month, Meta also announced partnerships with energy companies Vistra Corp. and Oklo Inc., becoming one of the world’s largest nuclear power purchasers.

Meta is competing with major tech companies to develop AI-related infrastructure. OpenAI, Microsoft, and Oracle have pledged tens of billions to build large data center complexes. Musk’s xAI is also spending heavily, recently announcing the construction of a third data center near Memphis, Tennessee, with a $20 billion investment.

Last fall, Meta investors grew uneasy over the company’s aggressive spending plans on AI infrastructure. On October 29, 2025, the day Meta released its third quarter financial report, Zuckerberg said annual spending would exceed the previously estimated $72 billion, leading Meta shares to drop more than 7% after hours. Over the past three months, Meta’s stock fell nearly 9%.

This Monday, Powell McCormick’s appointment did not ease investor concerns. Meta shares dipped less than 0.9% by midday, set to fall back after a rebound last Friday, approaching the lowest level since December 12 last week.

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