OpenAI Loses Data Centre Chief Amid Executive Departures

OpenAI has lost Chris Malone, the executive who previously led the company’s data centre strategy, as it continues to expand its infrastructure operations.

The Wall Street Journal reported Malone’s departure. Before joining OpenAI in March 2025, Malone spent nearly five years at Meta and more than a decade at Google. His professional background is also listed on his LinkedIn profile.

The timing of Malone’s exit comes as OpenAI continues building out its computing infrastructure to support large-scale AI model development. Malone joined the company shortly after the announcement of the Stargate Project, a major data centre initiative involving OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, SoftBank and Microsoft.

OpenAI Reorganises Infrastructure Leadership

OpenAI said it recently reorganised its infrastructure organisation to support the scale and pace of its work. The company said it has a strong data centre team with leadership and technical expertise in place to execute its plans.

As part of the restructuring, Malone stopped reporting directly to OpenAI President Greg Brockman and began reporting to Vice President Sachin Katti, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Several executives are now overseeing OpenAI’s data centre operations. The company’s infrastructure leadership includes Uday Ruddarraju, who leads the data centre team, Brent Mayo, who oversees data centre build and delivery programs, and Spas Lazarov, who leads data centre engineering.

Executive Departures Continue at OpenAI

Malone’s departure adds to a series of executive exits at OpenAI. Business Insider has tracked multiple leadership departures from the company during 2026, including several senior roles.

The company recently replaced Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser after a short tenure. OpenAI also lost longtime executive Brad Lightcap, who previously served as chief operating officer and said he was moving on to start something new.

Earlier in the year, Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s product and business chief, stepped away from her operating role while remaining with the company as an adviser. Simo discussed her transition in a public statement shared on X.

OpenAI has also seen departures from teams focused on safety and research. Reports said the company lost Chloé Bakalar, who led ethics efforts, while the preparedness team responsible for assessing advanced AI risks was disbanded.

Futurism reported the departure of OpenAI’s former head of ethics. The company also lost its former Sora image-generation leader, Bill Peebles, following changes to the project.

Leadership Changes Draw Attention Ahead of IPO Plans

OpenAI has faced increasing attention over executive turnover as the company prepares for a potential public listing. Reports indicate that its IPO timeline may be pushed to 2027.

Financial and industry reports have raised questions about OpenAI’s valuation, growth expectations and the scale of investment required to build AI infrastructure. The Wall Street Journal has reported on the company’s IPO ambitions and competition in the AI market.

Other reporting has examined OpenAI’s financial position relative to rivals, including discussions of revenue growth and valuation expectations by The Information and The Wall Street Journal.

OpenAI has continued to emphasise its ability to execute its infrastructure plans despite leadership changes. Broader reporting from The Wall Street Journal has examined executive movement across major AI companies.

Kate Rouch, OpenAI’s former chief marketing officer, also left the company earlier in the year, a move reported by Ad Age.

With AI infrastructure becoming a central part of the industry’s expansion, OpenAI’s ability to maintain experienced leadership across data centres and operations remains closely watched.