10 OpenAI data center leaders
Heads of data center engineering, build and delivery, strategic sourcing, AI infrastructure and supercomputing, plus compute vice president and chief technology officer titles, are among these OpenAI data center leaders. A reader can learn how data center leaders run their sites at OpenAI from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Brent Mayo
LinkedInExperience: Head of Data Center Build and Delivery · OpenAI
Brent Mayo has been Head of Data Center Build and Delivery at OpenAI since June 2026, a current role based in Houston. Brent Mayo's listing also shows Technical Staff - Site Builds/Infrastructure at SpaceXAI from 2024 to 2026, Senior Engineer, Starship Offshore Program at SpaceX from 2022 to 2026 and Sr Project Manager at Valaris Limited from 2019 to 2022.
Chris Malone
LinkedInExperience: Former Head of Data Centers · OpenAI
Chris Malone is a Former Head of Data Centers at OpenAI, a role held from 2025 to 2026. Chris Malone's listing also shows Distinuished Engineer at Meta from 2020 to 2025, Distinguished Engineer & Senior Director at Google from 2008 to 2020 and System Architect at Hewlett-Packard Company from 1997 to 2007.
Irene Lu
LinkedInExperience: Head of AI Infrastructure · OpenAI
Irene Lu has been Head of AI Infrastructure at OpenAI since June 2025. Irene Lu's listing also shows Director, Controller for Construction, Hardware and AI infrastructure at Meta from 2024 to 2025, Director, Controller for Infrastructure Hardware and Supply Chain at Meta from 2022 to 2024 and Head of Server and Network Equipment Accouting at Meta from 2021 to 2022.
J Kartik Reddy
LinkedInExperience: Head - Data Center Strategic Sourcing · OpenAI
J Kartik Reddy has been Head - Data Center Strategic Sourcing at OpenAI since March 2025, with a headline describing an AI infrastructure and supply chain leader. J Kartik Reddy's listing also shows Group Manager (Procurement Team Lead - Datacenter Construction) at WNS Procurement in 2018 and Senior Associate (Procurement Team Lead - Datacenter Procurement) there from 2015 to 2018.
Matt Winters
LinkedInExperience: Former Head of Data Center Delivery · OpenAI
Matt Winters is a Former Head of Data Center Delivery at OpenAI, a role held from 2025 to 2026, and has been Data Center Delivery Lead at Anthropic since June 2026. Matt Winters's listing also shows Director of Construction at Equinix from 2021 to 2025 and Geographical Manager Asia Pacific, Data Center Design at Facebook from 2019 to 2021.
Rory Carmichael
LinkedInExperience: Former Head of Supercomputing · OpenAI
Rory Carmichael is a Former Head of Supercomputing at OpenAI, a role held from 2022 to 2025, and the profile says Rory Carmichael led the Supercomputing team there. Rory Carmichael has been Engineer in Residence at Factorial Funds since March 2026, and the listing also shows Head of Engineering, Infrastructure Platform at Quantcast from 2019 to 2022.
Sachin Rajsekhar Katti
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Compute Strategy & GPT-Infra · OpenAI
Sachin Rajsekhar Katti has been Vice President, Compute Strategy & GPT-Infra at OpenAI since January 2026 and has held a Compute @OpenAI role there since November 2025. Sachin Rajsekhar Katti's listing also shows Chief Technology & AI Officer at Intel in 2025 and SVP & GM - Intel Network and Edge Group at Intel from 2023 to 2025.
Spas Lazarov
LinkedInExperience: Head of Data Center Engineering · OpenAI
Spas Lazarov has been Head of Data Center Engineering at OpenAI since January 2026 and has held a Member of Technical Staff role there since June 2025. Spas Lazarov's listing also shows Director Data Center Engineering at Apple from 2014 to 2025 and Director, Critical Power Systems Engineering at GE from 1997 to 2008.
Sreekanth Pothanis
LinkedInExperience: Head of Supercomputing · OpenAI
Sreekanth Pothanis has been Head of Supercomputing at OpenAI since October 2025. Sreekanth Pothanis's listing also shows Member of Technical Staff -- Team Lead Supercompute at SpaceXAI from 2024 to 2025, Senior Engineering Manager at Cruise from 2022 to 2024 and Senior Engineering Manager at eBay from 2019 to 2022.
Uday Ruddarraju
LinkedInExperience: Chief Technology Officer, Compute · OpenAI
Uday Ruddarraju has been Chief Technology Officer, Compute at OpenAI since July 2026 and was Head of Compute and Infrastructure at OpenAI from 2025 to 2026. Uday Ruddarraju's listing also shows Head of Infrastructure Engineering (xAI and X) at SpaceXAI from 2024 to 2025 and Senior Director of Engineering & Head of Infrastructure at Robinhood from 2023 to 2024.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's remit, such as data center engineering, build and delivery, sourcing or supercomputing, to the question you want answered. Former leaders can describe how the work was set up, while current leaders can speak to how it runs today.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01Which decisions take up most of your time in a data center or compute infrastructure leadership role?
- 02What does a typical week look like in your data center or compute infrastructure role?
- 03Which lessons from earlier data center or infrastructure roles have mattered most in your current work?
Reaching OpenAI data center leaders
How can I contact one of these OpenAI data center leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: OpenAI, based on profile data retrieved on October 26, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach OpenAI data center leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these OpenAI data center leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.