Meta has appointed former Trump administration adviser Dina Powell McCormick to a newly created senior leadership role, reinforcing the tech company’s ambitions in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp said Powell McCormick will serve as president and vice chairman, overseeing global strategy, government engagement, and capital partnerships. Her focus will be on funding and scaling Meta’s expanding AI initiatives. She will report directly to founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
The announcement follows Powell McCormick’s recent departure from Meta’s board, a move that surprised investors after less than a year in the role. Zuckerberg described her experience as uniquely suited to guiding the company through its next phase of growth. “Dina’s experience at the highest levels of global finance, combined with her deep relationships around the world, makes her exceptionally well placed to help Meta navigate this next phase,” he said.
Meta has emerged as a leading investor in AI infrastructure, racing rivals including OpenAI, Microsoft, and Oracle to develop more powerful systems. The company is building multiple gigawatt-scale data centres across the United States, including a flagship site in Louisiana highlighted by former President Donald Trump and projected to cost up to $50 billion.
Zuckerberg has committed up to $600 billion in spending on infrastructure over the coming years. Meta has already begun raising tens of billions of dollars in external financing and has secured long-term energy partnerships, including nuclear power agreements, to meet the enormous electricity demands of AI. Powell McCormick will play a central role in managing these capital and energy arrangements.
She brings more than three decades of experience in global finance, including 16 years at Goldman Sachs, where she led the firm’s global sovereign investment banking business. Most recently, she was president and head of global client services at BDT & MSD Partners, where she is expected to remain on the advisory board.
Her appointment also signals Meta’s growing engagement with governments as scrutiny of AI, data centres, and energy consumption increases. Powell McCormick previously served as deputy national security adviser during Trump’s first term and held senior roles under President George W. Bush. Her husband, Dave McCormick, is a Republican senator representing Pennsylvania.
Meta’s move comes as competition in AI infrastructure intensifies. Rival projects include Elon Musk’s xAI, which recently announced a $20 billion expansion of data centre capacity near Memphis, as well as OpenAI-backed initiatives aiming to transform global computing power. Analysts say Meta’s strategy reflects its determination to combine technological innovation with financial and political influence to secure a leading position in the rapidly evolving AI sector.