Scale AI Names Former Google Cloud Executive Francis DeSouza as CEO

Scale AI announced Thursday it has appointed former Google Cloud executive Francis DeSouza as its new chief executive officer, effective August 10. The move signals a strategic push by the artificial intelligence data company to expand its enterprise and government businesses.

Leadership Transition

DeSouza will succeed Jason Droege, who has served as interim CEO since June of last year. Scale AI confirmed that Droege will remain with the company for several months to ensure a smooth transition. The leadership change follows the departure of founder Alexandr Wang, who joined Meta Platforms as its chief AI officer last year.

A Veteran Executive's Track Record

DeSouza brings over 30 years of experience in enterprise technology to the role. He most recently served as chief operating officer and president of security products at Google Cloud. His career includes significant leadership positions at major technology and life sciences companies.

Before his tenure at Google, DeSouza was the president and CEO of Illumina, a genomic sequencing company. According to Scale AI, under his leadership:

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• Illumina's annual revenue grew to more than $4.5 billion.
• The company's global presence expanded to more than 150 countries.

Earlier in his career, DeSouza was president of products and services at cybersecurity firm Symantec and founded two technology companies that were later acquired by Microsoft and Symantec. He holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Strategic Focus on Growth

The appointment comes as Scale AI, which provides data to power advanced AI models, seeks to grow its client base. The company noted it has recently added major enterprise customers including BP and the Mayo Clinic, and is expanding its work with U.S. and international government agencies. DeSouza's extensive experience in scaling large-scale enterprise operations is expected to support this growth trajectory.