Joseph Kava
Seasoned engineering and operations executive known for dramatically scaling Google’s data centers to create a global infrastructure at the cutting edge of sustainability and innovation. Active advisor and board member.
5282, LLC.•Los Altos, California, United States
View LinkedIn ProfileExecutive Overview
Joe Kava is a seasoned engineering and operations executive known for dramatically scaling Google’s data centers to create a global infrastructure at the cutting edge of sustainability and innovation. Named a titan of the digital infrastructure industry by Interglobix, he is currently an active advisor and board member. Most recently, Joe served as Vice President, Data Centers at Google for seventeen years. When he joined the company in 2008, there were two data centers, and they were considered a bottleneck to revenue growth; today, Google’s global fleet of data centers are recognized as an engine for its expansion. Under his leadership, the data center team consistently designed and built infrastructure in ways that not only met current technical requirements but also anticipated technical trends, all while using the least amount of energy possible. The result: Google’s data centers continue to surpass industry averages for sustainability while driving record-setting business results. Previously Joe was an engineering and business operations executive in the semiconductor industry, including serving as a member of the leadership team at Applied Materials for over a decade. He has been named an Industry Titan by Interglobix, as well as an Industry Luminary by Infrastructure Masons; the Infrastructure Masons also included him on their list of the 100 most influential industry leaders.
Career Timeline
- 5282, LLC.CurrentJul 2025–Present· 1 yr 3 mos
- Board Member, Advisor, Managing Partner, Retired Google ExecutiveCurrentJul 2025–Present
- The Chemours CompanyCurrent2025–Present· 1 yr 9 mos
- Member, Board of DirectorsCurrent2025–Present
- Apr 2008–Jun 2025· 17 yrs 2 mos
- Vice President, Data CentersApr 2008–Jun 2025
- Aug 2006–Apr 2008· 1 yr 8 mos
- Chief Operating OfficerAug 2006–Apr 2008
- Dec 1992–Aug 2006· 13 yrs 8 mos
- Managing DirectorJul 2001–Jul 2003
- Managing DirectorJul 2001–Jul 2003
- Sr. DirectorDec 1992–Jul 2001
- 1991–1992· 1 yr
- Process Engineer1991–1992
Education
Bachelor of Science
Engineering
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo