Data center firm Equinix has poached Google Cloud go-to-market president Adaire Fox-Martinas as its new chief executive.
Fox-Martin will take up the position at the end of the second quarter this year, the firm confirmed last week.
Current president and CEO Charles Meyers will become executive chairman, while Peter Van Camp, who currently holds the position, will step away from his formal responsibilities as a board member to take on the role of special advisor to the board.
"I am confident that Adaire's capabilities and experience will be deeply additive to our team and our culture, helping us meet the evolving needs of our customers, fuel our growth and unlock the extraordinary power of Platform Equinix," Meyers said.
"I am grateful to our board for their support of my desired transition timeline, and excited to assume the executive chairman role and actively support Adaire as she leverages her tremendous global experience to extend and expand our market leadership."
Fox-Martin has more than 25 years of experience in the tech sector, most recently serving as president of go-to-market for Google Cloud and head of Google Ireland. Here, she led Google Cloud's go-to-market teams globally, handling sales, professional services, partner ecosystem, and customer success.
Before that, Fox-Martin held senior global positions at SAP and Oracle. At SAP, she was a member of the SAP executive board, with responsibility for sales and service globally.
She has also served as president for SAP Asia Pacific and Japan and president of Google Cloud International, and has been a member of the Equinix board of directors since 2020.
Enable streamlined operations with unified management of switches
Meyers joined the company in 2010 and was appointed CEO in 2018, extending Platform Equinix to more than 70 markets across 33 countries. During this time, the company has seen revenue rise six-fold and has added more than $80 billion in equity value.
"Digital transformation is reshaping the basis of competition for industries across the globe, and the rapid adoption of AI is accelerating that dynamic," Meyers commented.
"These pivotal shifts have created an extraordinary demand environment for digital infrastructure, and our distinctive advantages create an exceptional long-term opportunity for Equinix."
The company currently has 250 International Business Exchange (IBX) data centers located in 71 major cities worldwide. It recently announced plans to open new facilities in Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and Australia
It's also believed to be planning to invest $390 million in building data centers in Africa over the next five years, and last week released plans for a new data center complex on the site of a former paint factory in Slough, UK.
"In today's dynamic digital landscape, Equinix has uniquely amassed global reach, highly differentiated ecosystems, strong partner relationships, and an innovative range of product and service offerings, collectively forming a robust and future-proofed platform to address diverse customer challenges," Fox-Martin said.
