How to Hire a CEO in Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure: What Boards and Investors Should Look For

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I wrote this guide for boards and investors on how to hire a CEO in Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure. The sector is one of the fastest-growing infrastructure sectors in the economy, where AI-driven demand, power and cooling constraints, and massive capital deployment are creating unprecedented competition for leaders who can build and operate at hyperscale, and the CEO profile that succeeds in it is specific: a leader who can scale a development-and-operations machine at unprecedented speed, secure power and sites in a constrained market, and operate mission-critical infrastructure flawlessly, balancing breakneck growth against the reliability customers demand.

The Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure CEO Mandate in 2026

Before assessing candidates, boards should agree what the next three to five years demand. In Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure, that context is shaped by three forces: AI-driven compute demand is fueling a historic construction and capital cycle straining the leadership supply. Power access, cooling innovation, and energy strategy have become the binding constraints and top leadership priorities. Speed of build-out and operational reliability at hyperscale demand a rare blend of construction and operations command. The right CEO is defined by which of these the company must navigate most urgently.

What to Look For in a Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure CEO

The profile that succeeds is a leader who can scale a development-and-operations machine at unprecedented speed, secure power and sites in a constrained market, and operate mission-critical infrastructure flawlessly, balancing breakneck growth against the reliability customers demand. Concretely, boards should probe for hyperscale development and construction delivery; power procurement, energy strategy, and cooling innovation; mission-critical operations and reliability command; capital-project delivery at speed and scale.

Where Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure CEOs Come From

The strongest candidates are drawn from data-center operators and hyperscalers (operations and development depth); construction, engineering, and EPC firms (project-delivery leadership); energy and utilities (power and infrastructure expertise); telecom and infrastructure (asset-operations leadership). Boards should map all of these pools rather than defaulting to obvious internal or direct-competitor candidates.

The Board’s Role in the Search

A CEO search is the board’s most consequential act. The failure patterns are consistent: mandate ambiguity that surfaces at finalist stage, over-weighting charisma over the specific capabilities the sector demands, rushing or drifting the process, and neglecting rigorous referencing under time pressure. Boards that align on the mandate in writing, run a structured assessment, and reference beyond the candidate-supplied list consistently outperform.

Compensation and Closing the Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure CEO

Compensation is escalating sharply with demand, blending strong cash with equity and carried interest at developer and infrastructure-fund-backed platforms; development, power, and mission-critical operations leadership command some of the steepest premiums in any sector. The CEO package must reflect the sector’s ownership structure and the profile’s scarcity, and the close depends as much on the mandate’s credibility as on the number. Our Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure executive compensation report details the benchmarks.

Related Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure Resources

See also Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure executive search guide, Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure top 10 in-demand roles, Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure executive compensation report.

Tanya Gallardo

Managing Director, Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy

Tanya Gallardo is the Managing Director of Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy at JRG Partners, leading C-suite and Board engagements across key growth sectors including Technology, Financial Services, and Manufacturing.

With over 18 years of experience specializing in disruptive technology leadership, Tanya is recognized as a leading authority on talent architecture for future-focused executive roles, such as the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Her expertise lies in accurately assessing the cultural fit and technical depth required to ensure a high return on investment (ROI) for critical leadership appointments.

Prior to her role at JRG Partners, Tanya held senior roles directing global talent acquisition strategies at a major publicly-traded technology firm, advising on organizational design and succession planning for emerging executive functions. She is a recognized speaker and contributor to industry events, sharing data-driven insights on executive compensation, leadership development, and the measurable business impact of C-suite talent.

Connect with Tanya to discuss your executive search needs.