#United States #Charlotte #Flexential #Thomas Bailey #Matthew Baumann

Flexential's Strategic Expansion and Leadership Appointments

In a bold move to bolster its standing in the competitive data center market, Flexential has announced the appointment of Thomas Bailey as Vice President of Energy and Matthew Baumann as Vice President of Site Acquisition. These leadership changes arise at a critical juncture when demand for digital infrastructure is surging, driven by the rapid adoption of enterprise-level AI solutions and multi-cloud strategies.

Meet the New Leaders

Thomas Bailey
Bringing to the table an extensive 25-year background in the utility sector, Bailey's most recent position was as Area Vice President at Xcel Energy. He was pivotal in forming alliances with data center customers and engineered a strategy for delivering a staggering 2.5GW of power to data centers over the following decade. In his new role at Flexential, he will harness these experiences to oversee energy capacity planning and engagement with utilities for new data center developments.

Matthew Baumann
Meanwhile, Matthew Baumann steps into his new role with nearly 20 years of experience in real estate, 10 of which he spent at Equinix. During his tenure, he played an instrumental part in expanding Equinix’s footprint in the Americas from 55 data centers to a staggering 110. At Flexential, Baumann will be responsible for site acquisition and asset management, working towards enhancing the company’s portfolio to meet growth targets adequately.

Addressing Market Demand

Flexential's recent growth strategy coincides with a significant rise in demand for third-party data center capacity. The firm's 2025 State of AI Infrastructure Report highlighted that 44% of enterprises see IT constraints as the most significant hurdle to expanding AI capabilities. Current statistics show that vacancy rates in pivotal markets are at an all-time low of 1.9%, leading to lengthy wait times for companies seeking data center space. Projections indicate a possible 22% annual growth in global data center demand until 2030, necessitating an urgent expansion in capacity.

Ryan Mallory, President and COO of Flexential, commented on the significance of these strategic appointments: "Tom and Matt bring specialized expertise that directly addresses the infrastructure bottlenecks that are hampering enterprise AI adoption. Their experience positions us to expedite site development and secure the required energy capacity for our clients."

These appointments also signify the ongoing commitment from Flexential to exceeding its customers’ expectations amid this growing demand. The company has backed its expansion with substantial investments from Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and continued support from GI Partners.

A Focused Growth Strategy

Bailey's utility-side experience will enable him to fortify energy partnerships across the Flexential markets, an essential aspect as enterprises increasingly rely on AI technologies. He expressed confidence in Flexential's customer-centric approach, stating, "To adhere to increasing demands, we need coordinated energy infrastructure collaboration to meet our customers’ timelines."

For Baumann, there’s a significant opportunity in harnessing Flexential's established customer base and strong capital support to revolutionize the data center development landscape. He aims to standardize procedures that facilitate an efficient and scalable growth model, ensuring long-term portfolio expansion.

Flexential is setting the stage for a transformative operational framework to manage increased capacity and customer engagement. Mallory remarked, "We've established dedicated leadership in critical areas which allows us to be more responsive, anticipate needs effectively, and synchronize with our development initiatives. This investment is geared toward operating on a vastly improved scale."

With operations spanning over 40 data centers across 18 U.S. markets and a remarkable management of over 330 MW of capacity, the FlexAnywhere® platform—an integration of colocation, cloud, connectivity, and data protection—positions the company to meet the rising demands of hyperscale workloads efficiently.

Flexential is undeniably steering its focus toward future engagements and industry challenges, highlighting its commitment toward infrastructure development equipped for digital transformation across sectors. For further inquiries into Flexential's infrastructure capabilities and tailored IT solutions, interested parties can visit Flexential.

About Flexential

Flexential is committed to empowering complex business IT journeys through its array of customizable IT solutions that cater to today’s high-density computing requirements. Based on its FlexAnywhere® platform, the company’s services are delivered through over 40 data centers spanning 18 connected markets, each underpinned by a robust 100Gbps+ private network. Designed with a focus on security, compliance, and resilience, Flexential is optimizing digital transformation across various industries. Learn more about Flexential at www.flexential.com.