As Chief Executive Officer, Brian Cox ensures that STACK offers a compelling and seamless solution to its clients. He has experience with almost every challenge encountered in the industry, bringing an understanding of growth patterns of businesses of all sizes. Brian’s career has focused on building companies by positioning them to win and maintain client trust. He was most recently Chief Operating Officer of Cologix, a global data center and interconnection solutions provider. At Cologix, he was responsible for critical infrastructure, development, and commercial management, growing the business from a startup with one data center into an international platform with 25 data centers across the U.S. and Canada. He also served as Chief Financial Officer at Cologix and prior to Cologix, was Chief Financial Officer at i-transfer, a global financial technology company. Brian received an MBA from the University of Colorado and a BBA in Finance and Accounting from Texas Christian University. He is a former officer in the U.S. Military.

David Dunn is COO of H5 Data Centers. Mr. Dunn has nearly 15 years of experience managing significant growth and delivering outsized returns on investment in the Internet infrastructure space. Mr. Dunn most recently served as vice president at the Zayo Group where he was responsible for managing the wavelength and mobile infrastructure business units. Prior to Zayo, Mr. Dunn was senior vice president at CoreSite where he held leadership roles in mergers & acquisitions, leasing, marketing and strategy. Before joining CoreSite, Mr. Dunn held roles at several private equity firms including The Carlyle Group and J.E. Robert Companies. Mr. Dunn earned a B.S. in Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Kevin Mammel is responsible for leading the capital strategy of the company including large project financing. Kevin also has responsibility for accounting, financial planning and analysis and long-term planning.

Kevin brings over 30 years of experience across the telecommunications and technology industries, in corporate finance, treasury, accounting and capital markets. Prior to joining Rowan, Kevin spent nine years at Zayo Group, a fiber infrastructure company, where he held various roles in finance including reporting segment CFO and Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance. Before Zayo, Kevin was the CFO at Quark Software, and has held finance leadership roles at Qwest, Brocade and Skyetek.

Kevin has an MBA from the University of Colorado, and a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Pennsylvania State University.

Kemal Hawa is a corporate partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Kemal represents many of the world’s largest private equity firms, infrastructure funds, real estate investors and lenders across a broad range of transactions in the digital infrastructure sector domestically and internationally, including mergers and acquisitions, investments, financing arrangements, joint ventures and development projects.

Kemal counsels clients in complex transactions across the digital infrastructure and telecommunications, media and technology industries. This includes many of the world’s largest data center operators, telecommunications carriers, tower companies, cloud providers, fiber providers, media companies, submarine cable operators, fintech companies, wireless and international carriers, internet service providers, satellite companies, equipment manufacturers and electric utilities.

In addition to M&A and financing transactions, Kemal represents companies in connection with the full spectrum of digital infrastructure transactions globally, including the negotiation of data center leases and colocation agreements, telecommunications master service agreements, licensing deals and other commercial transactions.

Kemal is a frequent author and speaker on digital infrastructure topics and has consistently been recognized as an industry leading attorney in the sector. In 2023, Kemal was named as one of Capacity Media’s “Power 100” – a list of the 100 most influential people in the digital infrastructure sector globally, and was voted “TMT M&A Lawyer of the Year” by an independent panel of judges organized by TMT Finance.

David C. Meadows II has worked in data center cooling since 1999.  He is currently the Director of Technology with STULZ USA, a manufacturer of precision air conditioning, humidification, and dehumidification products specifically designed for the data center.  Previously David has served as both the Design Engineering Manager and the Applications Engineering Manager at Stulz.  David holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.  David is also a graduate of the United States Navy Nuclear Power School.

As Senior Director of Operational Excellence for EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, Mike Penland is standardizing and optimizing their Operations team's day-to-day business. His key responsibilities include enhancing training programs, refining maintenance procedures, developing robust disaster response and recovery plans, and ensuring overall data center readiness and peak performance. Prior to his current role at EdgeCore, Mike built a strong foundation in critical operations and high-stakes environments during his 12 years of service in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear power plant operator. Transitioning his expertise to the data center industry, he began his career working in critical operations roles, first at STACK Infrastructure for two years, followed by a year and a half at Comcast.

When Shad Sechrist joined Lynn in 2023, he brought more than 25 years of experience with him in the electrical and electronic manufacturing industry, including data center design, building infrastructure consulting and network design. He helps deliver comprehensive data center solutions to Lynn’s enterprise clients, specializing in product selection, logistics, project management and process improvement. His consultative approach not only gives clients the answers they need, but it also helps them learn more about their physical infrastructure.

Renee brings a people-first approach to navigating the fast-moving, high-stakes world of data centers and communications. With experience in both startup and enterprise environments, she’s known for building strong partnerships across finance, operations, and procurement to align priorities, strengthen resilience, and deliver results that last. Energized by the possibilities of emerging AI, Renee is passionate about using technology to bring clarity and capability to the growing complexity of data centers.

Jake is the Co-Founder of Power and Data Management, LLC (PDM), a development firm that advises clients in building massively modular mission critical projects, and supplies electrical infrastructure including transformers, switchgear, containerized data centers and Battery Energy Storage Systems. PDM’s modular designs support flexible power densities to power standard and HPC systems yet delivers high operating efficiency. He is also the Founder of DC BLOX and Co-Founder of GIGA Data Centers, providers of multi-tenant colocation data centers and network services.

Prior to these ventures, he was Chief Marketing Officer for GE Energy Management ($8B revenue) where he led the development of global strategy and commercialization initiatives, and guided the development of markets and new technology areas such as creating GE’s Critical Power business. In GE Critical Power, he led the business to engage hyperscale-cloud companies with a complete portfolio of electrical equipment, including UPS, switchgear, and containerized critical power systems with automated controls.

Previously, he spent over nine years managing portfolio companies for private equity investors of electrical & electronic manufacturing businesses including Milestek, Pasternack Enterprises, and Magnequench, and saw them successfully brought to sale. He has also held executive leadership roles with Emerson Electric, in which he led Product Management for the Emerson Network Power division (now Vertiv).

Jake received a Bachelor degree in Math and Computer Science from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. He lives in Atlanta, GA.

Samidha Thakral is a vice president and investment officer at Prologis. She is responsible for Capital Deployment and investment activities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to joining Prologis in 2021, Samidha spent 14 years collectively at Hines, EQR and Lendlease where she led the ground-up development and acquisition of projects valued at over $5 billion including 1,400 apartment units, 6 million square feet of office and over 800 condominium units. Having lived and worked in three different countries on multiple real estate product types, she brings a unique perspective. Samidha has a demonstrated track record of creating successful projects that uniquely combine multiple product types that deliver real estate that is valued by both the end user and the investor.

She is passionate about innovation and technology in real estate and currently serves as Co-Chair of the ULI San Francisco Innovation Council that brings together leaders in Real Estate, technology, and Venture Capital. Samidha has a Master’s in business administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a Bachelor’s in Architecture from the Sushant School of Art & Architecture and a Masters in Music from the University of Delhi. When not at work, she enjoys cooking and pottery-painting with her two daughters and supports charitable initiatives in India that help educate children.

Rachel Brrett serves as President of Swanson Rink. With over 20 years of experience, Rachel leads a diverse team of engineers, project managers and support staff. Swanson Rink is a leading engineering and consulting firm in the mission critical and aviation industries. The firm specializes in mechanical and electrical engineering including specialists in baggage handling, fueling, boarding bridges, CFD modeling and telecom (ICT) and security. The firm also has a dedicated Project Management team to lead multi-discipline diverse projects.

As Vice President of Engagement, Megan Baker is responsible for development and implementation of GBI’s global marketing and communications strategies. She joined GBI in 2017 and held roles in client services, business development, and education before rising to her current role in 2023.

Megan is a passionate advocate for increasing accessibility of sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings through education and assessment. She creates strategic partnerships, identifies recognition opportunities, and opens markets to increase the visibility of GBI’s flagship offering: Green Globes certification. Her outreach efforts helped GBI reach 500 million certified square feet in 2022 and more than quadruple membership in three years.

Megan serves on ASAE’s Marketing Professionals Advisory Committee and was a subcommittee chair in 2022. She also held the position of Membership Chair for the SAME Pikes Peak Post in Colorado in 2022-2022. Megan serves as an Ambassador for Nomad Futurist, to promote access and opportunities for workforce development in the digital infrastructure industry and is a recipient of the 2024 IM100 Award.

Megan has significant experience in content creation, event management, public speaking, stakeholder relations, and strategic planning, and has worked in luxury hospitality and environmental consulting. She holds an MBA from Regis University with a specialty in Operations Management and a BA in Geography from the University of Mary Washington. She resides in Colorado with her family and two dogs.

With over a decade of experience in the data center industry, Kristy brings a comprehensive understanding of both the buying and selling aspects of the business. Her expertise spans a diverse range of focus areas, including infrastructure development, customer solutions, and business strategy. Kristy has been instrumental in developing and optimizing data center infrastructure at both enterprise and Hyperscale levels, ensuring the creation of robust, scalable solutions that adapt to the evolving needs of businesses. Her proficiency also includes designing and implementing global strategies that align with organizational objectives and market trends. Prior to joining Oracle, Kristy held a Sr. Principal Program Manager role (Infrastructure Strategy & Acquisition) at Microsoft.

Kristy has served on the Board of Directors for several prominent national trade organizations, including AFCOM and 7x24 Exchange. She is passionate about leveraging her knowledge and network to address complex industry challenges and drive success within the data center sector. She is currently an active member of Denver’s WIMCO chapter.

Mary Hart has been dedicated to the field of architecture within the data center industry since 2006, following her service as a brigade communications officer in Iraq. During her career, she was an early adopter of Revit for construction documentation within her firm. Graduating with a Master's in Architecture from UT Arlington in 1997, Mary initially focused on corporate office, call center, and interior renovation projects with Corgan. Her expertise later expanded to encompass higher education, aviation, and healthcare sectors. With a strong interest in complex infrastructure, she transitioned to specialize in mission-critical projects, collaborating with enterprise, colocation, and hyperscale clients. Simultaneously, she pursued a military career with the Texas Army National Guard, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2011. Her military roles involved managing communication systems, deploying networks in various missions, and implementing cutting-edge technologies.

In 2021, Mary joined HKS as a mission critical practice leader after leaving Corgan, where she increased sector revenue and team size X3 within two years. A recent opportunity led her to transition to the owner/developer side at STACK Infrastructure, where she currently serves as the VP of Architectural Design in the Innovation and Engineering group. Eager to integrate sustainability, technology, and AI to enhance design efficiency, Mary aspires to drive innovation within STACK. Beyond her professional pursuits, she enjoys activities such as gardening, cooking, hiking, and biking in her new residence of Denver, Colorado.

Kurt’s professional engineering career spans over 40 years. His expertise includes structural engineering design for Mission Critical Facilities such as Data Centers, Health Care Facilities such as Hospitals and Clinics and Life Sciences Facilities such as Biopharmaceutical Pilot Plants and Production Facilities around the United States and the World. His area of expertise is in designing buildings to be occupable after natural disasters including Tornados, Hurricanes and Earthquakes. He has been the structural engineer of record for conventional “fixed Base Buildings” ranging from 1-23 stories, “Base Isolated Buildings” ranging from 1-5 stories, and the retrofit and new construction of buildings incorporating Fluid Viscous Dampers ranging from 1-22 stories. He has published numerous papers on passive energy dissipation and presented the findings at various conventions in Boston, San Francisco and Milan.

For over 23 years as the Founding Principal at PARADIGM Structural Engineers, Kurt spends most of his time developing new leaders at PARADIGM and mentoring staff in Chicago and San Francisco.

Justin Jurek is a seasoned power quality consultant and business development executive whom supports the design development of best in class power protection systems’ deploying $250M+ in his 15 year tenure into critical electrical infrastructure projects for some of the most leading datacenter providers, chip foundries, observatories, bio-labs, and defense installations. Justin is currently the sales director of Hitec Power Protection for the Americas, is based in San Diego, but has roots in WNY and holds an Electrical Engineering degree from SUNY Buffalo. Justin will be presenting on the impact of artificial intelligence in the datacenter on the mechanical system and solutions on the market.