Virtus Data Centres names Adam Eaton as new chief
VIRTUS Data Centres has appointed Adam Eaton as Chief Executive Officer as it targets further expansion of its data centre portfolio across the UK and Europe.
The London-based operator said Eaton's appointment is effective immediately. He replaces Thomas Ee, Group Chief Operating Officer of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, who had held the role on an interim basis for the past nine months.
VIRTUS is a pure-play data centre owner-operator and forms part of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres. The group operates across multiple markets in Europe and Asia, including the UK, Germany, Italy, Singapore, India and several other countries in the region.
Under its new leadership, VIRTUS plans to continue the build-out of its data centre estate. The company has focused on high-efficiency and sustainable facilities during a period of rapid growth over the past decade.
Shareholders, including ST Telemedia Global Data Centres and Macquarie Asset Management, back the strategy. VIRTUS said it remains committed to digital infrastructure that supports demand from cloud, content and enterprise customers.
Leadership change
Eaton joins VIRTUS after more than two decades in the data centre, cloud and managed services sectors. The company said he brings commercial and operational experience, along with a background in strategic leadership and business transformation.
Most recently, Eaton served as Executive Group Director for Europe at rival operator Global Switch. In that role he led operations across the FLAPM markets: Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Madrid. He oversaw transformation plans at Global Switch that aimed to strengthen business performance and scale.
Bruno Lopez, President and Group CEO at ST Telemedia Global Data Centres and Chairman at VIRTUS Data Centres, said Eaton's background would support the company's next phase of growth.
"We are delighted to welcome Adam to VIRTUS at an exciting time. His insight and proven ability to scale complex operations make him the ideal leader for the business as VIRTUS continues to grow its footprint and strengthen its position as one of Europe's leading data centre operators. We look forward to this new chapter of leveraging Adam's knowledge, expertise and stakeholder management skills for further growth across the business," said Lopez.
Eaton first engaged with VIRTUS early in his career. He said he had followed the company's progress as it expanded with new data centres and entered new markets.
"I first met the VIRTUS team over 15 years ago. Since then, I've watched the company evolve into one of Europe's leading data centre operators. Helping VIRTUS scale and support its next phase of growth is an exciting opportunity. I'm privileged to build on the foundations laid by the existing team, embracing one of the most exciting leadership roles in the industry today," said Eaton.
Growth agenda
VIRTUS has grown over more than a decade through a mix of new construction and campus developments in and around London and other European hubs. The company positions its facilities as energy-efficient and sustainable, in line with broader industry efforts to reduce environmental impact.
The operator focuses on digital infrastructure that can support cloud providers and other customers that handle growing volumes of data. It emphasises resilience, security and availability in its UK data centres.
VIRTUS describes itself as the UK's leading data centre company and the "home of the cloud" in London and Europe. The wider ST Telemedia Global Data Centres group runs facilities in markets including Singapore, India, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam.
In December 2022, Macquarie Asset Management acquired a significant minority stake in VIRTUS via Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 7. The investment gave the infrastructure-focused asset manager exposure to the European data centre market through VIRTUS's expansion plans.
VIRTUS said it has a track record of designing and operating some of the UK's most efficient facilities. The company describes its operational focus as centred on safety, security and uptime for customers.
The appointment of Eaton marks the end of Ee's interim stewardship of the business. Ee had acted as a bridge between leadership phases while the board conducted its search for a permanent chief executive.
The company said Eaton will now lead the next stage of growth for VIRTUS. The group continues to assess opportunities for new developments across existing and potential new markets in Europe.
