Lifetime Achievement Award: Laura Ortman, CEO of Cologix
Laura Ortman was appointed as Cologix’s new CEO in 2022, by the company’s Board of Directors.
Her career represents over 25 years of experience in technology, with her fields of expertise spanning enterprise software, SaaS, IaaS, the cloud, data centre colocation, software development, and testing, alongside the training, development, coaching, and mentoring of her teams.
Ortman has held executive leadership positions with some of the industry’s largest names, including Equinix and VMware, where she worked for over eight years, rising the ranks from a Senior Support Manager for Global Support Services for the Americas to the VP and General Manager for Cloud Services & Executive Global Services.
Cologix’s first ever female CEO
Prior to her appointment to the CEO position, Ortman held the roles of Co-President and Chief Revenue Officer within Cologix.
Now, she leads the company’s strategy and establishes the roadmap for its product, technology, and IT strategies.
In 2022, Cologix achieved a $3bn recap, extensively expanding its partnerships across the data centre marketplace. Alongside this, with Ortman at the helm, the company is also investing heavily in the growth of its Scalelogix hyperscale edge and digital edge data centre portfolios, while also working towards the ambitious target of transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2030.
Driving pioneering DE&I standards
As a mother of two girls and the company’s first female CEO, it is immediately clear why Ortman holds DE&I as one of her top leadership priorities.
“Currently, Cologix has more than 50% female representation on its leadership team. I also spearheaded the company’s first employee resource group, Cologix Women’s Connection Network, where we have over 90% participation. Last year, we formalised our DEI initiative programming to help drive our diversity programmes forward,” Ortman explained, in an interview with Jaymie Scotto Cutaia of JSA TV.
Throughout her career, Ortman has been an invaluable advocate for women working in technology.
“I believe it is important to mentor and encourage more women to have careers in technology as well as the data centre industry,” Ortman adds.
To this aim, she personally mentors a number of female college students and volunteers on numerous higher education boards, including both the Advisory Board for the University of Colorado Boulder – Leeds School of Business, and the Alumni Board and College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board for the University of Alabama.
She is also a member of the Extraordinary Women on Boards (EWOB) group – which consists of female corporate board directors working to achieve improved board excellence, modern governance, and board diversity – based in New York.
“I also want to set an example for my two daughters and girls who aspire to get into the technology field or business and leadership positions. They essentially can accomplish anything they aspire to in the future.”
