How Data4’s New CIO Will Power Ahead With New Growth
Leading French data centre operator Data4 recently announced the appointment of Alexander Oyaert as its new Chief Investment Officer.
As a European leader in the design, construction and management of data centres, Data4 is eager to continue expanding its presence across the continent.
Alexander will now oversee all of Data4 Group M&A and financing activities, having recently played a critical role in raising €3.3 billion (US$3.43bn) of debt financing to support the group’s growth. This figure also includes €1.1 billion (US$1.14bn) to support new projects and acquisitions.
Olivier Micheli, CEO of Data4, shared: "I am delighted to welcome Alexander as Data4's new Chief Investment Officer. This strategic role has become crucial for Data4 to support the group’s expansion.
“With such a solid experience in the banking industry, Alexander will help us accelerate our growth and develop new funding strategies.”
Bolstering the European data centre market
With a strong background in finance, Alexander has worked for a range of leading financial companies, including Morgan Stanley and Brookfield Asset Management.
At the latter, he was Vice President in the Infrastructure Division, which led him to join Data4 in September 2023 as Chief of Staff to the CEO.
In addition to his industry commitments, Alexander has also c-founded a non-profit organisation to improve the working conditions of lifeguards and first aid workers in Belgium.
Speaking on his appointment, Alexander said: “I am looking forward to helping Data4 Group continue its strong track record and retain its position as the European data centre champion.
“Using my experience in finance, I am determined to find the funds to secure and achieve new expansion projects.”
A company move like this is significant for wider industry development. Data centre investments are being much discussed in Europe at the moment, particularly in the wake of new sustainability regulations and countries like the UK announcing big moves in infrastructure development to support continued AI growth.
Strong financial backing is required to support the development and construction of data centre projects. The UK government in particular has recently welcomed international investments into UK data centres in order to boost economic growth.
Supporting company growth
Data4 is responsible for financing, designing, building and operating its own data centres to provide its customers with high-performance and environmentally-friendly data hosting solutions.
Its data centres are delivered through its campus model, with the company currently operating 22 data centres across France, Italy, Spain, Poland and Luxembourg. The company also holds a portfolio of land and power resources that consists of 129 hectares and 209 megawatts (MW), which the company states is unique within the market.
Those served by Data4 include international cloud operators and telecom operators, innovative technology companies and a range of multinational corporations. Data4 helps these customers better understand their data challenges and pride themselves on being agile to deliver these solutions in a more sustainable way.
Alexander hopes that with greater financing, the company will be able to expand its reach even further.
He adds: “Starting with this €3.3 billion financing, we will be able to support the company into the fastest growing sector across the infrastructure and real estate markets.”
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