Key Executive Hires for IO, QTS

It's been a busy week for executive hires in the data center industry.

IO announced that Michael Berry has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. Berry will be responsible for financial planning and analysis, accounting, operations, treasury activities and investor relations, and will report to CEO and Product Architect, George Slessman.

“I am very happy to have Mike join IO,” said Slessman. “His experience as a proven operational leader and technology executive will support IO’s growth and provide a solid financial and operational foundation for the organization.”

Berry joins IO from SolarWinds, a publicly held international provider of IT management software with approximately $300 million in annual revenue, where he was Executive Vice President and CFO. Prior to SolarWinds, Berry was CFO at i2, a publicly held, international provider of supply chain software and services. Prior to his CFO experience, Mr. Berry served in various executive roles at The Reynolds and Reynolds Company, a provider of software and services to the retail automotive industry. He has also held executive management positions at Comdata Corporation and Travelers Express.

Meanwhile, QTS has selected Jeffrey Berson as the company’s first chief investment officer. Berson will be responsible for QTS’ investment strategy, including business development, strategic projects and investor relations, as well as supporting the office of the CFO on capital markets activities. QTS recently filed plans for an initial public offering.

Berson has more than 20 years of investment banking experience, much of it with the technology sector’s emerging infrastructure companies including data centers, managed services, enabling communications technologies and fiber providers. He has been involved in transactions aggregating more than $30 billion in value, including numerous public and private debt and equity transactions, convertible debt issues, merger and acquisition advisory assignments, and management and leveraged buy-out transactions.

Berson joins QTS from UBS where he was a managing director in the Media and Communications Group focused primarily on the communications infrastructure and the telecommunications services sectors. He’s also previously served as head of the Communications Services Investment Banking Group at Oppenheimer & Co., managing director in the Telecom Group at Barclays Capital and held various positions within the investment banking department at CIBC World Markets.

“Jeff's extensive experience within the data center industry and managed services, combined with his business insight, equips him well to serve as QTS’ first chief investment officer,” said Chad Williams, chairman and chief executive officer – QTS. “These are exciting times for the growth of QTS and Jeff’s knowledge and experience will play a critical role.”