Data Center World 2027

A telecom veteran

Scott Armul was named Chief Product and Technology Officer on January 1, 2026, leading Vertiv’s Technology Office, engineering research and development, and the business units comprising Vertiv's portfolio of solutions, including thermal management, power management, IT systems, infrastructure solutions, and global services. He served as Vertiv’s Executive Vice President, Global Portfolio and Business Units from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025. Scott began his career with Emerson Network Power (now Vertiv) in 2009 as an MBA Intern in Business Planning and Development and then transitioned into a permanent position as a Strategic Planner in 2010. He progressed through various leadership roles in the company, including Strategic Planning from June 2010 - June 2012, Senior Marketing Manager for Emerson Energy Systems from June 2012 - August 2015, Director of AC Power Product Management from August 2015 – February 2017, Vice President and General Manager of DC Power and Outside Plant for the Americas from February 2017- January 2018, and Vice President and General Manager of Global DC Power and Outside Plant Solutions from January 2018 - July 2022.

As Netrality Data Centers’ Chief Revenue Officer, Amber Caramella leads the company’s end-to-end revenue generation strategy, driving growth across its portfolio of colocation, powered shell, and wholesale data center solutions. Netrality is the largest privately held owner and operator of core interconnection facilities in the U.S.— offering carrier-neutral, low-latency connectivity, network diversity, and global reach. Caramella is responsible for shaping Netrality’s go-to-market strategy, including sales, marketing, revenue operations, technological innovation, strategic alliances, channel partnerships, and network interconnection. Prior to joining Netrality, Amber built Zayo’s global cloud, software, infrastructure, and data center vertical segment.

Shin Gomi was named Senior General Manager, Data Center & Energy Management, Growth Strategy Office for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) on April 1, 2024, and oversees all strategies and business development especially for “Data Center and Energy Management Strategy” for MHI Business Worldwide.

Sean James is a Navy veteran and Distinguished Engineer - Energy Systems for NVIDIA, where he's pioneering sustainable data centers and energy solutions. He previously worked in energy and data center research at Microsoft, with over two decades pioneering advanced cloud infrastructure. He led research on data center architecture, power systems, and scaling innovations, including groundbreaking projects like Project Natick (underwater data centers) and integrations of fuel cells, microgrids, and high-density computing.

With over 30 years of industry experience, Phill has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of data center infrastructure, network architecture, and cloud solutions worldwide. As Chief Innovation Officer at Aligned Data Centers, Phill spearheads the identification of emerging trends and technologies, strategically leveraging them to shape Aligned's innovation roadmap. He's instrumental in cultivating a culture of creativity, driving the development of new products and partnerships that ensure the company remains both competitive and highly adaptable in today's rapidly evolving market.

Ram Nagappan is Vice President in AI Infrastructure at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) with 20+ years of “chips-to-grid” experience spanning exascale supercomputers and gigawatt-scale AI data centers. He leads AI infrastructure architecture for large-scale AI and HPC platforms, including OpenAI’s Stargate program, combining executive leadership with hands-on involvement in site diligence, grid interconnection, power-plant architecture, data hall layout, and rack-level design for high-density GPU clusters.

Madonna Park is the Chief Financial Officer at Switch and is responsible for the financial management of the company, including leading the Accounting, Finance, Internal Audit and Investor Relations teams. She brings more than 20 years of experience as an investment banker and equity research analyst. Madonna joins Switch after more than 17 years with RBC Capital Markets, where she most recently served as Managing Director and Global Head of Communications Infrastructure. In this role, she was focused on providing companies in the data center and fiber sectors with comprehensive financial advisory services including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and equity and debt underwriting. Madonna has successfully led and executed numerous high-profile M&A and capital market transactions in the data center space across North America, Europe and Asia.

Varun Sakalkar is the Distinguished Engineer in the Datacenter Technology and Systems group for Google Datacenters. As the uberTL for the team, he owns the technology direction for the datacenter systems to achieve lowest TCO and best in deployment, class reliability, sustainability and efficiency for ML and Cloud systems. Varun has been at Google for 15+ years. Prior to that he earned his PhD in computational engineering and Masters in applied math.

Jim Simonelli, senior vice president and chief technology officer of the Secure Power and Data Center Business at Schneider Electric, leads R&D deployment, common platforms development, and forward-looking activities. With prior experience in leadership positions at Schneider Electric and a venture-backed startup, he brings extensive expertise in technology and innovation.

Losing his successful football career at 35 to a serious injury, Joe Theismann learned firsthand how to think, analyze, and reinvent in the face of adversity and change. Joe Theismann is an entrepreneur and the former star quarterback for the Washington Redskins. Most recently, he spent the last 2 decades working for ESPN and the NFL Network as an NFL analyst. A 12-year NFL veteran, Joe played in 163 consecutive games from 1974-1985 for the Washington Redskins and holds team records for passing yardage (25,206), completions (2,044), and attempts (3,602). He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and Pro Bowl MVP, leading Washington to a 27-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl 17. Joe was selected as the NFL's Man of the Year in 1982 for his community service and dedication to the health and welfare of children. In 1983, he won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award, leading the team to a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. Joe Theismann's career ended abruptly in 1985 after sustaining a badly broken leg during a Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants on national television. In 2003, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and in 2013, he received the Walter Camp Football Foundation “Distinguished American” Award. With every chapter of his life, Mr. Theismann evolved from athlete to the ultimate businessman. An Emmy Award-winning analyst, entrepreneur, and athlete, he uses his gifts, talent, and high energy to share strategies for handling unforeseen change.