Thomas Bailey and Matthew Baumann will support data center expansion amid surging enterprise demand for digital infrastructure capacity
CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Flexential, a leading provider of secure and flexible data center solutions, has appointed Thomas Bailey as Vice President of Energy and Matthew Baumann as Vice President of Site Acquisition. These appointments underscore Flexential’s strong market position as the company expands its FlexAnywhere® platform to meet growing demand for enterprise-scale digital infrastructure.
Flexential Names 2 VPs to Lead Site Growth and Energy Strategy
Bailey joins Flexential after 25 years in the utility sector, most recently as Area Vice President at Xcel Energy, where he developed partnerships with data center customers and created a strategy to deliver 2.5GW of power capacity to data centers over the next 10 years. He will oversee utility engagement and energy capacity planning for new data center developments.
Baumann brings nearly two decades of real estate experience, including 10 years at Equinix, where he played an integral role to double the Americas portfolio from 55 data centers to more than 110. At Flexential, he will lead site acquisition, portfolio asset management, and lease administration to support the company’s growth objectives.
This strategic expansion aligns with a broader surge in demand for third-party data center capacity—driven by enterprise AI adoption, high-density compute requirements, multi-cloud strategies, and edge deployments. Flexential’s 2025 State of AI Infrastructure Report found that IT infrastructure constraints are the greatest barrier to AI expansion, cited by 44% of organizations. Data center capacity has become critically constrained, with vacancy rates in primary markets falling to a record-low 1.9% and companies seeking capacity facing wait times of up to 24 months. Global data center demand is projected to grow by as much as 22% annually through 2030, requiring more than twice the capacity built since 2000.
“Tom and Matt bring specialized expertise that directly addresses the infrastructure bottlenecks holding back enterprise AI adoption,” said Ryan Mallory, President and Chief Operating Officer of Flexential. “Matt’s track record of scaling data center portfolios and Tom’s deep utility relationships position us to accelerate site development and secure the energy capacity our customers need. These appointments reflect our commitment to staying ahead of market demand.”
The new roles support Flexential’s broader growth strategy, which includes recent capital investment from Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (MSIP) alongside continuing foundational capital support from GI Partners. Earlier this year, the company promoted Ryan Mallory to President and Chief Operating Officer and added two new board members with data center development expertise.
Bailey will draw on his utility-side experience to strengthen energy partnerships across Flexential’s markets. “I’ve worked with Flexential from the utility side and consistently see a company that puts customers first,” Bailey said. “As enterprises increasingly depend on AI technology, our speed-to-market approach requires significant energy infrastructure coordination. Strong utility partnerships will be essential to meeting customer timelines and expectations.”
Baumann sees significant opportunity in Flexential’s approach to growth. “With an established customer base and strong capital backing, Flexential has a distinct competitive advantage in an industry where many data center developers focus on building large-scale campuses,” he said. “My focus will be establishing standardized processes that create a repeatable, scalable execution model for long-term portfolio expansion.”
“We’re building the operational foundation to handle significantly more capacity and customers,” said Mallory. “Having dedicated leadership in these areas means we can move faster, anticipate needs with greater precision, and coordinate more effectively across our development pipeline. We’re investing in operating at a completely different scale.”
Flexential operates 40+ data centers across 18 U.S. markets and manages more than 330 MW of built and in-development capacity. Its FlexAnywhere® platform combines colocation, cloud, connectivity, and data protection with managed services to support digital transformation and the growing demands of hyperscale and AI workloads. The company recently released its 2024 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, highlighting progress in commissioning high-efficiency facilities and managing energy consumption.
For more information on Flexential’s tailored infrastructure capabilities and customized IT solutions, visit www.flexential.com.
About Flexential
Flexential empowers the IT journey of the most complex businesses by offering customizable IT solutions designed for today’s demanding high-density computing requirements. With colocation, cloud, connectivity, data protection, and professional services, the FlexAnywhere® platform anchors our services in 40+ data centers across 18 highly connected markets on a scalable 100Gbps+ private network backbone. Flexential solutions are strategically engineered to meet the most stringent challenges in security, compliance, and resiliency. Experience the power of IT flexibility and how we enable digital transformation at www.flexential.com.
Media Contacts:
Alison Brooker
Corporate Marketing
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Christian Rizzo
Gregory FCA for Flexential
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SOURCE Flexential
