Equinix names Olivier Leonetti as new Chief Financial Officer

Equinix has appointed Olivier Leonetti as Chief Financial Officer, effective March 16, as it prepares for the retirement of longtime Finance Chief Keith Taylor.

Leonetti joins from power management group Eaton, where he was CFO. Eaton supplies the data centre industry, and Leonetti's experience spans technology, infrastructure, and industrial businesses.

CEO and President Adaire Fox-Martin said Equinix chose Leonetti for his experience and track record at large listed companies. "Olivier is an exceptional leader with a distinguished track record of delivering strong results at leading technology and infrastructure companies," she said. "His strategic vision, combined with his deep financial acumen and operational rigor, will be a great addition to our team as we continue executing on our priorities to serve our customers and create value for our shareholders."

The appointment comes as the data centre sector continues to invest despite rising power costs and constraints on suitable sites in key markets. Equinix operates carrier-neutral facilities and interconnection services in multiple countries, serving cloud, network, and enterprise customers.

Career background

Before Eaton, Leonetti was CFO at Johnson Controls, which operates in building technologies and energy solutions, including work linked to data centres.

Earlier, he served as CFO at Zebra Technologies and Western Digital, and held senior finance roles at Dell and Amgen.

Leonetti said he plans to build on Equinix's existing finance functions. "Equinix is a company that I have long admired given the important role it plays connecting the world's digital infrastructure," he said. "Equinix has built a tremendous finance organization over the course of many years, and I am excited to join the team as we advance our work to deliver strong top- and bottom-line growth across the business."

The CFO role sits at the centre of capital allocation, financing strategy, and financial reporting. Data centre operators often balance high upfront construction costs with long contract cycles and large power requirements, while financial leadership can influence the timing and scale of new capacity in metro areas where grid access is limited.

Leadership transition

Leonetti will succeed Keith Taylor, who has served as Equinix CFO for much of its corporate history. Taylor joined the company in 1999 and helped guide its evolution from early-stage growth to public markets and global expansion.

Taylor will retire in 2026 after a 27-year career at Equinix and will remain involved as a special advisor for about a year during the handover.

Fox-Martin highlighted Taylor's tenure and influence on the company's financial direction. "Keith has made a tremendous impact on Equinix for nearly three decades," she said. "His leadership has been integral to our success and has helped us lay the foundation for our future. We are grateful for Keith's countless contributions and look forward to his continued support as a special advisor."

During Taylor's tenure, Equinix grew into a major operator of colocation data centres and interconnection services. The company said it now has more than USD $9 billion in annualised revenue.

Operational context

The leadership change comes as the sector responds to shifts in customer demand and technology deployment, including the growth of AI-related infrastructure. Equinix positions itself as a digital infrastructure provider with a global data centre footprint and an emphasis on interconnected ecosystems across networks, cloud providers, and enterprises.

Equinix operates IBX and xScale data centres as part of its portfolio. Across the sector, new builds have faced constraints tied to power availability, land sourcing, and supply chain pressures, particularly for equipment with long lead times.

Leonetti's experience in energy management and building systems adds another dimension to the appointment, given the central role of power procurement and efficiency in data centre economics.

Taylor will remain a special advisor for about one year as Leonetti assumes responsibility for the company's financial leadership.