Zach Anderson
Might 26, 2026 11:24
Core Scientific (NASDAQ: CORZ) appoints Steve Smith, ex-Equinix CEO and present Zayo CEO, to its board, signaling a give attention to scaling AI infrastructure.

Core Scientific (NASDAQ: CORZ), a number one supplier of high-density colocation (HDC) and digital infrastructure providers, introduced the appointment of Steve Smith to its board of administrators, efficient instantly. Smith, a veteran with over 35 years within the knowledge middle and digital infrastructure sectors, can even serve on the corporate’s Nominating and Company Governance Committee.
Smith presently serves as CEO of Zayo Group, a worldwide communications infrastructure supplier. Throughout his tenure at Zayo, he has overseen main milestones, together with the acquisition of Crown Fortress’s Fiber Options enterprise earlier this yr. Nevertheless, Smith is greatest recognized for his transformative management at Equinix, the place he served as CEO and President from 2007 to 2018. Beneath his management, Equinix’s income grew from $400 million to over $4 billion yearly, whereas the corporate expanded from 17 to roughly 200 knowledge facilities globally. Smith additionally spearheaded greater than 20 acquisitions, solidifying Equinix as a worldwide chief in knowledge middle and interconnection providers.
Adam Sullivan, CEO of Core Scientific, praised Smith’s credentials, stating, “Steve is a revered trade veteran with a confirmed monitor document of worth creation. His experience shall be instrumental as Core Scientific scales its AI infrastructure and advances its energy technique.” Smith echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the corporate’s robust place to fulfill rising demand for high-performance compute infrastructure. “Core Scientific has demonstrated a formidable potential to ship large-scale tasks. I look ahead to contributing to its continued progress,” he stated.
Smith’s appointment comes as Core Scientific focuses on repurposing its crypto mining services to assist AI workloads—a pivot reflecting broader tendencies within the digital infrastructure sector. The corporate operates 11 services throughout states together with Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina. This strategic shift aligns with rising demand for AI-driven computing energy, a market estimated to develop exponentially as enterprises undertake AI fashions requiring high-density, low-latency infrastructure.
The addition of Smith to the board reinforces Core Scientific’s ambitions to scale its operations on this profitable sector. With Smith’s confirmed potential to navigate large-scale growth and drive operational effectivity, buyers might view this as a strategic transfer to solidify the corporate’s place as a frontrunner in AI infrastructure. As of Might 26, 2026, Core Scientific’s inventory traded at $1,079.79, reflecting a modest 0.07% day by day achieve, indicating regular investor confidence amidst the broader market’s give attention to infrastructure performs.
Smith, a West Level graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, started his profession with eight years within the U.S. Military earlier than coming into the personal sector. His intensive resume consists of management roles at HP Providers, Lucent Applied sciences, and Digital Information Programs (EDS), the place he gained a status for scaling international know-how platforms and driving acquisitions. His insights into each legacy IT and rising AI-driven infrastructure will seemingly be pivotal as Core Scientific executes one of many market’s largest multi-site AI build-outs.
With Smith’s addition, Core Scientific is signaling its intent to capitalize on the accelerating demand for AI and high-density computing infrastructure. For buyers monitoring the intersection of digital infrastructure and AI, this transfer underscores the corporate’s strategic give attention to long-term progress and operational excellence.
Picture supply: Shutterstock
