Adaire Fox-Martin, new Equinix president and CEO. (Pic credit: World Economic Forum)

Equinix, a digital infrastructure firm and owner of MainOne in Africa, said yesterday that Adaire Fox-Martin will become its new president and CEO, starting in the second quarter of this year.

Charles Meyers, current president and CEO of Equinix, is taking on the post of executive chair, vacated by Peter Van Camp. Van Camp will relinquish his formal responsibilities as a board member to become a special advisor to the board.

"Digital transformation is reshaping the basis of competition for industries across the globe, and the rapid adoption of AI is accelerating that dynamic," said Meyers. "These pivotal shifts have created an extraordinary demand environment for digital infrastructure, and our distinctive advantages create an exceptional long-term opportunity for Equinix.”

He added: “I am confident that Adaire's capabilities and experience will be deeply additive to our team and our culture, helping us meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

Nasdaq-listed Equinix operates in over 70 markets across 33 countries, including Africa.

In April 2022, the US-based company entered the continent by acquiring MainOne, a West African provider of data centres and communication solutions.

Equinix paid $320 million for MainOne, which has operations in Nigeria, Ghana, and Cote d'Ivoire, signalling the start of the company's African growth strategy.

MainOne's assets comprise four active data centres and a submarine network spanning 7,000 kilometres from Portugal to Lagos, Accra, and the West African coast, with landing stations in Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire.

In addition, it operates a terrestrial fibre network in Nigeria, spanning over 1,200 kilometres in Lagos, Edo, and Ogun states.

Equinix stated last month that it would invest an additional $390 million in Africa data centres in South Africa, as well as expand its West African footprint.

Fox-Martin, who has 25 years of expertise in the technology industry, is now anticipated to spearhead Equinix's expansion, including growth in Africa.

Prior to joining Google, Fox-Martin held senior positions at some of the world's leading technology and software businesses, including SAP and Oracle.

Commenting on her new role, Fox-Martin said she is looking forward to leveraging her experience in driving business transformations and building for scale to drive continued innovation and growth at Equinix

"In today's dynamic digital landscape, Equinix has uniquely amassed global reach, highly differentiated ecosystems, strong partner relationships, and an innovative range of product and service offerings -- collectively forming a robust and future-proofed platform to address diverse customer challenges," said Fox-Martin.