Data Centers · S/09
Data centers sit where real estate, energy, and AI infrastructure converge. The operators who can run all three are rare. We hunt them.
Why this sector
Data centers are the most capital-intensive long-lead-time builds powering the AI compute surge — and the hiring problem reflects it. The right leader has to underwrite a site like a real estate developer, secure power like a utility executive, and operate uptime like a hyperscaler. Talon hunts across the full stack: hyperscale operations, colocation and enterprise colo, data center REIT leadership, edge deployments, and the power-and-cooling specialists who make 50+ kW-per-rack densities work. The sector sits at the intersection of three of our other sectors — REITs, energy, and AI infrastructure — and we recruit from across all three to find operators who can hold all three conversations.
What we look for
A great data center leader is part real estate developer, part utility executive, part platform engineer. We hunt for all three signals in one operator.
Site selection and acquisition experience that respects power-density limits, water access, and 10MW+ permitting cycles.
Deep relationships with utilities and IPPs — the operators who actually own the power contract are scarce and decisive hires.
Operational discipline on uptime SLAs, change management, and the run-book rigor hyperscale customers demand.
Fluency across power and cooling architectures — DLC, rear-door heat exchangers, and the density curve modern AI training workloads require.
Comfort with REIT-style capital structures, long-term lease underwriting, and project-finance covenants.
Track record scaling a portfolio without breaking the safety, security, or customer-trust posture customers paid for.
Roles we commonly fill
Placeholder · awaiting client copy
Anonymous Case Study
{/* TODO: Gonzalo case study (D14 follow-up) — awaiting client copy for data center placement */} A colocation operator scaling into hyperscale-adjacent customers needed a Head of Site Development who could run a 10-site, multi-utility pipeline without slipping on power and permitting.
We hunted a leader with prior hyperscale site-selection scars and a working rolodex across three regional utilities. The brief tested for power-density fluency first, real-estate underwriting second.
Three sites moved from option to ground-break inside 14 months. The placement re-sequenced the rest of the pipeline against realistic utility lead times and saved a quarter of slip on each downstream site.
Tell us the site, the power profile, and the customer commitment. We'll hunt the operator who delivers all three.
