Zach Anderson
Could 26, 2026 11:24
Core Scientific (NASDAQ: CORZ) appoints Steve Smith, ex-Equinix CEO and present Zayo CEO, to its board, signaling a deal with 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 information heart and digital infrastructure sectors, may also serve on the corporate’s Nominating and Company Governance Committee.
Smith presently serves as CEO of Zayo Group, a world communications infrastructure supplier. Throughout his tenure at Zayo, he has overseen main milestones, together with the acquisition of Crown Fort’s Fiber Options enterprise earlier this 12 months. Nevertheless, Smith is finest recognized for his transformative management at Equinix, the place he served as CEO and President from 2007 to 2018. Underneath his management, Equinix’s income grew from $400 million to over $4 billion yearly, whereas the corporate expanded from 17 to roughly 200 information facilities globally. Smith additionally spearheaded greater than 20 acquisitions, solidifying Equinix as a world chief in information heart 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 might be instrumental as Core Scientific scales its AI infrastructure and advances its energy technique.” Smith echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the corporate’s sturdy place to fulfill rising demand for high-performance compute infrastructure. “Core Scientific has demonstrated a powerful potential to ship large-scale tasks. I sit up for contributing to its continued development,” he mentioned.
Smith’s appointment comes as Core Scientific focuses on repurposing its crypto mining services to assist AI workloads—a pivot reflecting broader developments 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, traders might view this as a strategic transfer to solidify the corporate’s place as a pacesetter in AI infrastructure. As of Could 26, 2026, Core Scientific’s inventory traded at $1,079.79, reflecting a modest 0.07% every day acquire, indicating regular investor confidence amidst the broader market’s deal with 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 in depth resume contains management roles at HP Companies, Lucent Applied sciences, and Digital Information Programs (EDS), the place he gained a popularity for scaling world expertise platforms and driving acquisitions. His insights into each legacy IT and rising AI-driven infrastructure will doubtless 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 traders monitoring the intersection of digital infrastructure and AI, this transfer underscores the corporate’s strategic deal with long-term development and operational excellence.
Picture supply: Shutterstock

