Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), the largest global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed Mary Hogan Preusse as Chairman of the Board, succeeding Laurence Chapman, who will continue to serve on the Board of Directors. Ms. Hogan Preusse’s appointment will be effective as of the next scheduled Board meeting in August 2022 and follows her appointment to the Board in April 2017. These changes align with Digital Realty’s longstanding commitment to strong governance principles, including refreshing Board leadership to balance fresh thinking and new perspectives with experience and continuity.
“I was delighted to have Mary join the Board in 2017 and am confident that she is the right person to take the reins at this exciting time for Digital Realty and to lead the Board as we continue to accelerate the growth of our global platform,” said Mr. Chapman. “Mary has played an instrumental and strategic role in driving Digital Realty’s expansion and innovation since joining the Board. It has been a privilege to serve as Chairman of this strong and diverse Board, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Mary and the Digital Realty management team as a Director.”
“On behalf of the management team, I thank Laurence for his significant contributions and exemplary leadership as Chairman over the past five years,” said Digital Realty Chief Executive Officer A. William Stein. “Mary’s extraordinary investment experience and knowledge of our industry and technology-driven platform will be tremendously valuable as we continue to adapt to the changing world and enable our customers to execute on their digital transformation initiatives globally. I’m thrilled to work even more closely together with her to execute our long-term strategy.”
“I am honored to accept the position of Chairman,” said Ms. Hogan Preusse. “Digital Realty has continued to strengthen its position as a global leader of the data center sector, with the broadest available product offering, during Laurence’s tenure as Chairman. With the tailwinds of digital transformation and the rapid growth of data driving substantial opportunity for our global platform, I’m delighted to take a deeper role in supporting and accelerating Digital Realty’s growth.”
Ms. Hogan Preusse, a 30-year REIT industry veteran, joined Digital Realty’s Board of Directors as an independent director in May 2017. Prior to joining Digital Realty’s Board, from 2000-2017, she served as Managing Director and co-head of Americas Real Estate at APG Asset Management, managing the firm’s public real estate investments in North and South America. Before APG, Ms. Hogan Preusse spent eight years as a sell-side analyst covering the REIT sector and began her career as an investment banking analyst at Merrill Lynch.
Mr. Chapman joined Digital Realty’s Board of Directors in 2004 and was appointed Chairman in 2017. During his tenure, he has successfully overseen the remarkable growth in Digital Realty’s platform, including significant global expansion and the transformative mergers and acquisitions of Interxion, Ascenty and DuPont Fabros.
