In this episode, Raul Martynek, CEO of DataBank, shares how he has helped transform a six–data center platform into one of the largest and most geographically diverse data center operators in the United States. With three decades in digital infrastructure—spanning telecom, fiber, cloud, and now data centers—Raul offers a front-row perspective on how the industry has evolved from modest megawatt deployments to hyperscale campuses measured in gigawatts.
Today, DataBank operates the broadest geographic footprint of data centers in the U.S., serving more than 2,500 customers across enterprise, hyperscale, and emerging AI segments. Raul explains how the company scaled from a $50 million business to a billion-dollar-plus platform by prioritizing geography, disciplined capital access, and long-term infrastructure planning—often securing land and power years in advance to meet future demand.
Raul breaks down the dramatic shift in data center scale: enterprise deals that once averaged 1–2 megawatts now reach 20–30 megawatts, while hyperscale and AI deployments can range from 250 megawatts to over a gigawatt. He addresses the durability of AI-driven demand, separating hype from fundamentals, and explains why long-term digital consumption—not short-term euphoria—underpins sustained infrastructure growth.
The conversation also tackles the real constraints shaping the next decade: access to capital, power availability, supply chain pressures, rising construction costs, and increasing community opposition. Raul outlines how DataBank is navigating these bottlenecks through patient capital partnerships, multi-year power strategies, and deeper engagement with local stakeholders.
Beyond infrastructure, Raul emphasizes culture as a competitive advantage. From launching DataBank University to building structured career paths in operations and sales, he details how investing in people has enabled 44 consecutive quarters of positive net bookings. He shares the principles behind “The DataBank Way,” including leadership behaviors like extreme ownership and collaborative problem-solving—critical for scaling a decentralized workforce across 60+ markets.
Looking ahead, Raul predicts continued U.S. leadership in data center development, with markets like Texas positioned to surge due to streamlined grid access and a pro-growth mindset. But he cautions that the industry’s greatest risk isn’t lack of demand—it’s overbuilding. As a fundamentally supply-and-demand real estate business, disciplined development decisions will separate resilient operators from the rest.
From AI acceleration to grid constraints, talent shortages to trillion-dollar capital flows, this episode is a masterclass in scaling the digital backbone of the modern economy—grounded in long-term thinking, operational discipline, and leadership at scale.
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About
Raul Martynek is a Senior Advisor to DigitalBridge and the Chief Executive Officer of DataBank. Mr. Martynek has over 20 years of experience in the telecom services and Digital Infrastructure sector.
Prior to joining DataBank, he served as an Operating Partner for Digital Bridge, assisting the firm in evaluating digital infrastructure investments, including the acquisition of DataBank and Vantage.
Previously, Mr. Martynek was the CEO for Net Access, LLC, a New Jersey-based data center and managed services operator, which was acquired in November 2015 by Denver-based data center operator Cologix. Prior to Net Access, he was the CEO of Voxel dot Net, Inc., a global managed hosting, and cloud company, which was acquired by Internap Network Services Corp. in early 2012
Mr. Martynek also served as the Chief Restructuring Officer of Smart Telecom, a Dublin, Ireland-based fiber carrier which was acquired by Digiweb in 2009, in connection with his role as a Senior Advisor to Plainfield Asset Management, a multi-billion-dollar hedge fund.
Prior to Plainfield, Mr. Martynek spent 13 years with telecom and Internet provider InfoHighway Communications Corp, first as a COO of Eureka Broadband and then as President and CEO of InfoHighway. InfoHighway was acquired by Broadview Networks in 2007.
Mr. Martynek earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Binghamton University in 1988 and received a Masters’ degree in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in 1992.
