Core Scientific Adds Industry Veteran Steve Smith to Board
Core Scientific (NASDAQ: CORZ), a leading provider of high-density colocation (HDC) and digital infrastructure services, announced the appointment of Steve Smith to its board of directors, effective immediately. Smith, a veteran with over 35 years in the data center and digital infrastructure sectors, will also serve on the company’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
Smith currently serves as CEO of Zayo Group, a global communications infrastructure provider. During his tenure at Zayo, he has overseen major milestones, including the acquisition of Crown Castle’s Fiber Solutions business earlier this year. However, Smith is best known for his transformative leadership at Equinix, where he served as CEO and President from 2007 to 2018. Under his leadership, Equinix’s revenue grew from $400 million to over $4 billion annually, while the company expanded from 17 to roughly 200 data centers globally. Smith also spearheaded more than 20 acquisitions, solidifying Equinix as a global leader in data center and interconnection services.
Adam Sullivan, CEO of Core Scientific, praised Smith’s credentials, stating, "Steve is a respected industry veteran with a proven track record of value creation. His expertise will be instrumental as Core Scientific scales its AI infrastructure and advances its power strategy." Smith echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the company’s strong position to meet rising demand for high-performance compute infrastructure. "Core Scientific has demonstrated an impressive ability to deliver large-scale projects. I look forward to contributing to its continued growth," he said.
Smith’s appointment comes as Core Scientific focuses on repurposing its crypto mining facilities to support AI workloads—a pivot reflecting broader trends in the digital infrastructure sector. The company operates 11 facilities across states including Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina. This strategic shift aligns with rising demand for AI-driven computing power, a market estimated to grow exponentially as enterprises adopt AI models requiring high-density, low-latency infrastructure.
The addition of Smith to the board reinforces Core Scientific’s ambitions to scale its operations in this lucrative sector. With Smith’s proven ability to navigate large-scale expansion and drive operational efficiency, investors may view this as a strategic move to solidify the company’s position as a leader in AI infrastructure. As of May 26, 2026, Core Scientific’s stock traded at $1,079.79, reflecting a modest 0.07% daily gain, indicating steady investor confidence amidst the broader market’s focus on infrastructure plays.
Smith, a West Point graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, began his career with eight years in the U.S. Army before entering the private sector. His extensive resume includes leadership roles at HP Services, Lucent Technologies, and Electronic Data Systems (EDS), where he gained a reputation for scaling global technology platforms and driving acquisitions. His insights into both legacy IT and emerging AI-driven infrastructure will likely be pivotal as Core Scientific executes one of the 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 investors tracking the intersection of digital infrastructure and AI, this move underscores the company’s strategic focus on long-term growth and operational excellence.