In the latest episode of Let’s Get Digital, Carrie Charles, host of the show and CEO of tech staffing firm Broadstaff, speaks with Chris Sharp, Chief Technology Officer at Digital Realty, about his career, the evolution of data centers, and the rapid rise of AI. With nearly ten years at Digital Realty and a background that spans large-scale network engineering, managed security, and interconnection strategy, Chris has a unique perspective on the role infrastructure plays in enabling technology innovation.
Chris began his career working on some of the largest networks in the world at Quest, focusing on optical interconnections before most people realized their future importance. He went on to help bring MCI out of bankruptcy, creating and running a managed security practice before selling the company to Verizon. From there, he joined Equinix, where he helped launch the Cloud Exchange and redefine how enterprises connect to cloud providers. When he moved to Digital Realty, he brought with him a vision for a comprehensive product portfolio that could deliver wholesale and colocation capacity at scale, all within a globally interconnected platform.
Today, that vision is playing out as Digital Realty focuses on meeting the needs of the AI era. Chris explains that the company’s approach is centered on inference workloads, which require infrastructure located close to major city centers. This positioning allows enterprises to run AI models efficiently, connect into broader ecosystems, and maintain control through private AI environments. The goal is to help customers understand their workloads, deploy the right infrastructure, and create value from their AI investments.
Colocation, Chris notes, is changing faster than at any time in recent history. Just as the early days of cloud adoption transformed the market, AI is now reshaping the way enterprises think about data and capacity. Data gravity means workloads must be positioned near where data is created and stored, and supporting this shift requires denser deployments, advanced cooling solutions, and adaptable designs. Digital Realty’s engineering expertise and scale allow it to deliver on these requirements while continuing to evolve with customer needs.
Meeting the power demands of this new era is another major challenge. Chris shares that Digital Realty works closely with utility providers to secure long-term, reliable capacity and uses peak shaving techniques to reduce strain on local grids during periods of high demand. The company also operates more than a gigawatt of solar and wind energy, with plans to expand renewable generation, while exploring emerging technologies like small modular nuclear reactors.
Looking ahead, Chris believes AI will be transformative across every industry and in daily life. He is particularly excited about advancements in agentic AI, reasoning models, and the ways AI can improve infrastructure efficiency. For those entering the industry, his advice is to combine technical knowledge with creativity and strong interpersonal skills. Understanding the technology is important, but the ability to work effectively with others and apply ideas in innovative ways will be what sets people apart.
Tune in to the full episode of Let’s Get Digital featuring Chris Sharp’s episode here.
