Penta Infra appoints new CEO

A highly experienced ICT leader with an impressive international track record in business, volume and margin growth, Bob Sprengers will take over from Alex Bakker, who has led the company since it was founded in 2015. Moving forward, Alex Bakker will now focus full-time on his ongoing role as Managing Partner at Photon Capital, while providing continuity as Chairman of the Penta Infra Board.

The new appointment, which takes effect in March, marks a major milestone in the development of the Penta Infra business, which has expanded fast in recent years and now owns and operates 12 data centers across the Netherlands, Germany, France and Denmark. Focused primarily on high-potential edge data center locations, the company has also recently added locations in Europe’s core FLAP region (Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris), with a 14MW capacity facility in Paris and a 7MW facility in Amsterdam.

“The time has come for Penta Infra to chart its own course in the European data center market, and we believe Bob is the perfect choice to lead the team on that journey,” said Alex Bakker (right). “He has an exceptional track record in global telecoms and tech leadership, particularly with PE investors, and he has a very talented and experienced senior team. Photon’s focus is on building a range of robust platforms across the digital economy, and I look forward to supporting Penta Infra all the way as it becomes an established leader in the sector.”

“I am delighted to be taking on this new role and look forward to driving Penta Infra’s international growth,” said Bob Sprengers. “Now is a hugely exciting time to be building out data center infrastructure in Europe, and Penta Infra has the team, portfolio and backers to be a stand-out leader in both edge and core markets. Our growth strategy is clear, and our key concern will continue to be providing reliability, security, connectivity and sustainable scalability to our customers as they innovate and grow their digital businesses.”