The digital infrastructure sector is the very backbone of our interconnected, modern world. It involves the essential physical and virtual assets that support the free flow of data, fueling everything from global communications networks and e-commerce sites to cloud computing platforms and artificial intelligence programs. In this all-important ecosystem, organizations such as Infrastructure Masons (iMasons) assume a critical mission to bring such builders together and foster cooperation with the aim to solve the key issues defining the industry’s future.

As a leader amidst the dynamic, fast-changing scenery of the digital infrastructure sector where collaboration and creativity reign supreme, Ana Franco becomes an important face. As iMasons’ Regional Director for the Americas, a world-class non-profit organization focused on bringing together the builders of the digital age, Franco combines a distinctive set of strategic insight, extensive industry expertise, and unshakeable dedication to making a meaningful and lasting impact. Her path to this influential role is characterized by an unwavering commitment to balance strategic goals with a discernible sense of purpose, something that has become her hallmark as a professional.

Initial Journey

Before entering the iMasons community, Franco was an influential leadership figure having served as head of commercial operations for a major data center business. Within this role, she led the development of programs with a primary objective of achieving strong revenue growth, creating and implementing strategic business strategies, and executing successful market growth initiatives. Through this experience, she gained valuable insight into the complex interplays of the digital infrastructure marketplace and the urgent necessity of coordinating a grand strategy with a concise and compelling sense of organizational purpose.

Today, Franco has the unique chance to use her deep experience and enthusiasm to make a real difference on a much larger scale, building collaboration and moving forward across a diverse and critical geographic area. Individuals who have been fortunate enough to work with Ana Franco know that she is highly driven by an acute sense of purpose, always looking to make a positive and lasting contribution to all that she does.

Facing Challenges Head-On

In an environment marked by the relentless tempo of technological progress and incessant changes in the market, the greatest challenge is to retain a firm hold on core objectives while navigating, at the same time, the continually changing environment of new realities. Franco has come to understand that establishing open and truthful communication, and being entirely transparent about developments on the go as well as the reasoning behind decisions, is the key to managing this fast-changing world effectively. When unexpected surprises do crop up, as inevitably they will, she ensures she takes an open and straightforward dialogue with all stakeholders concerned, and shares voluntarily what she knows proactively, actively seeking feedback and diverse views. This dedication to authenticity not only allows her to make more effective and informed decisions but serves a foundational purpose in the establishment of trust and the creation of a setting where collective adaptation and joint problem-solving are possible.

About iMasons

The genesis of iMasons can be traced back to 2016, when Dean Nelson, a visionary leader in the digital infrastructure space, founded the organization with a bold and ambitious vision: to unite the disparate builders of the digital age under a common banner. Since its formation, iMasons has quickly grown into a powerful and influential international network of some of the sharpest intellects and more than 6,000 focused professionals combined who collectively symbolize investment projects worth an estimated $200 billion. By methodically prioritizing the “four Ps” – Power, People, Perception, and Planet – iMasons tackles the most essential and urgent issues plaguing the digital infrastructure sector today, creating an environment for cooperation and initiating significant advancement in these vital areas.

Opinions about the Industry

Ana Franco believes that the digital infrastructure sector is in a revolutionary phase, where there is a substantial transition of emphasis from the intensive training of artificial intelligence models to their extensive deployment in practical applications and daily situations. This changing landscape highlights the essential and increasing demand for strong and scalable infrastructure capable of efficiently facilitating the practical application of AI, wherein intricate models are smoothly integrated into decision-making and predictive analytics in different industries. As a direct result of this trend, the sector is steadily gravitating towards more distributed and localized forms of infrastructure, bringing computer resources closer to end-users in a strategic move to reduce latency, enhance overall performance, and augment the user experience.

She further understands that environmental sustainability is an absolute and top-of-mind priority for the digital infrastructure sector. Investors, stakeholders, and the general public increasingly expect not only more capacity and speed, but also smarter and more sustainable solutions that reconcile ongoing growth with a deep commitment to environmental stewardship. “The use of renewable energy, the application of green building techniques and sustainable design principles, and the use of highly energy efficient technologies are fast becoming core requirements and expectations in the industry,” shares Franco. “The true and meaningful challenge in the next few years is the industry’s capacity to change rapidly and thoughtfully, not only to keep up with the continually growing demand for digital services and data processing, but do so in a manner that is forward-looking, green, and socially accountable.” she adds.

Franco further expresses, “In addition, proactive and early consultation with local communities in the locations where data centers are scheduled to be deployed is ever more widely recognized as a decisive factor when it comes to avoiding potential resistance and obtaining the successful implementation of infrastructural projects”. She believes that establishing good relationships and maintaining open communication with local stakeholders from the beginning is key to handling concerns, establishing trust, and making data center developments be viewed as beneficial additions to the local community.

Word to the Wise

Based on her wide-ranging experience and thoughtful leadership, Ana Franco provides sound advice to professionals looking to make a real difference in the digital infrastructure field.

While encouraging tomorrow’s leaders, Ana says, “Be authentic. Authentic leadership arises from being yourself, open, and genuinely rooted in your fundamental values. Individuals are inherently attracted to leaders who express sincerity and integrity in behavior and communication.”

“Perseverance is also absolutely crucial,” Franco adds. “There will be challenges, and there will be setbacks. But it is your unshakeable resolve and natural grit that will ultimately see you through. Keep going, even when the road ahead looks uncertain or the obstacles look insurmountable.”

“Develop a profound curiosity,” she instructs. “Never cease to learn, explore new concepts, and pursue multiple experiences. Pose thoughtful questions, listen more than you talk, and be open to new ways of thinking and learning.”

“Embrace the journey,” Franco urges. “Celebrate small wins along the way, obtain important lessons from mistakes and setbacks, and constantly work on improving yourself, always seeking to become better today than yesterday.”

“Finally,” she finishes, “let your passion show. Love what you’re doing and let that authentic passion ignite the people around you. When you’re passionate about what you’re doing, it’s obvious to everyone, and it has a compelling stimulating impact on your team, motivating them to achieve excellence and mutual success.”

Ana Franco herself is intensely motivated by a deep sense of purpose: to create a lasting and positive effect on the world around her. In her current position with iMasons, she has the unique privilege of engaging with a wide and influential pool of professionals who are directly building the future of digital infrastructure throughout the Americas. The iMasons community’s strong cooperative ethos is the ever-present inspiration for her, fueling her unrelenting drive to support innovation, ensure sustainability, and drive impactful progress in this life-nurturing industry.

Beyond Data Centers

Aside from her major contribution to the digital infrastructure sector, Ana Franco is also the creator of a non-profit children’s book on data centers, “The Great Data Center Adventure.” On being asked what inspired her towards this unconventional initiative and how it relates to her larger vision, she says with a smile:

“When my daughter was five years old, she asked me a simple but profound question: ‘Mommy, where do you work?’ I knew that trying to explain the intricate world of data centers in a manner that would really make sense to a young child was a daunting task. So, I began a search for a book that might enable me to fill this gap, something that would be able to make the apparently invisible world of digital infrastructure slightly more concrete and graspable for children. I searched Amazon, bookstores, everywhere… and to my surprise, I found nothing quite like what I had in mind.”

“That’s when I knew that I was up for the challenge of writing it myself,” says Franco. “The ‘Great Data Center Adventure’ is a non-profit book produced with the desire to make this sometimes-secret world a little bit more real and interesting to children’s minds. My hope is that it incites curiosity among children who can eventually become the next generation of builders and problem-solvers within this very significant industry.”

Future Footsteps

Thinking ahead to the future and looking to her own career legacy, Franco would like to be remembered as a professional who made a valuable contribution to the creation of a more inclusive, equitable, and environmentally sustainable digital infrastructure ecosystem. She hopes to leave behind a resilient and supportive community that continues to support professionals of all backgrounds, actively pushing forward the fundamental purpose of iMasons: uniting the digital age builders and together creating a better digital future for generations to come.

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