Equinix’s CEO calls departure ‘difficult decision’
Data-center operator cites ‘poor judgment’ with an employee matter
REDWOOD CITY >> One day after stepping down as Equinix chief executive due to what the company called “poor judgment with respect to an employee matter,” Steve Smith spoke up about his abrupt departure from Equinix after almost 11 years at the helm of the data-center operator.
“This was a difficult decision for me,” Smith said, in a statement provided to this news organization. Smith didn’t say much else about what caused him to leave Equinix, but said he has “immense respect for Equinix leaders and employees.”
Equinix made the sudden announcement about Smith’s departure late Thursday. Former Equinix CEO and current Chairman Peter Van Camp will serve as interim CEO until the company finds a new, permanent chief executive.
Equinix didn’t disclose any specific information about the matter that led to Smith’s departure.
“It is the company’s policy to treat all employee matters with appropriate sensitivity and confidentiality,” Equinix said. “This case is no different. Out of respect for the employees involved, we cannot disclose details of the situation.”
A person close to the matter did say that no lawsuits have been filed that are related to Smith’s departure.
Smith had been Equinix’s CEO since 2007. Prior to joining the company, he ran Hewlett-Packard’s services business, spent a year at the helm of Lucent Technologies’ services business and worked for 16 years running sales for Electronic Data Systems.
Smith said in his statement that he was “proud of the role I played in (Equinix’s) success for nearly 11 years,” and that he was “excited for the incredible opportunities that lie ahead for the company.”