Meet the Leadership
Compass is led by a team of professionals with extensive experience in designing, building and operating data centers.
Chris Crosby
Chief Executive Officer
After years of working at the intersection of tech and real estate development, Chris Crosby set out in 2011 to take a new approach to data center development. His vision was to focus on greenfield projects and deliver customizable, scalable, sustainable, and low-cost data centers in an expedited time frame.
A testament to Chris’ bold vision and a solid culture centered around four core convictions from which the company has never wavered, Compass has grown at a remarkable rate. From completing its first 1.2 MW data center in 2012 to serving the campus-level hyperscale market with developments underway across the globe less than a decade later, Compass’ success is the result of Chris’ vision, a strong foundation, and a talented team of innovative thinkers.
In 2023, Compass was recognized as one of Inc. Magazine’s 5000 fastest-growing companies. In the same year, Chris was named EY’s southwest area Entrepreneur of The Year®. Compass continues to drive industry-leading sustainability practices under Chris’ leadership, creating a lasting impact on the data center industry.
Adil Attlassy
Chief Technology Officer
Adil Attlassy serves as Compass’ Chief Technology Officer and has been at the forefront of data center industry for two decades. Prior to joining Compass, Adil served as the General Manager of Global Site and Network Acquisition for Microsoft. He also served as Chief Development Officer for IO Data Centers, a division of Iron Mountain. In that role, he was directly responsible for global site selection and development and leading the company’s data center procurement and supply chain engagement. In addition to his roles at Microsoft and IO, Adil held executive positions for Digital Realty Trust in the U.S., UK and Singapore.
Adil holds a Diploma in Technological Studies from Institut de Technologie, Mulhouse, France, a BS in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Los Angeles and an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management.
AJ Byers
President
Compass President, AJ Byers, has over 20 years of experience in the data center industry with a focus on leading companies into prominence. AJ was previously the President and CEO of ROOT Data Centers, the fastest growing wholesale data center provider in Canada, and President of Rogers Data Centers, where he led the development of one of Canada’s largest data center service companies. Before Rogers, AJ held the position of Executive VP of Primus, guiding its transition from a legacy telecom provider to a full solution technology services organization. Prior to Primus, AJ was the Chief Operating Officer of Magma Communications, where he was instrumental in building one of Canada’s first data centers.
Jared Day
President and Chief Financial Officer
Jared Day serves as Compass’ President and Chief Financial Officer, bringing more than 20 years of experience scaling high-growth businesses. Jared came to Compass from Armor Defense, Inc., a cloud-based cyber security company, where he served as President and acting CFO and led the organization through a period of rapid growth. At Armor Defense, Jared was also responsible for product management, operations, sales, marketing and all administrative functions.
Jared’s specialty in developing growth strategies and execution plans for portfolio companies of several of the world’s largest private equity investors began during his time as a Principal at the Boston Consulting Group.
Jared graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Management and Accounting from Washington and Lee University and holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
Jonathan Schildkraut
Chief Investment Officer
Jonathan Schildkraut is Chief Investment Officer at Compass Datacenters. He has more than 20-years of experience in data centers. Previously serving as CSO at CyrusOne, and as an award-winning research analyst covering the communications infrastructure space on Wall Street. He graduated cum laude from the JD / MBA program at New York University and with high distinction from the BBA program at the University of Michigan.
Mike Bowers
General Counsel
Mike Bowers is an accomplished trial attorney with a unique ability to identify and distill crucial findings articulating them in a way that produces positive outcomes in highly regulated industries with complex cases.
Mike’s experience comprises litigation involving major construction projects and claims, complex commercial matters, real estate disputes, landlord/tenant issues and lending practices. His commercial litigation experience also includes disputes related to insurance coverage, oil and gas contracts and a diverse array of business and contract cases.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Nancy Novak
Chief Innovation Officer
As Chief Innovation Officer for Compass Datacenters, Nancy delivers cutting-edge sustainability technologies and is continuously improving the means and methods Compass uses to deliver sustainable, reliable and mass customizable data centers. In addition to adding value and improving returns on Compass projects, Nancy is an advocate for disrupting the status quo in the construction industry and women’s leadership in all industries. She’s the host of “Extending the Ladder,” a podcast that brings female leaders together to offer insights, advice and inspiration to other professionals.
Prior to joining Compass, Nancy held operational leadership positions with top-ranked construction contractors Hensel Phelps and Balfour Beatty. She serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the National Institute of Building Sciences, the World Trade Center Institute and Weston Solutions, a global environmental firm. She is also an executive sponsor for bridging the Digital Divide on the iMasons Advisory Board.
Ram Balasubramanian
Chief Information Officer
Ram Balasubramanian serves as Chief Information Officer at Compass Datacenters, bringing decades of experience leading digital transformation and technology strategy across global enterprises. Previously, he held CIO roles at Liberty Steel, Canoo, Salesforce, Motorola and PepsiCo, where he led large-scale IT modernization, built high-performing teams and drove the adoption of AI, analytics and cloud technologies to deliver meaningful business outcomes.
Ram’s impact spans industries and continents. His leadership bridges legacy systems with forward-looking innovation, aligning tech capabilities with long-term business vision.
Ram holds an MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Texas at Dallas and a BBA in Management Information Systems from Southern Methodist University.
Raymond Hawkins
Chief Customer Officer
Raymond Hawkins serves as Compass Datacenters’ Chief Customer Officer. In this role, Mr. Hawkins is responsible for all of the company’s sales, sales channels, and marketing. Before joining Compass, Raymond served as the Senior Vice President of Global Solutions Sales for Digital Reality. In this position, Mr. Hawkins was responsible for the company’s sales in North America, South America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific, as well as its Global Sales Engineering team. Prior to Digital Reality, Raymond held the position of Southwest Region General Manager for systems integrator Sirius Computer Solutions. Mr. Hawkins also served in the United States Marine Corps and holds a B.S. in Finance from Auburn University. He’s also the host of “Not Your Father’s Data Center,” a podcast that doesn’t only talk about data centers, but anything and everything of interest in our industry.
Sudhir Kalra
Chief Data Center Operations Officer
Compass’ Chief Data Center Operations Officer, Sudhir Kalra, has an extensive career in leading global data center operations. Previously to leading Compass’ Operations group, Sudhir was Executive Director, Global Head of Enterprise Data Centers for Morgan Stanley and Director, Corporate Real Estate and Services – Global Head of Engineering and Critical Systems at Deutsche Bank, where he was responsible for mission-critical support of a real estate portfolio comprising over 30 million square feet.
Sudhir began his career in technical roles at Securities Industry Automation Corporation supporting mission-critical operations for the NYSE and American Stock Exchange. Sudhir holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from City University of NY and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from NYU – Polytechnic School of Engineering.
Tamara Yang
Chief Delivery Officer
Tamara Yang has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry and serves as Compass Datacenters’ Chief Delivery Officer. She is responsible for Compass’ global construction program and heads the Delivery organization.
Before joining Compass, Tamara served as VP of Organizational Development for Balfour Beatty leading the organizational transformation and evolution of the company’s operational policies and procedures. She also created and led Balfour Beatty’s national Learning & Development, Talent Acquisition, Onboarding, and DE&I programs. Tamara has also held several operational roles at Hensel Phelps and Turner Construction ranging from project management, quality control, estimating and procurement.
A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Tamara served in the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer. She holds a B.S. in Physics and a M.S. in Human Resources Management.
Anna Carlton
SVP of People & Culture
With over two decades of experience in human resources, consulting and culture development, Anna is passionate about helping businesses and people thrive together. She is dedicated to cultivating a workplace where people can find joy, innovate and continuously learn and grow – personally and professionally.
In Anna’s role as the SVP of People and Culture, she leads and shapes the People practice, holding the Compass culture squarely at the center. This involves more than traditional HR functions; it’s about empowering individuals, fostering collaboration and aligning every aspect of the workplace with the organization’s Core Convictions and objectives.
Prior to Compass, Anna spent more than 10 years in the high-tech industry with Ever.Ag – a P.E.-backed software-as-a-service company focused on supply chain management software and solutions. Prior to that, Anna spent several years in HR consulting for small businesses and large organizations such as the Department of Defense.
Anna holds a B.S. in Psychology and HR Management from Gannon University and a Master’s Degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Florida Institute of Technology.