She will be the company’s director of interconnection for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Equinix announced.
She said: “We are passionate about understanding customers’ specific needs and evaluating the ideal interconnection solutions for them, utilising the diverse digital products and services offered by Equinix.”
Yılmaz has worked in the tech sector for 25 years, having joined the Middle East Technical University in Ankara as an informatics group manager in the mid-1990s.
She has worked at ICANN as senior director of participation and engagement, and later chaired the programme committee for RIPE, the regional internet registry for Europe, the Middle East and parts of central Asia.
Equinix’s senior director of business development for EMEA, Brenden Rawle, said: “She brings with her a wealth of experience that will be invaluable as we continue to drive interconnection growth across the region and seek out further investment opportunities, while providing our customers with tailored solutions to best fit their individual business needs.”
Yılmaz said: “It is an exciting time in the technology sector as innovation has never been more prevalent and cutting-edge, and—expedited and catalysed by the pandemic—we can only expect innovative digital transformation and evolution to continue.”
She will be leading a team of eight business development professionals supporting companies across EMEA as they expand their interconnection capabilities.
On her consultancy’s site, Yılmaz writes: “[The] internet, as a connection of networks, is built on real human relationships as well as physical infrastructure. Only when we establish relationships will we connect our networks, realise interconnection partnerships, reduce costs, increase capacity and also be able to explain innovative but somewhat disruptive technologies to law and policy makers and so continue enhancing the potential of [the] internet for both business and fellow humans’ benefit.”
She adds: “I speak and can explain geek in this internet ecosystem. I relate to both technical and non-technical, for and not-for profit, and I can lead directly or indirectly towards targets. I like bridging networks, policy, business and technology for a progressive and sustainable internet. And so I can keep loving my internet!”
