Friday, March 29, 2024 Mar 29, 2024
58° F Dallas, TX
Advertisement
Business

Meet the CEO: Gary Wojtaszek

The president and CEO of CyrusOne on the best advice he ever got.
By Jenna Peck |
Image

Not long after Cyrusone got its start in Houston, a hurricane blew through. “There was some pretty serious flooding, and many data centers went down,” says Gary Wojtaszek, the company’s 48-year-old president and CEO. “Ours stayed up and running.” Wojtaszek took the helm of CyrusOne in August 2011, after serving as chief financial officer of Cincinnati Bell. In 2013 he took the company public and moved its headquarters to Carrollton, where it had just opened a massive 700,000-square-foot data center. Today, CyrusOne counts more than 140 Fortune 1000 companies as customers. 

FIRST JOB

Raking leaves, mowing lawns, and shoveling snow for my neighbors.

WORST JOB

Painting the inside of storage chemical tanks in the middle of the summer.

IF NOT TECHNOLOGY

I was a part-time teacher when I first got out of college. I taught English as a second language and math classes for GED students. Ultimately, I think I’ll go back and teach college.

STRENGTHS

I’m pretty creative, I’m passionate. I’m able to attract talented people and get them all aligned and pointed in the right direction. I’ve got a pretty good strategic sense about me, and I can kind of see things that others may not see as clearly.

WEAKNESS

I’m not the most detail-oriented person. (I make up for this by surrounding myself with others on the team who are.)
 

MANAGEMENT STYLE

I am a geek! I surround myself with smart people, and we have a fun time. I’m honest and open and try to  communicate about how things are going or aren’t going.

WHAT’S NEW

We recently expanded to the East Coast in northern Virginia, and we just completed our newest facility in San Antonio.
 

BEST ADVICE

Be passionate in whatever you do.

FAMILY

I have four kids and a great wife who has stuck with me for the last 25 years. When we moved to Dallas, that was our 12th move, so she’s super cool. We’ve lived throughout the United States and in Europe for a couple of years. Two of our kids were born in Belgium and France.

FOR FUN

I really enjoy sporting clays. Coming to Texas has just been fantastic! I also enjoy skiing and spending time with the kids.

BOOKS

I just read Think Like A Freak. I was actually at a presentation where I met the two authors.

TV

Impractical Jokers. It’s a great show.

DOG OR CAT

We have a dog—a West Highland white terrier named Rocky. He didn’t act like a dog for years; he acted like a cat!

Credits

Related Articles

Image
Arts & Entertainment

Here’s Who Is Coming to Dallas This Weekend: March 28-31

It's going to be a gorgeous weekend. Pencil in some live music in between those egg hunts and brunches.
Image
Arts & Entertainment

Arlington Museum of Art Debuts Two Must-See Nature-Inspired Additions

The chill of the Arctic Circle and a futuristic digital archive mark the grand opening of the Arlington Museum of Art’s new location.
By Brett Grega
Image
Arts & Entertainment

An Award-Winning SXSW Short Gave a Dallas Filmmaker an Outlet for Her Grief

Sara Nimeh balances humor and poignancy in a coming-of-age drama inspired by her childhood memories.
By Todd Jorgenson
Advertisement