The QTS Experience
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Description
The most valuable commodity on earth today is data. How we make it, use it, move it & protect it. Join David McCall as he invites guests from all industries to talk about how they use data to drive their business & innovation in their market.
241 Episodes
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We spend all day worrying about supply chains, but what about the "people chain"? Jason Coe and I dive into military-grade mission focus, the future of raised floors, and why a project is only as good as the team running toward the fire. Tune in to the next QTS Experience.
Chapters:
00:00 - The Data Center Symphony: Relational over Commodity
09:13 - The Decade Shift: Evolution from 1MW to 100MW+
18:54 - Structural Ceilings and Raised Floors Explained
22:30 - The "People Chain": Why Caring is the New Critical Factor
24:43 - Plan B is Making Plan A Work
31:25 - Coordination vs. Communication: Why Teams Keep Failing
34:18 - Project Management: Dominating the Last 10%
41:13 - High Density vs. Raised Floors: Is the Role Dead?
55:08 - Leadership Philosophy: People Do What You Inspect
1:10:18 - Revitalizing Communities Through Data Center Infrastructure
1:19:46 - Vetting Partners: The "Get It" vs. "Don't Get It" Mental List
1:31:00 - Listening First: Connecting with the Local Community
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For more information, go to https://www.QTSDataCenters.com
Learn More about QTS Data Centers on the QTS YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/users/qtsdatacenters
Think you have a great topic for a podcast or would like to schedule an interview with Dave? Send in your requests to podcast@qtsdatacenters.com
Roy Illsley joins me to challenge the status quo of global data. We’re moving past "one-size-fits-all" clouds to an era of digital self-sufficiency. From why the US and EU are in a friendly race for autonomy to the bold prediction that our next data centers will be orbiting the Earth—don't get left behind.
References & Guest Links
Guest Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/royillsley/
Company Website: https://omdia.tech.informa.com/
Mentioned Organizations:
https://www.datacentercoalition.org/cpages/home
https://us.ovhcloud.com/
https://www.thalesgroup.com/en
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/
David Quirk joins me to unpack liquid cooling, AI infrastructure chaos, and why the data center industry might be losing—and rediscovering—its collaborative DNA. We talk standards, disruption, and what happens when innovation moves faster than certainty.
References Mentioned
ASHRAE TC 9.9: https://tpc.ashrae.org/?cmtKey=fd4a4ee6-96a3-4f61-8b85-43418dfa988d
ASHRAE Standard 90.4: https://www.ashrae.org/file%20library/about/government%20affairs/advocacy%20toolkit/virtual%20packet/standard-90.4-2022-fact-sheet.pdf
Guest Links
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-quirk-258b8b40/
Company: https://www.dlbassociates.com/
Nuclear is getting sexy again, and it’s all AI’s fault. I’m sitting down with Brian Smith to talk about why big tech is reopening Three Mile Island and why splitting atoms is the most exquisite way to power our digital future. Let's get glowing!
Guest & Company Links
Guest: Brian Smith
Company Website: Idaho National Laboratory
Studies & References
Kairos Power & Google PPA: Partnership for reactor deployment in Tennessee.
Crane Clean Energy Center: Microsoft/Constellation partnership to reopen Three Mile Island.
Idaho National Laboratory (INL): Lead laboratory for Nuclear Energy Research.
The Advance Act (2024): Federal legislation reforming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP): DOE public-private partnership initiative.
Join me and Robert Bryan from Enercon as we dive into why nuclear power is finally having its "Cubs win the World Series" moment. From extending plant lives to 80 years to "drawing your box" for work-life balance, we’re getting pragmatic about the grid's future.
References & Guest Information
Guest: Robert Bryan, Enercon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-bryan-b7828714/
Company: Enercon Engineering: https://www.enercon.com/about/
Referenced Entities:
Idaho National Labs (GAIN Program): https://gain.inl.gov/
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC): https://www.nrc.gov/
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): https://www.tva.com/
Three Mile Island (Constellation/Microsoft Project): https://penncapital-star.com/economy/microsoft-describes-three-mile-island-plant-as-a-once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity/
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant: https://www.southernnuclear.com/our-plants/plant-vogtle.html
I’m joined by Dan Golding to tear down the old rules of data center design. We explore the nuclear renaissance, why the fiber-to-power trifecta is non-negotiable, and why 600kW racks might require you to wear a face shield. It's time to stop resting on our laurels.
External References & Links
Idaho National Lab (INL): Referenced in transcript as "Gaidu National Lab" regarding SMR scale calculations. https://inl.gov/
Commonwealth Fusion Systems: Mentioned regarding Google’s power purchase agreement for the first plant in Virginia. https://cfs.energy/
Nvidia: Referenced regarding the 600kW rack roadmap. https://www.nvidia.com/
Open Compute Project (OCP): Mentioned regarding upcoming discussions on cooling infrastructure. https://www.opencompute.org/
Guest Connections
Guest: Dan Golding, CTO and Apple/Google Veteran.
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgolding/
Jim McDermott drops a provocative idea: a Digital Monroe Doctrine to keep compute close to home while partnering with Canada and Mexico. We geek out on why moving bits beats moving electrons, power gravity, and how prosperity next door keeps everyone happier (and scorpions cooler).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesacmcdermott/
Steve Altizer—mechanical legend and self-proclaimed closet architect—offers a fresh way to look at the modern data center. From the rise of prefabricated white space to liquid cooling’s growing pains, he lays out where the industry is headed and why the old concrete box might finally be ready for an upgrade. It’s smart, honest, and unexpectedly fun.
Santiago Suinaga grew up in Mexico City with a Macintosh and a dad obsessed with tech. 19 years later, he sold his data center empire and now runs Infrastructure Masons full-time. We talk power, community drama, AI boom, and why the industry needs to stop working in silos.
Guest LinkedIn: (33) Santiago Suinaga | LinkedIn
Infrastructure Masons: https://www.imasons.org
I sat down with Uptime Institute’s Rose Weinschenk – a former psychology researcher turned data-center truth-teller. Rose brings a rare talent: understanding the humans behind the hardware. We dig into how people actually behave in high-stakes environments, why mentorship still matters, the trouble with poaching, and what it really takes to build trust in an AI-powered future. It’s thoughtful, nerdy, and full of moments that make you wonder why more psych majors aren’t running critical infrastructure.
References & Links
Uptime Institute 2025 Staffing Survey Report: https://intelligence.uptimeinstitute.com/resource/2025-staffing-and-recruitment-survey-results-and-crosstab-files
Rose Weinschenk: https://intelligence.uptimeinstitute.com/author/rweinschenk
Uptime Institute: https://uptimeinstitute.com/
Structural engineer Kurt Lindorfer joins the QTS Experience to explore what happens when design goes beyond the code. From intelligent structures and base isolation to hula-dancing data centers, we blend serious seismic insight with humor—because protecting billions in data deserves a little swagger.
Join me as Manja Thessin from AFL dives into the wild world of data center densification–think packing 10x more fiber into racks without turning techs into contortionists. We geek out on AI's fiber frenzy, modular magic, and why spreadsheets are so last decade. Buckle up for this eye-opening chat!
Guest Links
Manja Thessin's LinkedIn Profile: (31) Manja Thessin, RCDD, RTPM | LinkedIn
Company Website (AFL): https://www.aflglobal.com/
Joe Rozza joins me to explore how passion, purpose, and practical sustainability collide. From Florida’s drainage ditches to corporate water stewardship, we dig into resilience, governance, and how real business value flows when companies stop treating sustainability like a side project. Dive in—this one’s deep.
External References
Jimmy Carter's book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" (referenced regarding PLO formation and water diversion): https://www.amazon.com/Palestine-Peace-Not-Apartheid-Carter/dp/0743285034
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Infrastructure Report Card (referenced for U.S. infrastructure grade of D): https://infrastructurereportcard.org/
Net Zero Carbon commitments (general reference to corporate pledges): https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/11/net-zero-emissions-cop26-climate-change/
Guest Links
Joe Rozza's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-rozza-p-e-bcee-a8143b12
Ryan Companies Website: https://www.ryancompanies.com/
Brent Trenga joins me to spill on why construction is stuck in the Stone Age while we run space-age data centers. We geek out on circular economies, ethical capitalism, and why data centers should be built like Legos—easy to snap together, just as easy to snap apart—so growth and reuse don’t come with carbon regret. Tune in for laughs and lightbulb moments!
References to Studies, Reports, Data, or External Agencies
Katerra (failed mass timber company) – Company history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katerra
Sidewalk Labs – Alphabet project https://www.sidewalklabs.com/
Guest Links
Brent Trenga's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-trenga-a077278
Company Website: Kingspan Insulated Panels North America https://www.kingspan.com/us/en-us/product-groups/insulated-panels
I've got Luke Saladyga sharing his wild ride from nukes on subs to hyperscale data centers at Google and now Oracle. We dive into operational maturity, high availability nines, and why curiosity beats repetition every time – because who wants boring when you can automate the chaos?
Studies, References, and External Mentions
Myers-Briggs personality test (referenced in leadership course): https://www.myersbriggs.org/
Open Compute Project (initiated by Meta): https://www.opencompute.org/
Nvidia GTC conference and GB200 GPUs: https://www.nvidia.com/gtc/
IEC 61850 standard (substation protocol): https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/6028
Guest Links
Luke Saladyga's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saladyga/
Oracle Company Website: https://www.oracle.com/
Sustainability in data centers boils down to slashing carbon footprints and waste—think Lean Six Sigma magic and robotic automation. I geek out with Joel Chakkalakal on decommissioning hacks, circular economies, and why ops folks deserve a seat at the design table. Let's make our industry greener, one velcro trace at a time!
Studies, References, Data, or External Agencies
Lean Six Sigma: https://www.asq.org/quality-resources/six-sigma
Open Compute Project (OCP): https://www.opencompute.org/
IEEE Working Group on Data Sanitization (IEEE P2883): https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/2883/10711/
Nomad Futurist: https://nomadfuturist.com/
Pegasus Logistics: https://www.pegasuslogistics.com/
Guest Links Joel Chakkalakal's
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chakkalakal
Company Website (Critical Risk Solution): https://www.criticalrisksolution.com/
I'm diving into the grid's growing pains with Raiford Smith! Raiford says the grid is a balloon dog—squeeze it here, make it an anteater there. We unpack the stress
on aging infrastructure and explore innovative fixes. Join us for a charged QTS Experience!
He went from pouring pints to powering platforms—and once dreamed of being the next great Irish basketball star (don’t we all). Cathal Quinn and I discuss big builds, mental health, and why Ireland is still punching above its digital weight class.
Referenced Reports / Concepts
FLAP-D: Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin as major European DC hubs
Compound growth of the EU data center market: Estimated 15–20% YoY over 3–5 years (no direct link, summary from guest)
The concept of Ireland missing the “first wave of AI” due to energy constraints
Guest Links
Cathal Quinn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathal-quinn-15099837/
MOY Group Company Website
Sean James spills on sustainable tech, smart designs, and why flops spark wins. Plus, how to hired by a Hyperscale in 3 easy steps—proof nice guys finish first! Join me for a hilarious, eye-opening chat!
References
Duke University Study: Duke University's Energy Initiative. https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/sites/default/files/publications/rethinking-load-growth.pdf
Don Saddaway (MIT): TED Talk. https://youtu.be/Sddb0Khx0yA?si=NMTm50HkE-WmovR5
Guest Information
LinkedIn Profile: Sean James https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-james-6592524/
Company Website: Microsoft https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/
What do you get when you mix solar panels, shipping containers, and sheer willpower? A data center in the wild. Dagi Berhane joins me to talk trust, technology, and why availability should come before sustainability. Also, what happens when your cloud has no internet? (Spoiler: Dagi builds one.)
Guest Links
Dagi Berhane’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dagi-berhane/
Salesforce Website: https://www.salesforce.com/
References & Studies Mentioned
Salesforce 1-1-1 Philanthropic Model: https://www.salesforce.com/company/philanthropy/
Red Fox Data Center Initiative: https://redfoxsolutionsgroup.com/
The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=46
Habitat for Humanity: https://www.habitat.org/
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