Skanska USA has announced that Michael Silla has joined the company as senior vice president of its Mission Critical Center of Excellence (COE), which focuses on best practices for building and upgrading all types of data center facilities.

In his role, Silla will be responsible for further establishing Skanska as a leader in the data center construction market, and driving growth in this sector across the company’s local offices, teaming with customers and designers to offer unique solutions for every project. He is based out of the company’s Charlotte, NC office.

“Michael has tremendous expertise in the mission critical industry and will be a valuable asset to our team as we continue to grow our position as a world leader in data center and resilient data infrastructure construction,” said Larry Casey, executive vice president, chief strategy and markets officer at Skanska USA Building. “He will be instrumental in establishing our increasingly important role in providing the infrastructure that is the very backbone of the mission critical economy and security.”

A 20-year industry veteran, Silla most recently worked as the mission critical national vertical lead for Balfour Beatty Construction. Prior to that, Silla was employed with Concept CSI, a specialized data center construction firm, and Cosentini Mission Critical.

In his role, Silla will work with clients and partners to develop and deliver solutions specific to each project, focusing on implementing a plan that considers the future needs of the industry through an ongoing, partnered approach.  Silla stays committed and involved in the industry as an active member of the 7x24 Exchange, an organization focused on promoting peer discussion, thought leadership and education for the mission critical industry.

Skanska has centers of excellence in the aviation, healthcare, sports and entertainment, federal government, power and energy, life sciences, and mission critical sectors. Each COE provides business development support, industry knowledge, training, and strategic development to local Skanska teams across the country.