CBRE Group, Inc. has announced that Tim Huffman has joined its Data Center Solutions practice as senior vice president. Huffman will be based out of Atlanta, Georgia, expanding CBRE’s presence in the data center market nationwide, and specifically in the Southeast. Huffman joins more than 100 professionals on CBRE’s international data center team. 

Huffman has been in the data center business for 17 years, first as a sales executive for data center service providers and most recently serving as the national director of Colliers’ Technology Solutions Group. He is an expert in data center advisory and negotiations, primarily on behalf of occupiers. Huffman also provides strategic consulting services on data center consolidation and cloud service migrations. 

Atlanta is one of the leading U.S. data center markets, with 12.2 megawatts of total net absorption in 2016 according to a new report by CBRE. As the wholesale market in Atlanta continues to expand and evolve, the availability of custom facility/redundancy configurations, a favorable business climate, abundant and reliable power and low utility costs will likely make the metro a key market for data center requirements. 

“Tim’s global data center experience will add tremendous value to our Data Center Solutions team,” said Pat Lynch, senior managing director, Data Center Solutions, CBRE. “We look forward to the contributions he will make in creating exceptional outcomes for our clients in this expanding sector.”

Mike Lash, Huffman’s business partner, will also join CBRE as an Associate. Lash will also be based in Atlanta. 

"The CBRE platform presents a phenomenal opportunity to serve clients with my specialty expertise in technology solutions,” Huffman said. “Mike and I look forward to partnering with our data center professionals around the U.S. and globe to build advantage for CBRE’s clients."

Huffman is an established thought leader in the market, frequently speaking at data center conventions and industry events through groups such as NAIOP. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors and on the Board of Advisors at Gwinnett Technical College. Huffman is also a Grammy Award-nominated singer and songwriter whose close network of friends includes The Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers, Kansas, and Hall & Oats. The love of performing is still with him, but he sought a career that would not require constant tours and found himself in the tech and data center world. 

Significant clients of Huffman and Lash include Red Hat, Cummins, Invesco, PNC Bank, Alere Pharma, British Telecom, Streamline Health, and DS Services.