Richard S. Lukaj
Senior Managing Director
Bank Street Group
TMT M&A Forum USA 2025
UNLOCKING THE NEXT WAVE OF DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
2025 Agenda
09:25
Digital Infrastructure Leaders: Shaping the Future and Building Strategies for Unlocking Growth
Moderator
Richard Lukaj, SMD, Bank Street Group
Speakers
Allan Samson, SVP & Chief Broadband Officer, T Mobile
- What role is access to capital having on shaping market dynamics across different digital infrastructure verticals, datacentres, fiber, towers and connectivity?
- How is the industry responding to trade volatility, geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain risks and rising energy costs
- What next steps can be taken to future proof digital infrastructure projects?
- Which pathways are most suited for digital infrastructure to optimise resource and drive sustainable business expansion?
- Examining how investors are adapting to the high leverage levels of digital infrastructure platforms
- What major shifts will define the next decade of digital infrastructure?
- How significant is regulation and government support in enabling or hindering the deployment of digital infrastructure?
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Chair
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Speaker
Allan Samson
SVP & Chief Broadband Officer
T Mobile
10:25
M&A Leaders: What's driving the next wave of Transactions in Digital Infrastructure ?
Moderator
Greenberg Traurig
Speakers
Andrew Thomas, Senior Managing Director, Stonepeak
Todd Holder, Managing Director Global Head of Infrastructure M&A, TD Securities
- How is AI infrastructure reshaping acquisition strategies, and what role will hyperscalers now play in industry consolidation?
- What will the next wave of US FTTH consolidation look like?
- With many DC operators overleveraged, how are investors structuring deals using securitisations, private credit and IPO strategies?
- What were some of the biggest M&A deals of 2025 and how have those impacted market dynamics and competition? What is the M&A outlook across different digital infrastructure verticals in 2026 and beyond?
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Speaker
Andrew Thomas
Senior Managing Director
Stonepeak
11:35
Data Center Leaders: M&A Developments and The Next Evolution of Data Center Investment
Moderator
Luke Laumann, Partner, Weil
Speakers
Sharif Metwalli, CFO, Vantage Data Centers
Madonna Park, CFO, Switch
- Analysing data center financing and M&A trends, including the need for capital and the bifurcated investment landscape between hyperscalers and colocation assets
- What is the future of data centers and AI integration, including the shift towards GPU-based infrastructure and the potential for smaller, modular data centers to support enterprise AI application?
- Examining the challenges around power access and the impact that energy limitations are having on capacity, pricing, and market dynamics
- The evolving data center design and configuration requirements to accommodate higher rack densities, liquid cooling solutions, and the need to modernize legacy infrastructure.
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Chair
Luke Laumann
Partner
Weil -
Speaker
Sharif Metwalli
CFO
Vantage Data Centers -
Speaker
Madonna Park
CFO
Switch
12:15
Visionary Keynote Speech: Data Centre Trends & Growth Outlook
Colby Synesael, Managing Director, TD Securities
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Speaker
Colby Synesael
Managing Director
TD Securities
12:30
Enterprise Fiber Leaders: Consolidation and Future Business Models
Moderator
Kamal Hawa, Partner Mergers & Acquisitions, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Speakers
Rachel Stack, CFO, Lightpath
- How are enterprise fiber players modernising their infrastructure in the face of AI demand?
- What strategic deals are taking place between fiber networks and cloud service provides to enhance AI and enterprise connectivity?
- Examining the extent of growing demands for high-bandwidth, low-latency fiber to support next generation digital infrastructure
- What can be learnt from some of the large enterprise fiber M&A/JV processes which have taken place?
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Speaker
Rachel Stack
CFO
Lightpath
14:10
Financing Leaders: Alternative Financing Structures & Funding the Next Wave Of Deals
Speakers
Quynh Tran,Deputy Head Structured Finance, Americas SMBC
Michael Leitner,Senior Managing Director, Stonepeak
- Examining the risk/return profiles of the capital sources including private equity, infrastructure funds, and real estate investors
- How are GPs responding to LPs allocating capital on a deal-by-deal case. Has there been a rise in co-investing? Are sector specific funds attracting capital?
- Are GPs moving up the risk curve allocating more dollars to core-plus funds?
- Is there an increased growth in club deals, JV vs traditional M&A?
- Deep dive into the resilience of digital infrastructure valuations driven by continued strong growth prospects
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Speaker
Michael Leitner
Senior Managing Director
Stonepeak
14:10
Wireless & Connectivity Innovators: Determining the Next Phase of Growth & Investment
Speakers
Rich Coyle, President and CEO, Extenet
- Examining the evolution of the wireless infrastructure investment landscape, including the shift from carrier-funded to enterprise-funded models
- What are the growth prospects for private wireless networks in 2026? How are players identifying the right use cases?
- Analysing the challenges and strategies around aggregating fiber and small cell assets, including the need for operational efficiency and creative financing solutions
- What role will Starlink and other satellite players have in competition with fiber? How fast is the technology developing?
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Speaker
Rich Coyle
President and CEO
Extenet
14:10
Executive Boardroom – Investment Opportunities in Next Generation Infrastructure and IoT
Speaker
Emily Azer, Director, GI Partners
- How are investors identifying high-growth opportunities in edge computing, private networks, and AI-driven infrastructure to support IoT expansion?
- What role do 5G, fiber, and satellite connectivity play in scaling IoT ecosystems, and where is capital flowing in these sectors?
- Examining the biggest challenges in monetizing next-gen infrastructure investments, including regulatory hurdles and return on investment timelines
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Chair
Emily Azer
Director Data Infrastructure
GI Partners
14:55
Tower & Connectivity Leaders: Scaling for 5G, M&A Growth & Competitive Positioning
Speakers
Mike Finley, CEO, Boingo Wireless
Alex Gellman, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, Vertical Bridge
- As 5G densification accelerates, tower demand continues to surge, with increased focus on edge infrastructure and next-generation connectivity solutions - How are operators adapting to evolving deployment needs?
- Private tower firms continue to outpace public REITs, leveraging flexible capital structures and M&A strategies.
- How will regulatory shifts, spectrum allocation, and carrier competition impact the next phase of tower market consolidation?
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Speaker
Mike Finley
CEO
Boingo Wireless -
Speaker
Alex Gellman
Executive Chairman and Co-Founder
Vertical Bridge
14:55
Datacentre Innovators: Investment Opportunities for Mid-Market & Emerging DC Operators
Speakers
Rahul Mewawalla, CEO, Mawson Infrastructure Group
Uzi Hadar, CFO, EdgeCloudLink
- How can emerging DC operators differentiate themselves and capitalise on the explosion of investment hitting the sector?
- Analysing the appetite for capital in the mid-market data center space
- How are mid-market investors and operators looking at the importance of credit worthiness and lease terms, and the potential for investment in AI-adjacent sectors, and cooling, power, and supply chain infrastructure
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Speaker
Rahul Mewawalla
CEO
Mawson Infrastructure Group -
Speaker
Uzi Hadar
CFO
EdgeCloudLink (ECL) -
Speaker
Chris Vonderhaar
President
Fleet Data Centers
14:55
Executive Boardroom– Opportunity Available
- Sponsorship opportunity to craft your own boardroom discussion at TMT M&A Forum USA 2025. Work with the TMT Finance content team to collaborate on a topic and speaker lineup to drive your thought leadership.
15:40
Energy & Digital Infrastructure Leaders: Overcoming Power Constraints in the Digital Age
Speakers
Anubhav Raj, CIO, Aligned
James Trout, CEO, CleanArc Data Centers
Mary Meduski, President and CFO, TierPoint
- How are regulatory shifts affecting energy accessibility for infrastructure growth?
- Examining the evolving relationship between data center operators and utility companies, including the need for better collaboration, regulatory changes, and the potential for two-way power relationships
- How are power constraints impacting the rollout of new data centers and fiber networks?
- What alternative power strategies (on-site generation, nuclear, microgrids) are emerging?
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Speaker
Anubhav Raj
CIO
Aligned -
Speaker
James Trout
CEO
CleanArc Data Centers -
Speaker
Mary Meduski
President and CFO
TierPoint
15:40
Open Access Innovators: Increasing Penetration Rates & Accessing the Stability of the Business Model
- What market dynamics are most significant in influencing the success of the open access model across the US?
- With the open access model being largely private sector driven, what is the outlook for the current administration supporting the business model?
- How will open access players be utilising BEAD funding and how will it change competition dynamics?
15:40
Executive Boardroom: How Private Credit, Securitizations, and Institutional Investors are Reshaping Financing
Moderator
Laura Fazio, MD Tech &Telecom, Huntington
- How are private credit and securitization evolving as key financing tools for digital infrastructure investments?
- What role are institutional investors, including pension funds and sovereign wealth funds, playing in reshaping capital deployment?
- Examining the impact of interest rates and tightening credit markets on deal structuring and capital availability
- Analysing the shift towards alternative financing models and the future outlook for debt and equity funding in the sector
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Speaker
Laura Fazio
Managing Director Technology & Telecom Banking
Huntington Bank
17:05
AI Leaders Roundup: How AI is Reshaping the Future of Digital Infrastructure
Speakers
Raul Martynek, CEO, DataBank
Adam Waltz. Managing Director, BlackRock Global Infrastructure Funds
Joseph Wutkowski, Data Center Acquisitions & Development, Google
Matt Monaco, SVP Asset Mangement and Development, AREP
- Will AI hyperscale demand continue at this pace, or are we facing an investment bubble?
- Who will be the winners and losers amid rapid AI and energy transitions?
- The emergence of specialized "training clusters" for AI workloads driving massive power and infrastructure requirements
- Uncertainty around the timing and location of inference demand, and the evolving role of GPU-as-a-service providers in meeting this new wave of customer needs
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Speaker
Raul Martynek
CEO
DataBank -
Speaker
Adam Waltz
Managing Director
BlackRock Global Infrastructure Funds -
Speaker
Joseph Wutkowski
Data Center Acquisitions & Development
Google -
Speaker
Matt Monaco
SVP Asset Mangement and Development
AREP
