Engineer, graduate of Telecom SudParis and the University of Michigan, Sami joined Telehouse in 2010 as a technical sales engineer. He lists his specialties as data center sales, evaluation and negotiation; data center site selection — which includes large-scale cloud computing and facility design.
In 2014, he became head of the sales department in France before being appointed Deputy Director in charge of Marketing and Sales. His mission is now to lead the company as a CEO and accelerate Telehouse’s growth, helping the Group’s customers and prospects to improve their interconnection capabilities. Sami Slim brings to Telehouse a passion for a free, neutral and open Internet. His deep knowledge of the IT market and his proximity to the Internet players contribute to consolidate Telehouse’s results, and to earn him the renewal of the Group’s confidence. Sami was Appointed CEO Telehouse France in 2022.
Sami sees himself as a strong advocate of collaboration and teamwork. Not just within his own company, but in the relationship he is helping the company build with other vendors, partners and clients.
However, he is keen to stress that we should never forget that all but a very small segment of internet traffic – whilst we talk in terms of ‘the cloud — is very firmly based on the ground and under the sea.
For this reason, Sami is taking Telehouse France into unchartered territory in terms of building and expanding its global infrastructure.
Sami was able to define and implement the resources needed to improve customer interconnection capacity, thus enabling Telehouse to speed up its growth significantly. Through these various experiences, Sami Slim has demonstrated his expertise and gained the Group’s trust. Sami Slim, CEO of Telehouse France, explains how a background in sales has provided him with the skills to digitally transform telecommunications. Age 37, he became the youngest senior executive in the Group.
Expanding the connectivity business to its new Heights
Sami’s ‘Connectivity Strategy’ centers on collaboration with businesses possessing skills and resources local to the data hubs and data centers he is building. He also wants the infrastructure of Telehouse France to be as open as possible and give the central position to it that France today holds in the global group strategy. Through the digital hubs of Paris and Marseille, his ambition is to make Europe the backbone of the global internet.
Telehouse France’s latest venture, building a global data hub in Marseille, is a perfect example of his vision in action.
By exploiting internet routes off the coast of France around Marseilles, you can reduce this latency. The faster the speed of traveling data, the more cost savings to your bottom line.
According to Sami, the potential unlocked by those milliseconds saved changes the way we use the internet. More online trading, video, OTT streaming, gaming and real-time data transfer, VR, AI — all become more plausible to a greater number of people and businesses.
When you bridge that gap and reduce that distance, you unlock new visitors that are creating value, jobs and companies. With the huge success of Leon Frot new datacenter, in 2020 that he connected directly to the connectivity facilities of TH2 Voltaire, the 4th most connected datacenter in the world, Sami has the vision of how Telehouse can expand its connectivity strategy in France. Going further with the development of Telehouse Metroconnect in 2021 which links all Telehouse Paris datacenters to the heart of connectivity in France, TH2 Voltaire.
Telehouse as one of the Biggest Player in the Connectivity Business
Telehouse is a worldwide hosting provider company in Europe since 1988, and in France for 14 years, Telehouse meets the physical (colocation) hosting needs of more than 1,000 companies in various economic sectors such as telecoms, IT, finance, luxury, automotive and energy.
With more than 46 Datacenters in the world, including three in Paris, Telehouse is a subsidiary of the KDDI group, the leading Asian international telecom operator ranked among the 300 largest companies in the world. Telehouse is ISO 14001: (environment), ISO 9001: 2008 (quality) and ISO 27001: 2005 (information security) certified.
Telehouse France puts Marseille firmly on the global communication hub map. The surge in digital migration across the globe in the aftermath of the pandemic comes at a price as well as a benefit. Sami Slim, CEO of Telehouse France, explains the business case behind his company’s new location in Marseille by saying, “Data centers are blossoming across the globe; where you plant those blooms is vital. It’s all about location, so you must get it right”.
That little packet of data left home and arrived at its destination faster than your eye moved from one word to the next in this sentence. But… every little packet of data costs money. That round trip from Bavaria to Southwestern Brazil? It would probably have more than 250 milliseconds of latency. It arrived late. This is why Telehouse France is building its latest infrastructure in Marseilles to reduce latency and allow our customers to have the most direct routes to deliver their content.
In France, more than 50% of national internet traffic passes through its Telehouse voltaire datacenter which hosts more than 750 carriers and cloud providers.
The Telehouse Paris data centers host the main Internet hub in Paris since 80% of France IX’s Internet traffic passes through its Telehouse Voltaire data center, which also hosts more than 70 national and international operators. This makes it the most connected from France.
View on the Evolution of Connectivity and Data Center Industry
Telehouse has the privilege to be in a market with a considerable growth perspective lying ahead. One major trend is the increasing demand for high-speed, low-latency connectivity, driven by the growth of data-intensive applications such as AI, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT). To meet this demand, Mr. Slim foresights, “we can expect to see the deployment of more high-speed fiber-optic networks, 5G networks, and edge computing infrastructure, as well as the development of new networking technologies such as software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV).
In addition, the growth of cloud computing is likely to continue, as more businesses and organizations move their IT infrastructure and applications to the cloud. This will drive the demand for more data centers, as well as the development of new data center technologies such as HPC data centers.
Another trend is the increasing focus on sustainability and energy efficiency in the data center industry. As data centers consume large amounts of energy, there is a growing need to reduce their carbon footprint and energy consumption. This may lead to the adoption of new energy-efficient technologies such as liquid cooling, renewable energy sources, and power management systems.
“Overall, if you’re talented and ambitious enough, this is a great wave to ride in the upcoming decade!”, says Mr. Slim.
Sami’s Way to Maintain Workplace Motivation & Productivity
To guarantee workplace motivation and productivity, Mr. Slim asks his managers to consider the following 5 steps:
Set clear and specific goals: Make sure everyone in the team understands what they are working towards and what is expected of them.
Provide regular feedback: Give constructive feedback on individual and team performance and encourage open and honest communication.
Recognize and reward good performance: Provide incentives and rewards for achieving targets and goals, and publicly acknowledge individual and team successes.
Foster a positive work environment: Promote a culture of respect, collaboration, and support, and ensure that everyone has the necessary resources and tools to do their job.
Encourage learning and growth: Offer training and development opportunities for employees to enhance their skills and knowledge.
The Key to Deal with Disagreements & Criticism
Sami believes that, “When it comes to disagreements and criticism, it is important to remain professional and objective.”
While asked about dealing with disagreements and criticism, Mr. Slim explains, “At Telehouse we have a long-lasting culture of authenticity. We ask individuals to be themselves and express their talent and personality fully. However, we set clear boundaries to make conflict a driver for growth. We ask our people to Listen carefully and consider other people’s perspectives. We always stay calm and composed avoiding getting defensive or emotional. We seek common ground. We address the issues directly and never ignore problems. We learn from feedback and use criticism as an opportunity to grow and improve.
A Leader’s Way With Empathy
Mr.Slim stated that, “Before being a leader, I am a human being subject to empathy and vulnerability as anyone else. It is about turning around our basic human traits to strengths driving our business.”
Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, can be a powerful tool for leaders. When leaders can connect with their team members on an emotional level, they can build stronger relationships and create a more positive work environment. Empathy can also help leaders make better decisions, as they take into account the needs and perspectives of their team members.
Integrity, the willingness to be open and honest about one’s own limitations and mistakes, can also be an important trait for leaders. When leaders show vulnerability, they create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their own concerns and mistakes. This can help to build trust and create a culture of learning and growth.
“However, it’s important to note that empathy and vulnerability alone may not make a successful leader. Other traits, such as strong communication skills, decisiveness, and a strategic mindset, are critical for effective leadership,” he says.
Advice for Aspiring Business People
Mr. Slim’s piece of advice for aspiring business people is to “Be passionate and persistent. Nothing can beat passion and hard work. Steve Jobs called it staying “hungry and foolish”. He believes this is the most common trait in almost all the great entrepreneurs and business leaders he has ever met. If you’re passionate and persistent, you will attract like-minded people and opportunity, you’ll see more clearly what your goals and objectives are, you’ll stay adaptable and open to contrarian ideas. Success will come to you while you’re enjoying the ride.”
