Robert Blackburn

Go-getter
DISC Type : d

Vice-President, xScale Strategy & Product at Equinix

San Francisco Bay Area, United States

Overview

Robert Blackburn is the Vice-President of xScale Strategy at Equinix, leveraging a 20-year career in sales, marketing, and leadership. He specializes in hyperscale market strategy, large account acquisition, and alliance management. He holds an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

He shows a keen interest in creating pathways for military veterans to transition into the technology sector. He actively promotes programs that help service members apply their experience to critical facilities and operations roles, expressing pride in their potential to thrive in the corporate world.

Unique fact: Robert was awarded Regional Sales Director of the Year for three consecutive years (2009, 2010, and 2011) at Equinix.

Personality Overview

Fast-Paced

Decisive

Challenger

They don’t always try to control the conversation but neither do they like yielding it fully.  They can be nudged to make faster decisions by offering what they value. They focus on objectivity in a pitch and pay little attention to bells and whistles.

Topics They Care About

Hyperscale Data Centers
His current role focuses on leading Equinix's hyperscale market strategy and the development of new xScale data center products and services.
Strategic Cloud Alliances
Previously served as Global Managing Director for Equinix's relationship with Oracle and posts about partnerships with other major cloud providers like Microsoft Azure.
Tech Industry Sustainability
He actively shares company progress on sustainability goals, including energy efficiency, renewable energy procurement, and water usage improvements in data centers.

Media Appearances

Robert Blackburn – Author at Interconnections (Equinix Blog). Featured in Equinix Blog

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Inside Equinix's Plan To Build Data Centers Exclusively For The World's Largest Clouds. Featured in CRN

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Tech to Compete, Tech to Scale Panel Discussion. Featured in Equinix

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Work History

10-2025
Vice-President, xScale Strategy & Product at Equinix
1-2025 - 9-2025
Vice President & Global Managing Director at Equinix
2016 - 2024
Global Managing Director at Equinix
2011 - 2016
Regional Vice-President, Sales at Equinix
2006 - 2011
Regional Sales Director, Northwest US at Equinix

Education

BA from University of Virginia
MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 32 Location : San Francisco Bay Area, United States Job Level : N/A Designation : Vice-President, xScale Strategy & Product at Equinix
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Insights For Selling To Robert

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Stress on the business value that your product offers
  • Get to the point quickly instead of spending too much time on pleasantries
  • Be crisp while making the pitch

DONT's

  • Refrain from asking too many questions
  • Don’t try to be an alpha salesperson, give them equal space
  • Don’t expect them to change their mind quickly if they say no once

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Robert is

  • Conviction in the product matters to them, followed by proof points and strong testimonials.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Robert

  • They may not be very forthcoming, but they will say no if needed.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Robert move?

  • They are neither the fastest decision makers nor the slowest.
  • Can Robert take some risk or not?

  • They can take risks but after weighing up the pros and cons.

You And Robert

Personality Compatibility


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