Announces key senior appointments across development, land strategy, technology, market development, and community engagement
27 May 2026 – Oslo/Bergen/Washington, DC – Following the recent appointment of Cathrine Telje as CEO in Norway, Kitebrook Infra is further strengthening its leadership platform with a series of senior appointments across development, land strategy, technology, market development, and community engagement.
Kitebrook Infra has appointed the following senior leaders: Rob Jones, Director of Development & Construction; Andy Edwards, Director of Land Strategy; Geoff Fox, Chief Technical Officer; Kjetil Ertnaes, Director of Market Development; and Per Espen Edvardsen, Director of Community Liaison. All to take part of Cathrine Myhre Telje leadership group.
The announcement follows the recent establishment of Kitebrook Infra in Norway by U.S.-based data center pioneers Byrne Murphy and William E. Conway, Jr., who previously built DigiPlex into one of the leading data center companies in the Nordics.
Kitebrook develops AI/HPC-ready data center sites in Norway by acquiring and preparing strategic properties, securing permits and grid access, building enabling infrastructure, and delivering fully prepared, renewable-powered sites for future data center operators.
Current development activities include locations in Masfjorden, Samnanger, and Luster in Vestland County, where the company is securing land, power access, permits, and enabling infrastructure for long-term industrial development.
One of the most experienced leadership teams in the Nordic data center industry
– The leadership team at Kitebrook brings a rare combination of strategic insight, operational execution capability, and deep industry expertise. Collectively, they represent one of the most experienced teams in the Nordic data center market, says Byrne Murphy, who together with William E. Conway, Jr., is an investor behind Kitebrook.
Murphy continues:
– Several members of the team have worked together for many years, including during the period when we built DigiPlex into a leading data center company in Norway and the Nordics. I have seen first-hand how they deliver results in highly complex and demanding projects. This gives us great confidence in their ability to lead Kitebrook’s continued growth in Norway.
Building a leadership team for large-scale execution
The appointments mark the next step in Kitebrook’s ambition to build a long-term platform for large-scale data center infrastructure development in Norway.
– Delivering projects of this scale requires not only access to power and strategically located sites, but also a highly experienced leadership team that can execute across all phases of development. We are building a platform with deep expertise across the entire value chain, says Cathrine Telje, CEO of Kitebrook Infra in Norway.
Kitebrook’s development model is centered around reducing complexity for future data center operators by securing land, addressing permitting processes early, clarifying grid access, and preparing foundational infrastructure before customer entry.
The company’s projects are powered by 100 percent renewable hydropower and are developed in alignment with regional energy planning and responsible grid integration principles.
Key Leadership Appointments
Cathrine Telje, Chief Executive Officer
Cathrine Telje brings extensive leadership experience from the Nordic data center industry and capital markets. She leads Kitebrook’s growth in Norway, with overall responsibility for strategy, operations, and execution.
She previously served as VP Finance Nordics at CTS Group, Chief Strategy & Execution Officer at Bulk Data Centers, and CFO Nordics at STACK Infrastructure. Cathrine Telje was also CFO of DigiPlex during the company’s major growth phase, including when DigiPlex issued bonds on the Oslo Børs (now Euronext) to finance expansion across the Nordic region.
Rob Jones, Director of Development & Construction
Rob Jones brings more than 28 years of experience delivering complex, high-value projects across the commercial fit-out and data center sectors. Rob is the former Head of the Nordics for Turner & Townsend, one of the world’s largest data center project managers. He leads development and construction activities across Kitebrook’s portfolio, with responsibility for execution, risk management, and long-term asset value creation.
Andy Edwards, Director of Land Strategy
Andy Edwards joins Kitebrook with approximately 25 years of experience across real estate development and digital infrastructure. Andy joins Kitebrook after devoting nearly 6 years of leading Microsoft EMEA’s Land Strategy team. He is responsible for land acquisitions, disposals, and structuring partnerships and joint ventures. He previously spent six years at Microsoft driving data center expansion projects across Europe.
Geoff Fox, Chief Technical Officer
With more than 30 years of industry experience, Geoff Fox leads Kitebrook’s technical strategy and design development. Geoff was the CTO for DigiPlex for nearly 21 years. He is responsible for delivering future-proof, sustainable, and scalable infrastructure solutions, building on experience from companies including DigiPlex and CBX.
Kjetil Ertnaes, Director of Market Development
Kjetil Ertnaes brings more than 20 years of experience from the Nordic data center market and is among the early contributors to the development of Norway’s data center industry. Kjetil was the Head of Sales at DigiPlex for 10 years. He leads Kitebrook’s market development activities, strategic positioning, and customer engagement efforts.
Per Espen Edvardsen, Director of Community Liaison
Per Espen Edvardsen is responsible for stakeholder engagement with municipalities, local communities, and regional partners, including processes related to permitting, zoning, and power approvals. He is the co-founder of REGN Datacenters, which was acquired by Kitebrook in 2024.
Combining global expertise with local insight
Byrne Murphy emphasizes the importance of combining international experience with strong Norwegian industrial and regional understanding:
– What we are building in Norway is highly ambitious, both in scale and innovation. To succeed, we need leaders who combine global expertise with deep local understanding. This team reflects exactly that.
Murphy adds:
– Several members of this team have helped shape the Nordic data center industry over the past two decades. Their combined experience gives us strong confidence in our ability to deliver on our long-term plans.
Positioned for long-term growth in Norway
The strengthened leadership team will support Kitebrook’s ongoing project development activities in Masfjorden, Samnanger, and Luster, as well as future expansion opportunities across Norway.
– We now have a leadership team in place that covers the full spectrum — from land and permitting to technical design, construction, stakeholder engagement, and market development. This positions Kitebrook very strongly for the next phase of long-term growth in Norway, concludes Cathrine Telje.
For further information:
For Norway, the Nordics and Europe:
Bjørn Richard Johansen,
Geelmuyden Kiese,
E-post: brj@gknordic.com
Tel: 47 800 100
For USA:
Chris Ullman: chris@chrisullman.com
About Kitebrook in Norway:
Kitebrook was founded by data center pioneers Byrne Murphy and William E. Conway, Jr., who built DigiPlex over 20 years until its sale in 2021. DigiPlex comprised eight data centers in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark when it was sold to the American investment firm IPI Partners, LLC, in 2021. At that time, the company encompassed over 40,000 m² of developed area and over 400,000 m² available for further development. A total of 135 employees worked for the company. See more at: www.kitebrook.com
When they re-entered the data center infrastructure space in Norway in 2025, their initial investment was in four plots in Vestland County, specifically in Masfjorden, Samnanger, and Luster municipalities. Their goal is to secure additional locations across Norway. Kitebrook’s model involves acquiring property, collaborating with municipalities to obtain necessary permits and approvals, developing infrastructure, and securing multiple clean power sources for each site.
About Murphy and Conway:
Byrne Murphy is an entrepreneur with 35 years of experience in international development and investment. He has already introduced American business concepts to Europe three times and has built two startups into companies valued at over one billion dollars. Murphy graduated Cum Laude from Harvard College and holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. He has received numerous awards for innovation, sustainability, and leadership. Murphy is also the author of the highly acclaimed book “Le Deal”, published in 2008 and republished in 2021. Le Deal was awarded the Gold Medal Axiom Prize for Best Business Memoir.
William E. Conway, Jr. is co-founder and co-chairman of Carlyle, a global investment firm with over $470 billion in assets under management. Before establishing Carlyle in 1987, Conway was CFO of MCI Communications. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.