Princeton Digital Group Hires Matthias Vukovich as Chief Investment Officer

Princeton Digital Group has hired Matthias Vukovich as chief investment officer, with the former Morgan Stanley banker to be based at the data centre provider’s Singapore headquarters.

Vukovich will lead investment and M&A activities at PDG, the company said in a release. He most recently served as chief financial officer of Converge ICT Solutions, a Philippines-based fibre broadband operator that went public in 2020 during Vukovich’s tenure.

Bringing Vukovich aboard is part of an expansion drive as PDG seeks strong talent to help execute mergers and acquisitions, said Rangu Salgame, the firm’s co-founder, chairman and CEO.

“PDG has embarked on our next phase of growth as we solidify our position even further as a pan-Asia leader,” Salgame said. “I am excited to work with Matthias, who brings a wealth of M&A and industry experience to the company.”

Digital Infra Banker

Before joining Converge — which, like PDG, is backed by private equity firm Warburg Pincus — Vukovich spent 12 years at Morgan Stanley as a technology, media and telecom banker in Tokyo, London and Hong Kong, taking part in some of the investment bank’s biggest M&A, IPO and private fundraising deals in the digital infrastructure sector.

Vukovich began his career at NTT Docomo, where he spent four years as an account manager and as an assistant manager in the global business department at the Japanese mobile operator.

A 1997 graduate of Lycee Franco-Japonais, he later earned a master’s degree in commerce from the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

“PDG’s M&A strategy is truly unique, as evidenced by its remarkable success,” Vukovich said. “In a very short period, the company has built the most formidable data centre footprint in Asia across five countries. I am delighted to be joining a company where I can be part of an outstanding leadership team to drive its next phase of growth.”

Management Team Grows

Vukovich’s appointment follows the hiring of Yoshinaga Takahashi as PDG’s managing director of Japan earlier this year.

Takahashi had spent 22 years at Tokyo-based Mitsui & Co, most recently as a general manager taking responsibility for all investments and execution of the group’s real estate projects across Southeast Asia and China.

PDG tapped Takahashi to help execute the firm’s 97-megawatt Greater Tokyo data centre project announced in June 2021. Located 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) north of central Tokyo in Saitama City, the campus occupies a 33,047 square metre (355,715 square foot) site and is being developed in two phases of 48.5MW each. Construction is due for completion in 2024.

Founded in 2017 and backed by Warburg Pincus, Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, PDG has a presence in five countries with a portfolio of 20 data centres and 600MW capacity.