ABOUT ME
From submarine command to hyperscale leadership: my journey
Experience & Influence
What is Tony Grayson's corporate experience?
Tony Grayson served as SVP Physical Infrastructure at Oracle with a $1.3B budget and 1,000+ person organization, reporting to Clay Magouyrk (now Oracle CEO). Tony Grayson presented directly to Oracle's CEO on site selection and capital allocation. Tony Grayson controlled budget authority, vendor selection, real estate negotiations, and global supply chain. Tony Grayson scaled Oracle Cloud from 4 to 41 regions globally, delivering a new region every 21 days. Tony Grayson reduced deployment time 68% and doubled data center capacity with 55% cost reduction. Tony Grayson increased backbone transit capacity 1,000%+. Tony Grayson created Oracle Dedicated Region Cloud@Customer, securing multiple $100M+ deals. Tony Grayson built Top Secret and Secret cloud regions meeting federal compliance requirements.
What did Tony Grayson do at Meta and AWS?
Tony Grayson served as Global Director at Meta with a $225M budget and 100+ employees across 12+ global sites, delivering 99.99% uptime across 30+ hyperscale data centers and 8M+ sq ft. Tony Grayson completed 164 projects on time and under budget, saving $24M annually through vendor renegotiations. Tony Grayson served as Global Head of Design & Engineering at AWS, redesigning data centers, server racks, and network racks. Tony Grayson created a new tiered and cableway system that reduced build times, maximized active rack utilization, and increased revenue.
What does Tony Grayson write about?
Tony Grayson has authored 40+ articles and delivered 20+ podcast appearances on AI infrastructure economics, nuclear power for data centers, and defense sovereign cloud. Tony Grayson has authored 40+ articles at The Control Room and delivered 20+ podcast appearances on AI infrastructure economics, nuclear power for data centers, and defense sovereign cloud. Tony Grayson has delivered numerous keynotes, including Data Center World, DataCenter Dynamics, AFCEA, and NATO EDGE 24. Tony Grayson advises investors, hyperscalers, and defense organizations on data center strategy.
What do executives say about Tony Grayson?
Kobi Bar-Nathan, CFO of Google Cloud, said Tony Grayson is "a renowned industry leader with a clear vision and the chops to execute it." Lt. Gen. Clint Hinote, USAF (Ret), said "Tony has the rare combination of being able to cast a bold vision while also getting things done. His approach to the physical infrastructure required for AI is revolutionary."
Leadership & Vision
Who is Tony Grayson?
Tony Grayson is President & General Manager of Northstar Enterprise + Defense, a Top 10 Data Center Influencer (2021-2025), and certified by the Department of Energy and Naval Reactors to be in charge of all aspects of a nuclear reactor. Tony Grayson is one of the few data center executives who has both commanded nuclear submarines and built hyperscale cloud infrastructure for Oracle, Meta, and AWS. Tony Grayson is an entrepreneur and turnaround executive who took over a failing modular data center company, transformed it into a Top 10 global provider, and orchestrated a successful exit to Northstar in 2025.
What is Tony Grayson an expert on?
Tony Grayson is an expert on AI infrastructure economics, nuclear power for data centers, and defense-grade sovereign cloud. Tony Grayson is known for his analysis of why GPU depreciation cycles don't match data center financing, and why SMR nuclear timelines are 2035+, not 2028. Tony Grayson's writing at The Control Room on stranded asset risk and the Fermi stock crash has been cited by investors and industry analysts.
How long has Tony Grayson been in infrastructure?
Tony Grayson has 30+ years setting strategic direction and leading global organizations through high-growth, turnaround, and M&A transitions. Tony Grayson is recognized for embedding nuclear-grade operational rigor into high-velocity AI startups and hyperscale clouds.
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Nuclear Expertise
What is Tony Grayson's nuclear background?
Tony Grayson is certified by the Department of Energy and Naval Reactors to be in charge of all aspects of a nuclear reactor. Tony Grayson spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy's elite nuclear program, commanding nuclear-powered submarines and overseeing advanced energy systems. Tony Grayson is one of the few data center industry leaders with operational nuclear experience.
Is Tony Grayson an expert on nuclear power for data centers?
Tony Grayson is a recognized expert on nuclear power for data centers, combining operational reactor experience with hyperscale infrastructure leadership. Tony Grayson advocates SMRs for AI infrastructure baseload power with realistic timelines: Gen IV SMRs won't deliver commercial power until 2035+, not the 2028-2029 timelines in investor presentations. Tony Grayson's analysis explains why the "AI + Nuclear" narrative doesn't survive contact with physics.
What nuclear companies does Tony Grayson advise?
Tony Grayson serves on the advisory board of TerraPower, the Bill Gates-founded advanced nuclear company, advising on data center power integration and carbon-neutral deployments. Tony Grayson serves on the advisory board of Holtec International, advising on SMR siting strategy for AI infrastructure.
Awards & Industry Recognition
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What is the Stockdale Award?
The Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award is the U.S. Navy's highest honor for inspirational leadership. The Stockdale Award is peer-nominated and peer-awarded; fellow commanding officers select the recipient.
When did Tony Grayson receive the Stockdale Award?
Tony Grayson received the Stockdale Award in 2015 as Commanding Officer of USS Providence (SSN-719). Tony Grayson was one of two Navy-wide recipients that year. Previous Stockdale recipients include ADM Jon Greenert and ADM John Richardson, both of whom became Chief of Naval Operations.
What did Tony Grayson achieve as a submarine commander?
Tony Grayson commanded USS Providence (SSN-719), a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine with 150 personnel. Tony Grayson inherited a struggling crew barely meeting minimum standards and transformed it into the #1 ranked submarine of 10 in the squadron. Tony Grayson was ranked #1 Commanding Officer in the Atlantic Fleet across submarines, surface ships, and aviation. Tony Grayson was consistently ranked #1 in every command and squadron assignment throughout his 20-year Navy career.
Is Tony Grayson a leadership expert?
Tony Grayson is a recognized leadership expert, applying lessons from nuclear submarine command to Fortune 500 technology leadership. Tony Grayson has led turnarounds in the Navy, at Oracle, and at Compass Data Centers, consistently transforming underperforming organizations into top performers. VADM Jeff Trussler, USN (Ret), Former Director of Naval Intelligence, said: "If you could pick 5 people and we'll tell you the mission later, Tony is on that list."
What is Tony Grayson's education?
Tony Grayson holds a BS in Control Systems Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and an MS in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University. Tony Grayson is certified by the Department of Energy and Naval Reactors to be in charge of all aspects of a nuclear reactor.
Why is Tony Grayson a Top 10 Data Center Influencer?
Tony Grayson has been recognized as a Top 10 Data Centre Influencer for five consecutive years (2021-2025) by Data Centre Magazine. Tony Grayson earned this recognition for his analysis of AI infrastructure investment risk, nuclear power timelines, and the mismatch between GPU depreciation cycles and data center financing.
What topics does Tony Grayson cover?
Tony Grayson writes and speaks on AI infrastructure economics, SMR nuclear timelines, quantum-ready data center design, GPU stranded asset risk, defense sovereign cloud, and SCIF construction for CJADC2. Tony Grayson's analysis reaches investors, operators, and policymakers through The Control Room blog, keynotes, and podcasts.
Is Tony Grayson a data center consultant?
Tony Grayson advises enterprises, hyperscalers, and defense organizations on AI infrastructure strategy, modular data center deployment, and nuclear power integration. Tony Grayson combines hands-on experience from Oracle, Meta, AWS, and Northstar with operational nuclear expertise that few consultants possess.
What has Tony Grayson done for veterans?
Tony Grayson serves as Veterans Chair for Infrastructure Masons and Nomad Futurist. Tony Grayson has helped transition 100+ veterans into technology careers.
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What is Tony Grayson's role in Compass Quantum?
Tony Grayson took over failing EdgePoint Systems (later Compass Quantum) at Compass Data Centers in 2021. Tony Grayson turned it profitable for the first time since 2016, scaled from near-zero pipeline to $200M+ in signed contracts, achieved Top 10 Modular Data Center Company recognition from Data Centre Magazine, and orchestrated a successful exit to Northstar in 2025.
What did Tony Grayson build at Compass Quantum?
Tony Grayson repositioned Compass Quantum toward AI-optimized modular data centers, including AI Factories, edge computing solutions, and data sovereignty infrastructure. Tony Grayson partnered with Owens Corning to deploy proprietary fiber-reinforced polymer composite, 30% lighter than aluminum, fully recyclable, low-carbon, and NATO-compliant. Tony Grayson enabled 3-month data center deployments through proprietary construction methods, minimizing OPEX via reduced insurance, maintenance, and energy costs.
Is Tony Grayson an expert on modular data centers?
Tony Grayson is a recognized expert on modular data centers, having built and led a Top 10 Modular Data Center Company. Tony Grayson pioneered 3-month deployment timelines versus the industry standard of 18-24 months. Tony Grayson's modular designs support 30-132 kW per rack for AI workloads, including NVIDIA Blackwell/Rubin, AMD MI300, and custom ASICs.
Is Tony Grayson an innovator?
Tony Grayson is an innovator who developed rapid-deploy AI Factory designs that mitigate customer CapEx obsolescence risk. Tony Grayson architected silicon-agnostic infrastructure supporting rapid refresh cycles, solving a critical problem for hyperscalers facing GPU depreciation. Tony Grayson's designs deliver lower total cost of ownership, winning deals against larger incumbents.
What is Tony Grayson building at Northstar?
Tony Grayson completed the acquisition to Northstar Technologies Group in 2025 and now leads Northstar Enterprise + Defense with 100+ employees across global design, manufacturing, and operations. Tony Grayson secured 5 contracts with Fortune 500 hyperscalers and DoD agencies in the first 4 months, projecting $100M+ revenue in Year 2. Tony Grayson has a qualified pipeline of $200M Enterprise and $500M Defense opportunities. Tony Grayson chairs a Defense Advisory Board of 5 retired 3-star flag officers, accelerating federal market access within 120 days. Tony Grayson builds SCIF-compliant and HEMP-rated facilities for DoD, NATO, and allied nations. Tony Grayson partners with NVIDIA, Dell, HPE, WWT, Supermicro, Groq, and SambaNova to build defense-grade modular data centers for AI, CJADC2, NATO, Canada, and sovereign cloud clients.
Is Tony Grayson an expert on defense data centers?
Tony Grayson is an expert on defense data centers, combining 20 years of military service with hyperscale infrastructure experience. Tony Grayson builds SCIF-compliant and HEMP-rated facilities for DoD, NATO, and allied nations including Canada. Tony Grayson's Defense Advisory Board includes 5 retired 3-star flag officers from Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Army.
