Dean Nelson

“In the 20+ years I've been in the IT industry, most of that time in Silicon Valley; I don't know anyone has brought more people together than Dean. He sets the bar for what it means to collaborate and inspire. In addition to that, he is a genuinely kind person, a rare quality at his level in the industry. If you want a senior leader to lead by example, motivate by inspiration and not fear, he's the guy. I would work with or for Dean anytime and really value him on both the professional and personal level. ”

“It has been my pleasure to work with Dean since his Sun and Data Center Pulse days through eBay and his leadership of The Green Grid Advisory Council. Dean is an inspirational innovator! Always willing to add the perspective of others, his passion for "the good of all" is infectious and helps drive others to collaborate in order to surpass mutual expectations.”

“Dean and I first met last year when he began Project Mercury. As the new GM of the HP Hyperscale Business Unit, he was a key customer of mine and one who was pushing all the edges around containerized deployments, Hadoop & Cassini deployments, and advanced water cooling. We established a professional relationship which has grown over the last year. I would consider Dean a true partner in shaping the future of the data center. Dean’s skills continue to amaze me. He is an incredibly positive person to be around. His team respects him and would follow him to the ends of the earth. He looks for the good in every relationship and finds ways to build upon it. He has a very deep knowledge of the industry, the enabling technologies, and the dynamics but continues to push it forward in every dimension. He takes on new projects with passion and enthusiasm and it is no wonder he continually gets asked to take on larger roles. He is just way too comfortable in front of a camera and perhaps should consider acting as a backup profession.  Over the last year I have learned a lot from my engagement with Dean. I have an incredible respect for him and would now call him a friend. He has done very well in his career so far and there is no doubt this will continue. He has the skills, knowledge, and attitude to take on any role he was passionate about.”

““Don’t bore us, Get to the chorus”, Tom Petty. I’m not sure why but Dean Nelson often brings to mind catchy song lyrics, the current one being “I’ll sleep when I am dead” (Warren Zevon). One of my colleagues describes him as …part Energizer Bunny, part DaVinci, and part Mother Theresa in reference to his tireless energy, pursuit of the excellence and compassion for people and our planet. As a client he certainly keeps us on our toes. My team is adept at “thinking around corners”, anticipating where a challenge is likely to take us yet, no matter how effective we are, Dean is always ready to show us the next corner. With 6 years of perspective on Dean, I can say he is both persistent and consistent; those early lessons, my team now refers to as “Dean Nelson 101”, persist today except they are routinely updated to anticipate at least a few tech refreshes. Dean is a pleasure to work with and much better on camera than I am.”

“I've had the pleasure of working with Dean and his team on Project Mercury over the past year. What a journey it's been! The "what" has been truely amazing ... 30+kw/rack power density, 100% outside air cooled, at a sub 1.03 module PUE on a roof top in Phoenix. But actually, what I'm most proud of, is the "how" ... Dean's team has been incredible to work with and a complete driving force to their success. I'm a big believer that team attitude and work ethic are true reflections of leadership. Thanks Dean for providing that leadership.”

“Dean continues to lead the field in innovating new data center design, construction, and operation practices that blend energy & resource efficiency, time to deploy, transactional throughput, and system availability. He demonstrates vision, leadership, and from my perspective has built and mentors an excellent team of data center professionals at eBay.”

“Dean is a true asset for the data center the industry. I've worked with him for several years through my role in The Green Grid. Through these years, I've never failed to be impressed by his technical acumen, his desire to drive the industry to ever-higher standards of performance, and his ability to innovate and execute. Data Center Chill-offs, the Data Center Pulse group, Project Mercury -- all are examples where Dean has not only helped highlight key issues, but also driven solutions for the industry. His leadership on The Green Grid's Advisory Council has been invaluable to the organization -- ensuring that TGG's actions and its initiatives are in line with the needs of the industry. Dean's influence even reaches into my role at Dell. His engagement with our teams and leaders have affected how individuals within Dell view the data center and its future. Although innovations like Project Mercury are significant, our industry's needs continue to expand. We're reaching higher levels of performance with each generation. Our notions of how IT can help provide new products, services and solutions have expanded as well. Leaders like Dean are going to be critical for the IT industry as it continues to move forward. - John Pflueger”

“Dean is an industry leader in data center design and construction. I have worked with Dean for more than 7 years now, at Sun Microsystems and as a part of The Green Grid. Dean's innovative ideas have been as simple as inventorying all the rooms at Sun that could be called "data centers" (he found more than 1500), to a "hardware amnesty" program designed to remove parasitic, old machines from inside our company (3000 machines decommissioned), to emphasis on innovation and ground-breaking design techniques at eBay. Dean's ability to speak convincingly about a variety of technical, sustainability, and business topics makes him a tremendously valuable executive asset for eBay and the whole industry. I'm happy to have met and worked with Dean, and look forward to more amazing ideas in the future.”

“Its amazing how many people in the data center space have seen the "Dr Evil's Data Center" segment on Data Center Pulse 'on-the-road'. Some folks might put "Evangelist" or "futurist" on their business card, but Dean takes the challenge to the whole industry with his chill-offs and open RFPs. He excels on clearly stating the goals and message, and then repeats it over and over. That clarity of vision and message, vs just marketing hype, makes it very easy to develop industry level support to go work on the tough problems. He also is a great person to work for - he surrounds himself with good folks, espouses the vision, then gets out of the way. But hes not afraid to round the troops back together to hash out conflicts, whether its his direct reports, partners, or industry work groups - he arbitrates the disconnect to put everyone back on the same goals. I look forward to our continued opportunities to partner.”

“Working with Dean is always an exciting adventure. He is creative and imaginative, pushing the limits of our industry. His teams embody his spirit; creative, innovative and collaborative. He is truly one of the pioneers of cutting edge efficient modular datacenters, always striving for improvement and freely sharing accomplishments and lessons learned with the rest of the industry.”

“Dean is one of the most influential leaders in the data center industry. Over the past five years that I have known him, he has helped drive the adoption of new technologies, best practices and metrics to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of IT. He is an enthusiastic partner on joint projects, a great public speaker, and a big idea generator.”

“Innovative. Agile. Collaborative. Forward-thinking. Dean is a fearless leader whose quest to transform technology into business value has led to some pretty amazing achievements. One of them is the breakthrough innovation we have achieved together in eBay’s data centers under Dean’s guidance. Dean has taken data center infrastructure management to a whole new level at eBay. He is breaking new ground in how data centers drive value for the business – simply a remarkable executive to work with. April 27, 2012 Elizabeth Given, Chief Executive Officer at iTRACS, Inc”

“Laser Focused, Fair, Incredible Personal Drive, Fearless, Insightful, and an excellent manager. His team and his suppliers want to work hard for him. I often spend spare time findings initiatives ( white ops) to help Dean get done in my spare time. Dean, its my fathers name too. I learn great lessons from both. My experience with Dean Nelson from the moment we were hired at ebay, was of the best client experiences RampRate has experienced. We have had full support and trust since we walked in the door. Moving a big company to "do the right thing" and shift cultures to the benefit of his employer are in his DNA. I am honored to work with an executive of this caliber.”

“Dean is one of the rarest of breeds - he is as passionate as they get about internet infrastructure (aka, Internet Plumbing) and has a hard time containing himself as he seeks ever better efficiency in how we manage large scale infrastructure platforms. Dean lights up any room when talking about infrastructure and is capable of getting everyone excited about "plumbing". As a leader in the industry, Dean is a fantastic communicator and facilitator of ideas. He brings people together of diverse backgrounds and gets them all on the same page - no matter what obstacles may present themselves - this is evident in all of his work via Datacenterpulse where I have had the pleasure of working with him since its inception. Dean is one of the few that can see the entire eco-system required to enable internet infrastructure to be unified so as to reach its maximum efficiencies - from power to server to packet to cloud, Dean sees all the pieces and understands them. I would want Dean involved in any type of project, however, if it pertains to internet infrastructure, he simply is on the very short list of people who have proven success and also continue to be a thought leader in the industry driving it forward.”

“I have worked with Dean for many years developing new ideas and prototypes for datacenters. He never ceases to surprise me with his unconventional thinking, the continued drive to challenge himself and others, and his talent to bring people together for idea sharing and collaboration in an industry that guards their secrets well. Dean is always a step ahead, never loses sight of the big picture and has a penchant to uncover ways to make everything more efficient. He has a very likeable character and connects easily with people. And if that wasn’t enough, he also is a great motivator, engaging presenter and knows how to make a splash. And somehow he finds the time and energy for large scale philanthropic projects across the world.”

“If have been on the Data Center Pulse board with Dean from the start. He is a great guy to work with. Very smart. Always up for a good discussion on the future of technology. What I really like is the fact that Dean does not only have a good vision on datacenter and IT development but he also takes his company and team (and the total industry for that matter) to the next level by executing the vision. In many ways he has set new standards for the industry. I have seen him take datacenter (development/operation) teams to new heights. Highly recommended.”

“Occasionally you come a person in the industry who not only really gets the fundamentals of what you do and why, but they are charismatic enough to get you excited again about doing it. That pretty much sums up my experiences with Dean Nelson. At SUN Microsystems, Dean became the face of the end user-operator of data centers and naturally went on to start Data Center Pulse, in his spare time. He frequently communicated with end user facility engineers and CIO’s worldwide. His staff at SUN radiated his enthusiasm for the work they performed and Dean led. I have frequently referred to him as the “Rock Star” or “American Idol” of the data center industry. However, Dean is no mere white-paper pumping marketing guy. Not only does he know about the data center infrastructure, he also knows IT. There are few folks in this industry that understand how the chillers work and the purpose of a TVSS, as well as how to subnet IP’s and configure VSANs. Capping this, he is extremely attentive to minute details in his projects and keenly aware of the business management and ROIC requirements in each initiative. Aside from his technical talents and obvious abilities to carry an audience, Dean is zealously passionate about optimized data centers and computing, and tells it like he sees it. On a few occasions Dean and I have agreed to disagree, and I have found that he is readily willing to accept criticism and accountability, all the while being measured and professional. As of this recommendation Dean has moved on to e-Bay where he is leading their data center program. I have the pleasure of volunteering with Dean on the Advisory Council of The Green Grid, and we frequently interact through DCP. I would recommend Dean as a technical leader and visionary in any ICT related position.”

“Dean was most helpful in sharing his in-depth knowledge on green and sustainable data centers. Despite his very busy schedule, he made time to provide a tour and was responsive to follow-up questions.”

“He's a troika you can't top. 1. He's a technical genius; incredible credentials; in the datacenter space, he has literally moved mountains. He's widely regarded as an expert at the very top of his field. 2. He's a supremely effective, engaging communicator. He's the best I've worked with. What's more, he's always looking for ways to reach more people with the message; to engage in new ways. 3. He is a philanthropist, a humanitarian, a man of incredible integrity. His philanthropic work sets a standard of excellence that I aspire to. And he lives in all three of these spaces with great humility and humor.”

“Dean is very client-oriented and presents our ideas clearly and effectively. He listens to what is important and makes appropriate recommendations.”

“I've known Dean for a few years now and I've got to say that the passion and enthusiasm he bring to the job is remarkable. He's a great team leader, a strong technical thinker and a great diplomat. He's able to bring diverse groups together in an amazing way. He describes the vision, the benefits to each group - and then drives them towards the goal. The result: a win for the company - and everyone involved!”

“Dean is one of the best leads I'm had the privilege of working for. He got me started on the right foot at the start of my career. He is always in touch with the details and at the same time focused on the overall objectives; a perfectionist that inspires everyone around him. Thanks Dean.”

“Dean Nelson was a talented, through and good manager who saw every project to completion before or on the due date. He has a keen ability to plan and manage projects irrespective of the nature of the project. Very technical. Capable of adapting to the changing nature of the requirements. A very optimistic and patient manager capable of assisting his team to achieve the goals of the team. A big team player and good leader.”

“Dean is what I would call a super-star engineer/manager/problem solver. Dean was instrumental in creating and managing world-class lab with very high efficiency. He can also resolve any engineering problems you can throw at him. He was also an excellent manager and led his team with integrity and by examples. I would highly recommend him for any demanding position.”

“Dean is one of the best managers for which I have worked. He challenges his staff to grow while providing them the necessary support to achieve goals. Dean strives for the success of his team as well as his projects and always has a word of encouragement. His energy and enthusiasm are contagious!”

“Dean hired me right out of school and I was able to learn a great deal about building and supporting R&D labs under his lead. His technical expertise, attention to detail, dedication, and enthusiasm for the uncharted are just a few of the fine attributes that Dean brings to the table.”

“Dean brings a tremendous amount of energy, focus and vision to his work - his results demonstrate his strong, positive leadership. Dean combines technical expertise with solid business and management skills - he continuously drives for the best solution - for both his project and his team. Strong two thumbs up!”

“Dean has a unique ability to quickly and accurately assess issues and come up with well structured solutions. He is able to tackle extremely complex projects with many at times diverging stakeholders and ensure a successful outcome. Without hesitation, I would jump at the chance to work with him again.”

“Dean has always impressed me as a man with incredible talent, ability, and desire to really make a difference. He looks at the big picture and tries to imagine, and implement, large scale solutions that benefit many. He is not satisfied with simply doing a job. He wants to make a difference and have an impact that provides broadscale benefits to many.”

“Dean is a very strong and visionary leader. He has proven himself in taking a concept and driving it to a reality. Shared Labs has been a quantum leap in the way Sun Microsystems views and operates engineering labs. Dean attention to detail, careful planning and extrordinary passion has added tremendous value to Sun's bottom line.”

“hard worker, overall a good person to have on your team.”

“What can you say about Dean...he is a powerhouse of creative energy, focus, and technical excellence! I have had the pleasure of knowing Dean when he had his first position in the early days at Sun out of DeVry and I knew he had something special then and was going to go places, and do stuff that nobody has done before. If you get the opportunity to work with Dean, just do it.”

“Dean has been a pleasure to work with. Expert in his domain, a quick executor of tasks and a wonderful leader across geographic domains. He's brought great value to my organization in India as well as to Sun Microsystems.”

“Dean is one of the most creative people I know. Dean is an artist whether it is music or video production, or building large scale lab networks with the latest technology. Dean is not afraid to tackle unknown technical problems and is willing to learn what is needed to solve the problems with his creative gifts. I enjoyed working with Dean and appreciated his technical abilities.”

“Dean is a visionary lab designer with an eye for detail. Working on one of Dean's projects is always demanding and rewarding; he is always pushing the edge of technology and he focuses like a laser, refusing to accept anything less than the perfect incarnation of his envisioned lab.”

“Dean is a technical visionary who see opportunities globally and then seeks out solutions to capitalize on them. His knowledge of IT spaces covers the full spectrum of disciplines enabling him to define optimal solutions and efficiently manage deployments. Working with him is very enjoyable.”

“Dean has been an excellent technical and managerial resource for us as we work together to create solutions for Sun’s lab services and sites on a global basis. Dean is adept in numerous technologies, sciences, and materials. He applies that foundation with new concepts to create truly innovative solutions. It is a pleasure to work with him, as he is a personally engaging individual.”

“Dean was the driving force behind the development of the QA automated test system which made the work of the entire QA team much more efficient and effective. Of all the members of the QA team, Dean's work had the most impact on the success of the group. It was a pleasure to work with him personally as well. He always had a great attitude and he inspired everyone around him.”

“Dean Nelson is a terrific person, an exceptionally skilled co-worker, and a fountain of positive energy. Dean earned the highest level of respect from his peers, subordinates and executive management at Allegro Networks. He has my highest endorsement for a leadership and management role in his technical area of expertise.”