Smith names Kaitlin Pollara vice president of data center services

By AI, Created 5:22 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Smith appointed Kaitlin Pollara as vice president of data center services on May 13, 2026, adding a new co-leader to a business unit focused on hyperscalers and large data centers. The move is meant to expand Smith’s end-to-end services and strengthen its position in a fast-growing part of the electronics supply chain.

Why it matters: - Smith is adding leadership to a business that supports hyperscalers and large data centers, two customer groups driving heavy demand for supply chain flexibility and lifecycle services. - Pollara’s hire signals Smith wants to expand a data center services unit that has become a bigger part of the company’s growth strategy. - The appointment also adds a sustainability angle, since Smith uses secure remarketing and reuse of hardware to extend component life.

What happened: - Smith named Kaitlin Pollara vice president of data center services on May 13, 2026. - Pollara will co-lead Smith’s Data Center Services team alongside Parker Deardorff, who already serves as vice president of data center services. - Pollara will help lead initiatives to expand and develop Smith’s data center business. - Smith is based in Houston.

The details: - Pollara brings more than 20 years of experience in the electronics supply chain industry. - Pollara won Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s 2021 Women in Supply Chain award. - Her background includes building custom programs for global cloud and compute companies. - Her experience also includes driving operational excellence with a sustainability focus. - Smith’s data center services include manufacturing services, lifecycle solutions, and inventory analysis. - Smith says each program is tailored to customer needs and can scale up or down as market conditions change. - Smith’s secure remarketing and reuse program covers HDDs, SSDs, GPUs, and memory components. - Smith says that reuse model supports a more sustainable electronics supply chain. - Smith was founded in 1984 and describes itself as the leading independent distributor of electronic components. - Smith says its Intelligent Distribution model helps source, manage, test, and ship billions of components worldwide. - Smith says it holds more than 25 certifications and accreditations. - Smith reported more than $3.4 billion in global revenue in 2025 and said it ranked eighth among global distributors. - More information is available on Smith’s website.

Between the lines: - The co-lead structure suggests Smith is trying to scale a specialized business without disrupting the team already in place. - Pollara’s mix of cloud, compute, and sustainability experience fits a market where data center operators are under pressure to manage cost, uptime, and hardware reuse. - Smith is framing data center services as both a growth business and a differentiator inside its broader distribution platform.

What’s next: - Pollara and Deardorff will work together to further develop Smith’s data center offerings over the coming months and years. - Smith is likely to keep pushing customizable services as demand from cloud and compute customers evolves. - The company will continue using its data center platform to expand service offerings and meet customer expectations.