Nate Hodges

Nate has built a career developing and scaling some of the world’s most advanced network and data center infrastructures. With expertise in building highly reliable and scalable IP networks, he has played a key role in the expansion of global digital infrastructure. As Chief Innovation Officer at Crane, he leads the company’s innovation strategy, focusing on emerging sustainable technologies and building strategic partnerships that push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Before joining Crane, Nate spent 15+ years at Google, where he evaluated, planned, designed, and project-managed network connectivity for 600+ MW of hyperscale data center facilities across North America and the Asia-Pacific region. He led Google’s Ads network planning and compute infrastructure efficiency program, achieving industry-leading network utilization while maintaining the highest levels of reliability. His leadership extended to defining Google’s standard requirements for evaluating and sourcing space and power for Core and Edge Points of Presence (PoPs) in third-party colocation facilities, as well as submarine system PoPs in coastal cable landing stations and custom-built facilities. He played a pivotal role in scaling Google’s IP network to become the largest and most distributed in the world.

Prior to Google, Nate was Director of IP Network Capacity Planning at SBC Internet Services, where he designed and scaled the company’s IP network backbone, expanding its capacity more than 20 times from the original design. Earlier in his career, he led operations and maintenance for AT&T’s (SBC Communications/Pacific Bell) central office power systems, ensuring the reliability of critical infrastructure.

Nate’s technical foundation is rooted in his service in the U.S. Navy, where he obtained the rank of Lieutenant and was awarded the U.S. Merchant Marine Meritorious Service Medal. He also earned a U.S. Coast Guard 3rd Assistant Engineering License, qualifying him to operate steam and diesel vessels of unlimited horsepower.

Nate graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point with a degree in Marine Systems Engineering.