Team
Phil Horstmann, President, Chief Executive Officer
Horstmann founded Ascent in 1998 to align and integrate best-in-class critical systems infrastructure, facilities engineering, purpose built construction, architectural acumen, and best practices operations protocols for the sole purpose of improving client operations in data center and other critical systems environments. Today, Horstmann has established Ascent as a turnkey critical systems infrastructure solutions provider with a broad range of expertise, uniquely spanning architecture, planning, engineering, construction, management, real estate development, and operations outsourcing.
Robert Painter, Vice President, Engineering and Construction
Painter leads infrastructure design, planning, and implementation at Ascent. He is responsible for data center and mission critical facility engineering, the planning, programming, and project management of Ascent construction services, and Ascent's Owner's Representation and Construction Management services. Additionally, Painter is a consultative expert in the areas of electrical, HVAC, security, monitoring, and fire suppression systems. Prior to joining Ascent, Painter was District Engineer for Ameren UE, a leading electrical utility in the Mid-west, where he was responsible for several large-scale commercial and industrial projects. Before joining Ameren UE, he served as an electrical design engineer for the Callaway County Nuclear Plant in Missouri where he specialized in the design and implementation of power controls and power generation. Painter received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri and an MBA from Maryville University.
Mike Gorden, Vice President, Client Operations
Gorden leads the Ascent Operations Center (AOC) providing real-time monitoring of data center and other integrated critical environments, service delivery, and program management. He is responsible for the delivery of Ascent managed services, including the management of work orders, purchase orders, documentation, asset tracking, and operational budgets, as well as, critical event management, SLA reporting, and maintenance management programs. Prior to joining Ascent, Gorden was a Quality Navigator for Boeing, the world's leading aerospace company, where he was responsible for Six Sigma-derived quality improvement programs. Prior to the merger with Boeing, he was a Chief Engineer with McDonnell Douglas, a leading aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, where he was responsible for various large-scale projects. Gorden received a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University, and an MBA from Washington University.
Bob Clark, Vice President, Data Center Development
Bob L. Clark is responsible for researching and identifying target locations ideally suited for data center
developments. He performs the financial modeling of each site working with municipalities to evaluate
specific tax incentives, operations to determine operating costs and engineering to quantify construction
costs and schedules and liabilities. He then applies current market conditions into the model for investor
and tenant evaluation. Formerly Clark led the Ascent Power division overseeing sales and service
of conditioned power products. Ascent Power sold and serviced emergency standby power products
such as industrial standby generators, UPS, batteries, load banks, transfer switches, power-monitoring
systems, and security systems. Clark focused on clients who operate integrated critical environments
spanning major industry segments such as information technology (data centers), healthcare (hospitals),
life safety (hotels, condos, etc.), and municipalities (police, fires, waste water treatment, etc.). Prior to
joining Ascent, Clark was a Planning and Economic Analyst with Shell Oil, a worldwide group of oil,
gas, and petrochemical companies, where he was responsible for various capacity management and
forecasting functions. Clark received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Arizona State
University and a Masters in Business Administration from Washington University.
