Rice joins the sustainable data center developer following a 25-year career in global procurement leadership. His background includes high-stakes roles at KBR Inc. and Kent, where he managed procurement cycles for complex, multi-billion-dollar projects in the energy and industrial sectors. During his tenure at KBR, Rice oversaw $4 billion in annual equipment and materials spend, honing his expertise in mitigating supply chain risks and ensuring schedule certainty for mission-critical assets.

At AVAIO, he will direct supplier engagement, contract negotiations, and the development of a scalable supply chain infrastructure. CEO Mark McComiskey noted that Rice’s deep experience with capital projects is vital to maintaining cost and delivery schedules as the company scales. A graduate of the University of Houston with an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, Rice will focus on optimizing the procurement of long-lead equipment to support AVAIO’s build-to-suit and hyperscale operations.