Core42 Appoints Former Google Executive Emma Cloney to Lead International Expansion

Appointment marks next phase of international growth as demand for sovereign AI acceleratesApril 28, 2026, Dublin, Ireland: Core42, a G42 company specializing in sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure, today announced the appointment of Emma Cloney as Senior Vice President, International Sales & Strategy and General Manager, Ireland. In this newly established role, Emma will lead Core42’s international go-to-market strategy, support commercial expansion across key global markets, and help scale the company’s sovereign cloud and AI Cloud offerings as demand grows for trusted, high-performance AI infrastructure. Reporting to Sherif Tawfik, Chief Business Officer, and based in Dublin, she will also oversee Core42’s Ireland operations and help advance the company’s European footprint from its regional headquarters.

The appointment follows the establishment of Core42’s European headquarters in Dublin in December 2025, which serves as a regional hub for customer delivery, technical leadership, and partner engagement, as the company expands its sovereign AI infrastructure and GPU-accelerated compute offerings across Europe. With more than 60% of European organizations seeking sovereign AI solutions and spending on AI-optimized servers projected to reach $46.8 billion in 2026, Emma’s appointment positions Core42 to deepen its reach across Europe as demand grows for sovereign, high-performance AI infrastructure.

Emma joins Core42 with three decades of experience across cloud, enterprise technology, and international growth. Most recently, she served as Managing Director, Global Business Programmes at Google Cloud, where she led initiatives to strengthen global sales and technical talent pipelines while improving operational efficiencies that accelerated time to market across the organization. Prior to this, she helped scale Google Cloud’s EMEA business during its early growth phase, contributing to its rapid expansion into a multi-billion-dollar business.

Her career also spans senior executive roles at Microsoft, where she led a global team managing strategic technology partnerships across the financial services sector, overseeing revenue, go-to-market strategy, and joint solution development at international scale. She subsequently served as Chief Operating Officer for Advertising and Online in Europe, leading a team of 120 people across 15 countries. She also held board-level responsibilities at SAP UK and Ireland, where she was responsible for cloud revenue growth.

“Across Europe and other international markets, the focus is shifting to what it takes to run AI reliably at scale. Sovereignty, resilience, and infrastructure are becoming the deciding factors,” said Sherif Tawfik as Chief Business Officer (CBO), Core42. “Core42 is investing in building a strong regional presence to support that shift, and Emma’s appointment reflects our commitment to delivering on that vision. Her experience in scaling cloud businesses within leading global technology companies, combined with her deep understanding of the European market, will be instrumental as we expand our footprint and partnerships across the region.”

Commenting on her appointment, Emma Cloney, SVP, International Sales & Strategy and GM, Ireland, said, “This is a pivotal moment for the company, with strong momentum, a differentiated position in the market, and a clear ambition for growth. What drew me to the opportunity is the scale of that ambition and the focus behind it. I look forward to working with the team to strengthen our presence in Europe and support the next phase of expansion.”

Emma is actively involved in shaping the next generation of leadership in international business, mentoring emerging female leaders across Irish and international networks. She also contributes to broader conversations around governance and growth as a member of WB Directors UK and the Institute of Directors, and has supported charitable organizations on strategy and long-term sustainability. Emma is a graduate of University College, Dublin and INSEAD, Fontainebleau.