As a New Jersey native, Gary Wojtaszek may have had some misconceptions about the sleepy Midwest. But as the CFO of Cincinnati Bell, Wojtaszek is in the vanguard of change, leading the almost 140-year-old local phone company in its bid to become a global data center colocation provider for Fortune 1000 customers.

"It's a unique opportunity to join a company that some would believe had seen its best days, and to come in and set a new strategic direction and take it to a different spot," Wojtaszek says. "It's been a fun couple of years here."

So far, so good. Cincinnati Bell reported $1.4 billion in revenue last year and it showed strong growth in sales from data center colocation, which totaled $125 million, a 75% increase from 2009. In colocation, a company provides customers with space, power, protection and services, while they bring in their servers and other equipment.