FINAL WORD

by nature, data centres have to serve both local and international economies, communities and technologies. Meaning we need ideas, insights and problemsolving approaches from everywhere and everyone. Greater inclusion brings new ways of thinking, better decisionmaking and stronger collaboration, which are powering the world.

Campaigns like Critical Careers are helping to shift perceptions and open the door to people who may never have considered this path, to bring in voices from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Resilience is fuelled by diversity and inclusion, and that’ s how we ensure the digital infrastructure sector can evolve responsibly, meet global challenges and deliver a future that works and supports all.

What do you believe are the biggest misconceptions young women might have about careers in data centres, and how can initiatives like‘ Critical Careers’ help to dispel them?

One of the biggest misconceptions young women have about the data centre sector is that it’ s not for them. Not because of the job titles or the technical jargon, but because the industry can feel distant perhaps male-dominated or even too far removed from what their current interests. They imagine they won’ t belong, or that their skills aren’ t transferable. But the truth is, this sector needs every kind of talent, from engineering to marketing and everything in between.

That’ s exactly why Critical Careers was created, to show that there are brilliant women in every corner of the industry, doing work that’ s fulfilling, exciting and impactful. The stories we’ ve shared offer something far more powerful than job descriptions, they are about representation. I hope when young women see individuals that they relate to, thriving in these roles, they might just think that maybe digital infrastructure could be somewhere they could flourish after all.

Looking to the future, what are your hopes for increased female representation and leadership within the data centre industry, and what further steps do you think the sector as a whole needs to take to achieve these goals?

Looking ahead, I hope to see more women in leadership, not just in traditionally“ female” roles, but right at the top: CEOs, board members, technical leads. We’ re already seeing change from the ground up, with more women entering the sector through apprenticeships and junior roles. But now it’ s time to ensure they’ re supported so they have a path to get to the top. That means creating clear development pathways, trusting potential over perfect grades and continuing to build inclusive cultures where people are appointed because of the possibility of who they could be, not what their current experience portrays them to be.

I’ d also love to see more cross-sector collaboration between operators, suppliers and policymakers to embed equity as standard. Ultimately, I want to get to a place where initiatives like Critical Careers aren’ t seen as a novelty, they are just normality. �

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