Start Campus Names Rita Monteiro as Head of Sustainability

Start Campus has hired Rita Monteiro as Head of Sustainability. The company is building a 1.2GW AI data centre campus in Europe.

Rita has nearly 20 years of experience in ESG, human resources and sustainability. She will lead the development and implementation of the sustainability strategy at Start Campus.

Professional background and qualifications

Rita completed degrees in Human Resources Management and Organisational Psychology before starting her career in 2008 as a Human Resources Administrative Specialist. She has worked in Cape Verde, the Philippines, Thailand, the UK, the United Arab Emirates and Portugal.

She joined Amazon in 2017 as a Pathways Operations Manager. She later held roles as Senior Operations Manager and Principal Program Manager for Supply Chain.

In 2019, Rita became Head of Sustainability Japan. She led the sustainability strategy for Amazon Japan in this position.

Her responsibilities included external engagement strategy, piloting logistics programmes and developing a renewable energy strategy. She also worked on decarbonising facilities.

Rita then moved to the United Arab Emirates as Global Head of Net Zero Carbon Program. She led Amazon's global Shipment Zero programme, which aims to deliver 50% of Amazon shipments with net zero carbon by 2030.

From January 2025, Rita worked in the UAE as Principal Energy, Sustainable Buildings and Partnerships for the AMET and APAC regions. She was part of the global energy and sustainability teams at Amazon.

In June 2026, Rita started her position at Start Campus. She returned to Lisbon, Portugal after almost 10 years working abroad.

Data centre sustainability approach

Start Campus operates the SINES Data Campus, a 1.2GW data centre in Portugal. The facility uses liquid cooling technologies and runs on 100% renewable energy.

The company was founded in 2020. Its stated aim is to create Europe's largest and most sustainable data ecosystem.

The sustainability strategy focuses on minimising impact on the environment, society and industry. Start Campus aligns its efforts with 13 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In its initial operations, Start Campus is testing seawater cooling. This aims to achieve net zero water across the campus. The approach could eliminate reliance on freshwater resources and reduce power consumption compared to traditional data centre technologies.

Start Campus supports the transition to a circular economy through recycling and material reuse in construction. The company works with other industry players to create design, build and operational standards. It also supports research for local and international institutions.

New responsibilities and focus

Rita will use her expertise in sustainable buildings and infrastructure, policy management and decarbonisation in her new role. This will draw on her knowledge of carbon reduction, renewable energy, external engagement and supply chain sustainability from her time at Amazon.

Announcing the appointment, Rita said on LinkedIn: "Late last year, my family and I made the decision to come home, for air quality, better weather and being closer to the people we love.

"Today I'm genuinely excited to share that I joined Start Campus as Head of Sustainability. Since the very first interview, the warmth of the team, the mission, the energy, were contagious.

"And the impact it's already having in my home country makes it even more meaningful. It's also my first time in data centres and I cannot wait to dig in."