Why Attend: Women in Data Centres Panel at Data Centre LIVE

As the data centre industry evolves, conversations around talent and inclusion are becoming just as important as discussions about AI and infrastructure scale.

At Data Centre LIVE: The London Summit, the “Women in Data Centres” panel will bring those conversations to centre stage, highlighting the voices helping shape the future of the industry from every angle.

Taking place at Exhibition White City in London, the session will explore how businesses can build stronger, more innovative and more resilient organisations by creating inclusive cultures and expanding opportunities across the sector.

For attendees, it offers a practical look at leadership and the changing skills landscape within digital infrastructure.

Leaders shaping the future of data centres

The panel brings together senior leaders from across consulting, cloud, procurement, operations and engineering, giving audiences the opportunity to hear how some of the industry’s most experienced professionals are navigating transformation at global scale.

Among the speakers is Catriona Shearer, Global Head of Data Centre Consulting at JLL, who brings decades of experience spanning operations, consulting, sustainability and commercial leadership.

Having worked across colocation operations, consultancy and technology vendors, she offers a uniquely broad view of how data centre businesses can evolve while balancing operational performance and long-term strategy.

Also joining the panel is Rebecca Weekly, VP of Infrastructure Engineering at GEICO.

Rebecca has led large-scale infrastructure transformation projects across hybrid cloud and hyperscale environments and previously oversaw lifecycle management for global systems supporting a significant portion of worldwide internet traffic.

She has also held leadership roles within the Open Compute Project and continues to advocate for accessible innovation across digital infrastructure.

From the supply chain perspective, Eve McIlvaney, VP Global Procurement at Yondr Group, will discuss how procurement strategies are evolving to support scalable and sustainable data centre growth.

Her work focuses on building agile supplier ecosystems capable of meeting the demands of increasingly complex mission-critical environments.

The session also features Suzanne Cockaday from Kyndryl, whose expertise spans cloud, enterprise transformation and operational leadership.

Drawing on extensive experience across IT and professional services, Suzanne brings insight into how organisations can align strategy, operational efficiency and workforce development during periods of technological change.

Meanwhile, Lizzy McDowell, Director of Marketing and Critical Careers Founding Partner at Kao Data, will bring an important people-focused perspective to the discussion.

Passionate about visibility and representation within digital infrastructure, Lizzy advocates for creating collaborative environments where diverse talent can thrive and innovation can flourish.

Moderating the session is Villie Xeni, Commissioning & Engineering Director at MiCiM Ltd.

With experience spanning project engineering, commissioning and client-side leadership, Villie offers a practical understanding of the technical and operational challenges shaping modern critical infrastructure projects.

Professionals attending the session can expect actionable perspectives on career development, building high-performing teams and driving organisational change in an industry facing unprecedented demand. 

Attendees looking to better understand the future workforce, leadership dynamics and operational priorities of the industry will find this panel especially valuable.

At a time when digital infrastructure growth is accelerating globally, the conversation around inclusion is increasingly linked to innovation and long-term business success.

Join us at Exhibition White City in London on 20-21 May for Data Centre LIVE: The London Summit.

Attendees will gain practical insight from industry experts, hear real-world case studies and connect with peers and decision-makers shaping the future of data centres.

Click here to secure your ticket for this unmissable event.