With the data centre sector continuing to transform to support new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), thought leaders across the wider industry are on hand to offer insights, personal experience and support to data centre companies.
The world’s data centre companies and leading business executives are continuing to use platforms like LinkedIn to enhance their brand, in addition to improving their understanding of the industry and discovering leading talent.
Within this article, we recommend 10 of the leading data centre influencers that operate across LinkedIn and various other digital platforms. They include industry leaders, motivational speakers and technology experts who share their stories with their networks.
10. Paul Hammer
Paul Hammer is a podcast host, technology innovator and keynote speaker that aims to connect technology enthusiasts around the world. He is the co-founder and host of Uptime Punks and has a successful track record of creating and delivering engaging and informative podcasts for the global technology community.
With nearly a decade of experience in the technology events industry, Paul has continually contributed to businesses increasing profits, cost reductions and elevated customer service standards for some of Europe’s largest and fastest-growing technology events.
With over 7 years of experience in the tech events industry, I have consistently contributed to increased profits, cost reduction, and elevated customer service standards for some of Europe's largest and fastest-growing tech events.
9. Andy Davis
Andy Davis is the Director of Data Centre Club, a business that partners with clients around the world to provide sector-specific solutions for data centres. He provides market leading recruitment services across EMEA, APAC and the US.
He helps organisations and individuals identify leading data centre talent by utilising his global business network of over 34,000. His credibility and expertise within the sector enables him to support and educate businesses to make the right decisions to close their skills gaps.
Andy also hosts the Inside Data Centre Podcast, interviewing those working within the data centre sector.
8. George Rockett
George Rockett is the founder and board member of DatacenterDynamics, the world's largest data centre publication. He has been working across the data centre industry for more than 20 years and is a leading figure that recognises how the industry is changing and growing today.
With his expert knowledge of the data centre market, he is a regular industry commentator and frequently speaks at global events. Currently, George is launching Yotta, a full-stack industry event that aims to address how digital infrastructure can responsibly scale to meet continued data growth in the digital economy.
7. Phillip Koblence
Phillip Koblence is a strategic executive and thought leader in the data centre and network space. He co-founded data centre provider NYI in 1996 and has grown the company to a robust network across international markets.
He is celebrated for his leadership and focus on customer experience across the data centre industry. In addition to NYI, Phillip is also CEO of Critical Ventures which is designed to help clients and investors optimise the value of critical infrastructure assets.
Furthermore, Phillip sits on the DE-CIX North America Advisory Board as well as on the Board of OIX (formerly Open-IX). He is co-founder and COO of the Nomad Futurist Foundation and Podcast.
6. Nabeel Mahmood
With more than two decades of experience across the technology industry, Nabeel Mahmood has a broad and balanced skill set that he uses working across diverse teams. He is passionate about the power of technology to deliver competitive and transformational change and the need to develop digital leadership that will create the enterprise of the future.
He shares his expertise with the data centre community and wider technology sector via the Nomad Futurist podcast. This platform is designed to empower and inspire younger generations through exposure to underlying technologies that power the digital world.
5. Todd Coleman
Todd Coleman is the founder and President and CEO at Estruxture Data Centers, the largest Canadian-owned cloud and carrier-neutral data centre provider. With more than 25 years of experience in the IT, data centre and telecommunications industries, he has worked across several communications companies including as co-founder and COO of Cologix.
He has also held several senior positions at Level 3 Communications, a global telecommunications company, including Senior Vice President of Data Centers, Senior Vice President of Media Operations and President of Level 3 Communications Europe.
4. Tony Grayson
Tony Grayson is General Manager at Compass Datacenters and is a distinguished business and technology leader. He has more than 25 years of experience in driving technological and leadership success, blending his experience in cloud, edge, networking and the data centre industry with a tactical global strategy and astute financial management.
His work across the sector has allowed him to work in pivotal roles across companies such as Facebook, AWS and Oracle, leading him to become an expert in transformative leadership, product management and operations. He has spearheaded product innovation and developed standout products like Oracle’s Dedicated Region.
Currently, he is at the helm of data centre startups seeking to forge the pathway for next-generation data centre development.
3. Susanna Kass
Sustainability advocate Susanna Kass is the Co-Founder of InfraPrime, Energy Fellow at Stanford University and acting as a Data Centre Advisor for the UN SDG Action Campaign Programme.
A true trailblazer and leader, through her work with InfraPrime, she has aided countless organisations to achieve their carbon neutrality goals by 2028-30 through decarbonisation services and implementation of the InfraPrime Net Zero PowerShell circular energy cloud sustainability solution.
Susanna boasts more than three decades of industry experience and remains passionate about the data centre industry.
2. Michael Tobin OBE
Michael Tobin OBE is an English technology entrepreneur, author and philanthropist and a leading data centre CEO. With more than 30 years of experience across the industry, he is currently non-executive chairman of the board at EdgeConneX and several other leading data centre companies.
Michael has been recognised with multiple awards and accolades, including being named as ‘Data Centre and Cloud Influencer of the Decade’ and one of the Top 25 Power Individuals of Industry, in addition to EY’s ‘UK IT Services Entrepreneur of the Year’ and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Data Centre Europe Awards.
He was also awarded an OBE for his Services to the Digital Economy in 2014.
1. Kate Brandt
A leading figure in the technology industry, Kate Brandt is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Google and a trustee at the National Geographic Society. She leads sustainability initiatives across Google’s global operations, products and supply chains by partnering with the company’s data centres, real estate, supply chain and product teams to ensure Google is capitalising on sustainability-led opportunities.
Prior to Google, Kate served as the first Federal Chief Sustainability Officer in the US, where she was responsible for promoting sustainability across government operations. She has also worked as a Senior Advisor at the Department of Energy and Energy Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy.
Kate has been the recipient of several awards, including the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award and Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list.
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