In this episode of the Critical Careers podcast, Joyce Wady is joined by Claire Jones from Equinix, Kalay Moodley from Kao Data, and Theodora Savage from Virtus Data Centres for a conversation on the data centre talent pipeline, and what the industry must do to attract, develop and retain the people it will need for the future.

With the sector facing rapid growth, a long-standing skills shortage and a workforce where many experienced professionals have been in the industry for decades, the discussion moves beyond the familiar headlines to explore practical solutions.

Theodora challenges the industry to look internally as well as externally, focusing on how companies can develop existing talent and create clearer pathways for future leaders. Claire reflects on why talent teams need a more deliberate approach to building young talent, attracting people from adjacent industries, and raising awareness of data centres as a career option.

Kalay shares how Kao Data has intentionally recruited from adjacent sectors like power, utilities and renewables to bring in the skills and perspectives the industry needs. She also highlights the importance of storytelling, showing young people that their passions, from Formula One to football, are enabled by the digital infrastructure behind the scenes.

Together, the conversation explores transferable skills, early careers, apprenticeships, internal development, parent and community awareness, and why the industry needs to collaborate more closely to build a sustainable and diverse talent pipeline.

“We need to actually use the opportunity that we have right now to build an internal infrastructure, to make sure that we’re retaining talent.” - Theodora Savage

“I think as an industry, we have to raise awareness of data centres as a career option, rather than doing it in the silos of our own companies.” - Claire Jones

“Talent does exist. It just wears a different badge or a different uniform at the moment.” - Kalay Moodley

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Key Takeaways

- The data centre industry faces a significant talent challenge, with continued growth creating pressure to attract, develop and retain skilled people.

- Theodora Savage argues that the industry needs stronger development pathways for the people already in the sector.

- Many entry-level roles still require several years of experience, creating a gap between the people the industry wants to attract and the roles available today.

- Hiring from other data centre companies is not sustainable on its own. The sector needs people from adjacent industries with transferable skills.

- Storytelling is essential to making the industry more attractive. Data centres sit behind everyday experiences such as Formula One, football tournaments, streaming and digital services, but many people do not realise that connection.

- Awareness remains a major barrier. Young people, parents and career influencers often do not know what data centres are or what opportunities exist within the sector.

- The industry can learn from sectors such as rail, aviation, healthcare and utilities, where structured training, apprenticeships and clear career pathways are better established.

- Apprenticeships and early careers routes can provide stepping stones into the sector, allowing people to earn while they learn.

- The industry needs a clearer, collective view of progression, so someone entering as a technician can understand how they might grow into future leadership roles.

- Collaboration is essential, particularly around early careers, school engagement, awareness campaigns and internal development programmes.

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To learn more about Critical Careers, or to get involved with the Critical Careers community, head to the Critical Careers website or search “Critical Careers”.

Thank you to our founding partner, Kao Data, and our season sponsors: CBRE, AVK, JLL, Eversheds Sutherland, and Mace Construct.

Recorded at Datacloud Global Congress 2026 in Cannes, Lizzy McDowell and Joyce Wady speak with representatives from Critical Careers' strategic partners about the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the data centre industry.

Lizzy speaks with Charlotte Wood from Spa Communications and Andrew James from Mace Construct about why diversity, communication and collaboration are essential as the sector grows. Andrew discusses the need to bring new people into the industry at every level, while Charlotte reflects on the importance of demystifying data centres and helping a wider audience understand the variety of roles available across digital infrastructure.

Lizzy is then joined by Alana Wilksch from CBRE and Sarah King from AVK to discuss visibility, talent, retention and the importance of amplifying women’s voices. They explore why the industry needs to broaden its talent pool, create more equitable cultures, and show that long-term, successful careers can be built in data centres.

In the second half of the episode, Joyce speaks with Rebecca Clowes from Eversheds Sutherland and Martina Williams from JLL. Rebecca shares why visibility is so important in a sector that can feel opaque from the outside, while Martina reflects on JLL’s commitment to people, culture and women’s networks, and why the collaborative mindset of the data centre industry makes it such an exciting place to build a career.

Together, the conversations highlight the shared purpose behind Critical Careers: increasing visibility, widening access, strengthening the talent pipeline, and showing that there is space for many different backgrounds, disciplines and career paths in the data centre industry.

“It’s our job to let people know and kind of welcome people in.” - Charlotte Wood“Diverse teams are proven to think more laterally, come up with far better ideas.” - Andrew James“Amplifying women’s stories is so important.” - Alana Wilksch“We need to build a more equitable culture so people can stay, grow and thrive.” - Sarah King“Critical Careers makes the industry feel more visible, more tangible.” - Rebecca Clowes“The mindset of this industry is very much collaborative. We achieve more when we bring experts together.” - Martina Williams

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Key Takeaways

- Critical Careers is supported by strategic partners committed to widening access, improving visibility and strengthening the future talent pipeline.

- The data centre sector is growing rapidly, creating challenges around skills, talent, diversity and long-term workforce planning.

- The industry cannot simply keep moving people between companies; it needs to attract talent from adjacent sectors and bring new people in at every level.

- Communication has a major role to play in making the industry feel less technical, less overwhelming and more accessible.

- Data centres offer a broad range of career paths beyond engineering and construction, including marketing, HR, social media, communications, legal, facilities management and other creative or commercial roles.

- Community and collaboration are central to the industry’s culture, both within organisations and across companies, partners and projects.

- Training, development, progression and retention are essential to supporting growth.

- Building more equitable cultures is vital if companies want to attract, retain and support more women in the industry.

- Awareness remains a major issue: many people still do not understand what the data centre sector is or how many careers sit within it.

- The collaborative mindset of the data centre industry is one of its strengths, creating an environment where people work together to solve problems and build resilience.

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To learn more about Critical Careers, or to get involved with the Critical Careers community, head to the Critical Careers website or search “Critical Careers”.

Thank you to our founding partner, Kao Data, and our season sponsors: CBRE, AVK, JLL, Eversheds Sutherland, and Mace Construct.

In this bonus episode of the Critical Careers podcast, Joyce Wady and Lizzy McDowell reflect on the incredible growth of Critical Careers over the past 12 months - from a single book idea into a podcast, a second book, an established community and an initiative supported by six strategic partners. Following the launch of the second Critical Careers book, Joyce and Lizzy discuss what it has meant to profile 31 more women across the data centre and digital infrastructure industry.

They reflect on the generosity of the women who have shared their stories, the appetite within the industry to support the mission, and the impact Critical Careers is already having on women who see themselves reflected in the journeys being shared.

The conversation is a celebration of community, momentum and possibility. Joyce and Lizzy look back on how far the initiative has come, while also looking ahead to the next 12 months and the opportunity to keep expanding the reach of Critical Careers, connecting more women, and showcasing the breadth of careers available in the industry.

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To learn more about Critical Careers, or to get involved with the Critical Careers community, head to the Critical Careers website or search “Critical Careers”.

Thank you to our founding partner, Kao Data, and our season sponsors: CBRE, AVK, JLL, Eversheds Sutherland, and Mace Construct.