Top 14 Data Center Sustainability Leaders

The Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast Celebrates Earth Day 2025.

For Earth Day 2025

DCSMI celebrates 14 amazing sustainability leaders in the data center ecosystem that we’ve had the honor to feature in the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast.

Watch the Earth Day Playlist

10+ hours of podcast interviews with data center sustainability leaders (like a full-day conference without the carbon footprint of business travel)

Or watch individual interviews:

Mark Acton -- Data Centre Consultant at Acton Consulting

Joshua Feinberg and Mark Acton discussed the challenges and opportunities in the data center industry. Mark Acton emphasized the importance of adaptability, networking, and staying informed about industry trends, as well as the need for a multi-disciplined approach and the effectiveness of LinkedIn for industry professionals.

Mark also discussed the difficulties faced by the industry in complying with regulations and standards, particularly in the EU, and the potential impact of AI on data centers. Overall, Mark stressed the need for technical competence, staying up-to-date with industry trends and standards, and innovative solutions to reduce power consumption and meet growing demand.

Mark Bjornsgaard -- Founder and CEO at Deep Green Technologies

Mark Bjornsgaard, CEO of Deep Green Technologies, discusses the evolution of heat reuse in data centers, emphasizing the role of AI-generative GPUs in providing consistent heat sources. He highlights the influence of Microsoft's 2011 white paper on heat reuse and the industry's slow adoption.

Mark advocates for decentralized data centers to alleviate grid stress and enhance sustainability, noting a $3.4 trillion retrofit opportunity in Europe. He stresses the importance of integrating data centers with district heating systems and the potential for AI clusters to benefit communities. Bjornsgaard also advises professionals to stay versatile and open-minded in their careers.

Bhupinder Bhullar -- CEO at Swiss Vault

Bhupinder Bhullar, CEO of Swiss Vault, discusses the importance of innovation in data centers to address technical debt, improve energy efficiency, and enhance sustainability. He emphasizes the need for modular, scalable, and sustainable data storage solutions that can manage data for 100 years.

Bhupinder highlights Swiss Vault's technology, which uses conventional disks and software-based modularity to reduce energy consumption and electronic waste. He also discusses the potential for AI at the edge using low-energy GPUs and the importance of educating the next generation of data center professionals on sustainable practices.

Jon Clayton -- Enterprise Account Manager at Blancco Technology Group

Jon Clayton and Joshua Feinberg discussed the importance of sustainability in data center asset disposition and recycling strategies, emphasizing the need for environmentally friendly practices and early education and awareness-raising efforts. They also discussed the importance of adapting to change in the industry, highlighting the need for flexibility, proactivity, and stakeholder involvement.

Additionally, they explored the evolution of data centers and infrastructure, including the shift towards virtualization and hybrid approaches, and the potential of AI to automate processes and make decision-making more efficient.

Jonathan Evans -- Director at Total Data Centre Solutions

Joshua Feinberg and Jonathan Evans discussed their experiences and insights on navigating the data center industry. Evans emphasized the importance of understanding fundamentals, building a strong personal brand, and staying informed about industry news and trends. Jonathan also shared his experiences with sustainable data center design and operations, highlighting the benefits of using hydroelectric power, wood, and sustainable materials.

He emphasized the importance of location and infrastructure in sustainable data center design and discussed challenges such as finding spare capacity in the grid.

Babak Falsafi -- President at Swiss Datacenter Efficiency Association (SDEA)

Babak Falsafi, President of the Swiss Datacenter Efficiency Association, discusses the challenges of advancing digital platforms, the end of Moore's Law, and the need for efficient data center design. He highlights the association's efforts to create standards for measuring data center efficiency and emissions, particularly for colocation markets.

Babak emphasizes educating IT professionals and data center operators on efficiency metrics. He notes the significant growth in the data center market, with a projected 16% annual increase in electricity consumption. The association's platform, SDEA Navigator, includes calculators for data center energy flows, IT efficiency, and emissions, aiming to promote sustainable practices globally.

Stefan Frenzel -- Managing Director at DME

David Gyulnazaryan -- Founder at Impleon

Stefan Frenzel and David G. discuss the evolving data center industry, emphasizing the need for decarbonization and heat reuse. Stefan highlights his 20-year career in the industry and his consultancy, DME, focusing on sustainability. David, with a background in aerospace and energy efficiency, stresses the importance of transitioning from traditional air-cooled data centers to more efficient liquid-cooled solutions.

They note the urgency of addressing grid issues and the potential of underground and subsea data centers for heat reuse. Both advocate for transparency and continuous education in the industry, focusing on future-proof, sustainable data center designs.

Cecilia Hjertzell -- Chief Sustainability and Marketing Officer at T.Loop

The conversation with Cecilia Hjertzell and Joshua Feinberg revolved around sustainable digital product development and marketing strategies, focusing on understanding customer needs and goals, leveraging technology, and fostering creativity and sustainability. Cecilia discussed the challenges and opportunities of the future of work in the age of AI, emphasizing the importance of developing human skills and leveraging creativity to understand the biggest changes in the industry.

Cecilia also explored the growing importance of sustainability in digital infrastructure and data centers. She advocated shifting away from centralized data centers towards distributed mesh networks and circular business models. Finally, Cecilia and Joshua discussed the need for innovative communication strategies that drive behavior change and nudge stakeholders toward sustainable practices.

In a follow-up appearance on the podcast, Cecilia discusses their initiative to leverage untapped assets in data centers, such as heat recovery and generator capacity, to support grid balancing and energy net support. T Loop collaborated with E-matic to develop TSO Link, which allows data centers to utilize their existing assets more efficiently. This approach supports sustainability and provides new revenue streams for data centers.

Cecilia emphasizes the importance of understanding customer journeys, being empathetic, and leveraging diverse expertise to drive innovation and solve complex problems.

Svante Horn -- CEO & Co-Founder at Scandinavian Data Centers

Svante Horn, co-founder and CEO of Scandinavian Data Centers, discusses the company's innovative approach to creating a carbon-negative data center platform. He emphasizes the importance of circularity and sustainability, leveraging Sweden's low-carbon grid and district heating systems.

Svante highlights the company's first facility, which has been allocated 15 MW of power and aims to provide most of the heat load to a 100,000-person city. He also stresses the need for diversity in the workforce and the importance of offering a value proposition that includes price, security, and green credentials.

Rich Kenny -- Managing Director at Interact

The conversation between Joshua Feinberg and Rich Kenny focused on the importance of decarbonizing and sustainability in digital infrastructure, emphasizing the need for a more sustainable and responsible approach to AI development.

Rich highlights the importance of addressing legal and ethical issues and the need for a more holistic approach to carbon reduction -- plus insights on early career navigation and the current talent shortage in the data center industry, emphasizing the importance of self-learning, adaptability, and high-value skills. He also discusses the potential of AI in healthcare.

Loren Long -- Director of Sustainability at DIAL - Digital Infrastructure Advisors and Managing Director of Clear Sustainability

Loren Long, Managing Director of Clear Sustainability and Director of Sustainability at Dial Digital Infrastructure Advisors, discusses the evolving landscape of sustainability in the data center industry. He highlights the stringent sustainability reporting regulations in the EU and their impact on US companies, emphasizing the need for comprehensive compliance strategies.

Loren critiques the over-simplification of sustainability metrics and the potential pitfalls of decarbonization efforts, such as the environmental impact of lithium extraction. He advocates for a holistic approach to sustainability, including addressing the entire supply chain and the broader environmental implications. Loren also stresses the importance of early career education and training in sustainability and the need for more internships and developmental positions in the industry.

Kristian Meling -- Chief Operation Officer at ASP Data Center

The data center industry is shifting towards disruptive technologies like AI and experiencing increased sales to non-data center businesses. Networking and teaming up with experienced professionals are crucial for growth. Norway's unique sustainability, technology, and predictive maintenance advantages are gaining traction. AI, automation, and digital transformation are becoming increasingly important, focusing on cultural alignment and active involvement from all teams.

Experienced professionals can grow careers by shifting towards consultative selling and educating clients about cooling technology.

Jon Summers -- Research Leader at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden

Jon Summers, Research Leader at the Research Institutes of Sweden, discusses the sustainability challenges in the data center industry, emphasizing the need to consider material resources beyond carbon. He highlights the importance of liquid cooling, driven by AI's growing demands, and the necessity of holistic system thinking. Summers also addresses the educational gap in the industry, suggesting internships and shadowing to foster understanding.

Jon warns against over-focusing on carbon and stresses the need for comprehensive sustainability metrics. Additionally, he predicts future energy consumption trends, linking AI's advancements to the Kardashev scale and the potential for space-based energy production to avoid planetary overheating.

Who should we interview next on the podcast?

If you know someone we should consider interviewing next (for Season 5), please use the chat bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of this blog post to let us know.

We’re especially interested in featuring more women data center leaders from all over the data center ecosystem, and from all corners of the world.

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Top 14 Data Center Sustainability Leaders

Who should we interview next on the podcast?

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