The rapidly growing market for AI, cloud services and data centers is also increasing the need for skills in Europe's digital infrastructure. Now atNorth's Camilla O'Leary will play a central role in the work to broaden the skills base. She has been appointed Co-Chair of the Infrastructure Masons initiative iMWomen in EMEA.
The Nordic data center player atNorth is strengthening its presence in one of the industry's most important future areas: skills supply.
Camilla O’Leary, Director of Client Management at atNorth, has been appointed Co-Chair for the Infrastructure Masons, iMasons, iMWomen program in EMEA. In her new role, she will help develop the initiative's strategic direction, strengthen collaborations, and help more women establish and develop in digital infrastructure. 
The appointment comes as the data center industry is in a major expansion phase. AI, high-performance computing and continued demand for cloud infrastructure are driving investments in new capacity, not least in the Nordics.
Competence becomes a strategic issue for the data center industry
The expansion of digital infrastructure is no longer just about access to energy, land, network capacity and capital. Access to the right skills is also becoming increasingly important.
Data centers need specialists in areas such as power supply, cooling, networking, operations, construction, project management and technical sales. As new facilities are built simultaneously in several European markets, competition for people with the right experience increases.
This makes initiatives to broaden the recruitment base more than just a matter of representation. For a growing industry, it can also become part of the long-term supply of skills.
Infrastructure Masons launched iMWomen 2020 with the goal of increasing women's visibility, participation and opportunities for career development in digital infrastructure.
The program works with mentorship, training, networking and leadership development for women in different parts of their careers, among other things.
Camilla O'Leary gets strategic responsibility
As Co-Chair will be Camilla O'Leary contribute to developing the strategic direction of the program and strengthening the partnerships behind the initiative.
She has been involved in iMWomen for several years and worked on issues related to skills development, visibility and opportunities for women in the sector.
Camilla O'Leary has a background in mechanical engineering and around a decade of experience in the data center industry. Prior to joining atNorth 2024, she worked at Vertiv, with operations in both the APAC and EMEA regions.
At atNorth, she currently leads the company's Client Management team and works with strategic customer relationships.
“The digital infrastructure industry is evolving rapidly and with it comes a fantastic opportunity to shape a more inclusive and innovative future,” says Camilla O’Leary.
She describes iMWomen as a community that will give women better opportunities to develop, take on leadership roles and build long-term careers in the sector.
From representation to skills provision
For the data center industry, the issue of representation coincides with a larger shift in the marketplace.
AI developments are placing new demands on the infrastructure behind digital services. Higher power density, greater energy needs and more advanced cooling systems are changing both how data centers are built and the skills needed to run them.
At the same time, major investments are being made in new capacity in the Nordic region.
This means that the battle for engineers, technicians, project managers and other specialists is likely to become even more important as the market grows.
Attracting people from a broader part of the labor market therefore also becomes a competitive issue.
atNorth is expanding strongly in the Nordic region
The appointment comes at a time when atNorth is undergoing extensive Nordic expansion.
The company operates eight data centers in strategic locations in the Nordic region and is also developing four larger facilities in Kouvola in Finland, Ølgød in Denmark, Sollefteå in Sweden and Haugaland in Norway.
In addition, the company is building another metro facility in Stockholm.
The expansion places atNorth in the middle of the growing market for the physical infrastructure behind AI, cloud services and high-performance computing.
The company has also joined several cross-industry initiatives. Among other things, atNorth is a founding member of Nordic Compass, a Nordic collaboration that aims to strengthen the region's and Europe's competitiveness, resilience and innovation capacity.
The company is also affiliated with the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, the UN Global Compact and the European Data Center Association.
The Nordic region will play an important role in expanding AI infrastructure
The development is particularly relevant from a Nordic perspective.
Access to renewable energy, a relatively cool climate and established digital infrastructure have made the Nordic region attractive for investments in data centers and high-performance computing.
AI is also changing the conditions.
As computing power increases, data center operators must not only be able to build larger, more energy-efficient facilities, they must also ensure that there are people who can design, operate, and further develop the infrastructure.
It is in this context that initiatives such as iMWomen takes on a broader strategic significance.
For the European data center industry, the next phase of expansion is therefore not just about how quickly new capacity can be built.
It is also about who will build, lead and develop it.
About atNorth
atNorth is a Nordic data center operator focused on high-density colocation and customized data center solutions. The company works with infrastructure for high-performance computing and AI, among other things, and operates its operations with a focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy and circular principles.
atNorth is headquartered in Reykjavik and operates in several Nordic markets.
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