Championing inclusivity and female leadership in digital infrastructure

Schneider Electric is collaborating with JLL as part of its ‘Women’s Speaker Series’.  

The pioneering programme was created by JLL to address the digital infrastructure sector’s gender imbalance at industry events by championing personal development - equipping female leaders with diverse skills and training for public speaking.

Together, the companies will host the second season of JLL’s inclusion programme at Schneider Electric’s new office in Victoria, London, providing attendees with a one-day workshop, which includes panels, interviews, and networking alongside industry experts, to encourage shared-learning experiences and personal development via real-world training. 

Anecdotal feedback from JLL attendees at 2024 events suggests that around 20-34% of agendas were made up of female speakers, with one major US event being without female representation on stage entirely. Additionally, a 2024 report from Uptime Institute found that 80% of data centre operations teams have only 10% women or less, and that organisations are failing to attract qualified female candidates.

To address the imbalance at industry events, JLL is collaborating with leading event organisers including CloserStill Media, Datacenter Dynamics, DCAC Europe, Capacity Media, and techoraco – all of whom have received the details of women who have completed sessions on the Women’s Speaker Series and are providing pathways for female leaders to speak at future events. 

“At JLL, collaboration is core to our culture, and as one of the world’s fastest growing industries, we believe the digital infrastructure sector has a global responsibility to be inclusive at all levels,” said Catriona Shearer, Global Head of Data Centre Consulting, JLL. “Our events champion inclusivity by welcoming participants from all corners of the data centre industry, aligned in one mission – to address the gender imbalance via mentoring and learning, while helping close the industry’s skills gap.” 

“As the global leader in energy management and automation, our company works across a multitude of industries, many of which continue to experience significant skills shortages” said Louisa Buckley, Sales Manager, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric UK and Ireland. “Our collaboration with JLL reflects our organisations’ shared values of inclusion and care, and our commitments to address gender imbalances across the data centres, buildings, and grids of the future. We’re proud to host the JLL Women’s Speaker Series and be part of its mission.” 

The next JLL Women’s Speaker Series takes place at Schneider Electric’s London office on the on the 3rd July 2025.