Equinix: Pursuing Excellence Together

0:00SPEAKER_01:The data centre industry is moving faster than ever, and behind the scenes some seriously smart people are making it all happen. Welcome to the Inside Data Centre Podcast, where we dive into the stories, insights and innovations driving real change across the industry. From hyperscale campuses to game-changing technologies, we're talking to the people shaping the future of digital infrastructure. Whether you live and breathe data centres or just want to understand what's powering our connected world, you're in the right place.

0:26SPEAKER_01:Welcome to the Inside Data Centre Podcast. We're back with another episode in our series with Equinix. Today I'm joined by Matt Brown, Senior Director of Design Delivery and Andrew Higgins, Senior Director Global Master Planning and Sustainability. Good afternoon both. Daphne Nandey, thanks for having us. Good to see you. In this episode, we're going to look at the strategies Equinix employs to pursue excellence in building and nurturing high performance teams across its global design and construction operations, which both of you are obviously heavily involved with and be able to give us a great insight into how Equinix manages those challenges.

1:02SPEAKER_01:Before we go into the detail, do you want to both just give a quick introduction of who you are and what your role is at Equinix? Matt, if we start with you.

1:16SPEAKER_02:And so that means that I manage the teams that deliver the data center designs for the specific projects rather than our rather than our reference design. And we take that design right through from early land searches through the inception phase through to you know the design phase and ultimately delivering the projects over to our operations team or our customers.

1:41SPEAKER_00:Thanks, Andy. Andrew Higgins, I have the privilege of leading our master planning and sustainability teams within global design and construction. So really focusing on the early stage inception of our new build projects and setting them up to success for success and making sure that we integrate sustainability decisions really early in the design process.

1:59SPEAKER_01:And I'm sure it keeps both of you very busy, which we'll go into in a in a bit more detail. I always like to start with going back to the beginning of our careers. I think it helps give the audience a bit of an insight into the journeys we all follow as we enter this wonderful world of data centers. Can you just give us a quick insight into your career journey and how you found your way into the world of data centers? And if there's any key experiences or opportunities that have helped you in your career with with Equinix.

2:26SPEAKER_02:Matt, we'll go with you again. Thanks. I started off life on the tools in South Africa as an electrician, qualified as an electrical engineer, and then moved into consulting a local consulting firm in the UK in South Africa, focusing on a broad range of services from low-cost housing through to hospitals and high-end casinos and hotels. And yeah, back in those days, that was pre uh pre you know colo providers being being a thing. And we had a number of small little comms rooms inside of their inside of their offices.

3:25SPEAKER_02:Um and I got to know their their data center designers. Um went traveling for six months and then came back and and joined that little data center company where where I was head of design. Um I was the only person in design, but uh I was I was definitely the one and only. And um that that that was a brilliant experience in that in that um yeah, I was doing everything from you know from raised floors through to power to cooling to fire alarms to suppression systems, um, and it and it exposed me to to the whole spectrum of um of what data centers are.

4:02SPEAKER_02:Um it was also a design and build contractor, so it gave me, you know, it gave me uh both design and construction experience and the commercial side of that as well. Um I moved then to a bigger DMB um contractor during the dot-com boom. Um and then as the dot-com bust came around, I moved into um I moved into uh the renewable sector. So that was building energy uh energy centers for um for mostly the the NHS, um where we were an SO company, so we were we were an energy services company, so that w that meant we were designing, building, owning, operating these facilities all on a um on a business case of those energy centers saving enough energy to pay for themselves.

4:52SPEAKER_02:So that was really, really interesting. So for the first time, you know, uh we were I was responsible for the you know the cradle to grave of a business case. Um so yeah, really, really interesting. Um and and so that that that sort of set me up, I think, um for for my next step, which is was moving into the agricultural sector, believe it or not, um, where where I looked at um tomato farms, very, very interesting from a from a um from a technical perspective.

5:20SPEAKER_02:Poultry farms, yeah, even more interesting, um, with some interesting parallels with uh with the data center. They have a yeah, their equivalent of the PUE is is the food utilization inbox, um, because yeah, the the be all and end all in that sector is is managing how much the chickens eat. So you need to get them incredibly comfortable so that they don't eat too much, so you can keep your food utilization index down. Um and that's all down to to managing the environment.

5:45SPEAKER_02:And so that was where the engineering side came in. Um then moved into into um into a totally different industry. I um I started up a company with uh with a uh a friend of mine, and uh we were building accommodation for for migrant farm workers. And that was my first um first hand only time that I've actually owned a company, and that that brought with it all sorts of different responsibilities, you know, um yeah, responsibility for a profit and not, but properly responsible, as in if we didn't make money this month, there's gonna be no food on the table, and importantly, no food on the table of the people that I'm employing, and that's a huge responsibility, and uh yeah, and something that that that really really broadened my um my understanding of how people work and how how business works.

6:34SPEAKER_02:Um and then I came full circle and and got dragged back into the data center industry with a couple of my colleagues from from early days. Um they uh they called me up and uh and offered me a position at Equinix and I haven't looked back. So I've been been back with Equinix for about five years now. Um and yeah, in terms of growing within Equinix, you know, just surrounded by exceptional leaders and um with with really, really authentic leadership style that um that I've learned a hell of a lot over the last few years.

7:05SPEAKER_01:Excellent. Really interesting journey. I love hearing how people end up in this industry because it's uh it's always a it's always an untrodden path, I think. Everybody follows a different direction, which is part of the the the benefit of all the diversity that's in this industry from a career perspective. And Andrew, let's let's hear your journey.

7:23SPEAKER_00:I'm prepared to be a little bit disappointed then by my very conventional route into uh into the data center sector. So did an engineering degree that was was was generic. Um so it was it was a combination of mechanical, electrical, civil. And that was one of the things that I wanted to emphasize. You you asked uh kind of what what's helped me develop my career with Equinex is that that breadth of knowledge, technically, a kind of foundational level has been been invaluable.

7:48SPEAKER_00:Um but I went from an engineering degree into consultancy. I was working on um really exciting high-profile sports venues in the the building services or built environment sector. Um I'd originally got a passion for renewable energy, and um on those building projects I was looking at our energy strategy and integrating sustainability, and that's something that's sort of stayed with me throughout my career roles. I was looking for more, I would say, uh site experience opportunities and took a um a second to work on a data centre project in in London, having never worked in the the data centre projects before.

8:26SPEAKER_00:But it was really a kind of a unique opportunity to to grow myself as a kind of young engineer at uh at at Arab, the consultancy that I was working for. Um and that that really exposed me to Site Experience being working with contractors, the end-to-end kind of design through to construction, which again is is something that's really valuable when you're working in the data center sector, that understanding how to execute projects from from inception through to construction.

8:52SPEAKER_00:Um so I so I actually ended up joining Equinex, having worked on a number of Equinex projects as a consultant about uh seven years ago now, having worked on Equinex projects for three or four years before that. So over a decade now of of of being in the Equinex environment and kind of living in and and breathing the dream here. So really, really benefited from that that kind of breadth of foundational knowledge early on, the experience of end-to-end uh from inception through to construction and getting to know the client at the time, getting to know Equinex, how how they made business decisions from a consultancy side put me in good stead when I joined Equinex to know a little bit of what goes on under the bonnet before I joined.

9:32SPEAKER_01:Interesting. And I think I've spoken to a lot of people on this podcast over the years, and that breadth of experience is something that comes up quite a lot as a value into the data center industry where you have that understanding of you're not going to be an expert in all areas, but you have that understanding and that exposure to different roles, different parts of the process, which helps give you that bare sort of overall picture of the industry, especially on a construction and development side.

9:58SPEAKER_01:One point with yeah, one point I've touched on with some of your your colleagues in our previous f episodes is around the sort of collaboration, and it's a key aspect of of Equinix from what from my understanding and how you work together but across different regions and within different different areas of the business and working together to solve the same same challenges. I was just interested in your perspective perception on around the key strategies that Equinix uses to build and sustain high performance teams across different regions and disciplines.

10:30SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so I I think I think it all sort of starts with with um with embracing the value of of diversity and and diverse talents. You know, if um if you don't if you if you don't embrace that and you try yeah, we're we're an American-founded company, and you you know if you try and make everyone act like an American company in a in a local environment, you're not going to get that high that that sustained high performance. Um and so by embracing that local talent and that local diversity, you you enable that, you know, you you get the right breeding ground for for for that um that sort of way of um of seeing things.

11:12SPEAKER_02:And and then yeah, helped by authentic leadership with a with a sort of uh real people-first um development at the front. Um yeah, high high autonomy, uh yeah, giving people autonomy and and trust, like you know, allowing them to do their job, but supporting them when when when they need it. I think all works together to create that um that collaborative environment and um higher performing.

11:41SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and it and it's obviously work it you know, you're doing well. And I think from the previous conversations I've had as well, you can tell that there is real that team mentality and you know everyone is working together to achieve the the same goal. I think from a time zone and cultural perspective as well, you know, I I work across a few time zones and it is very, very challenging, I think, sometimes. But how do you foster the collaboration and alignment across across the teams when you've also got to consider that you're all in multiple geographies around the world and work into different time zones, different cultures, etc.?

12:13SPEAKER_00:Alright, it's a really really relevant question, Andy, for us as a global organization. Like the the kind of scale and dispersity uh and intensity that we're operating on, it's it's it's vast, it's live, it's it's moving at such a pace. Um so we we have to strike a balance between uh putting putting processes and standardization in place as a as a global organization and respecting that local regional operating norms and and empowering those local teams to execute in in ways that are appropriate for for that region and their supply chain and their kind of um typical norms.

12:46SPEAKER_00:Um so really it starts by having that shared vision, though shared kind of um understanding of the purpose of what we're trying to achieve, and then disseminating that to uh a lot more autonomy of how you would actually execute that in in the regions. Um and the collaboration itself and and that kind of shared um sense of ownership of of realizing those visions comes from uh having having a safe space to collaborate. We we are a team of of people that are very much a family.

13:15SPEAKER_00:Um it's a there's a small community of engineers and um project managers and uh that we we really support each other in solving problems and and the there is uh real excitement in this in this sector because it's moving so fast, but that means that we have to overcome a lot of challenges. Um and sharing those learnings between us on a regular basis, celebrating our successes, but also the the the learnings of overcoming those challenges together and and creating that safe space to grow is is something that's really important.

13:44SPEAKER_00:Um we have we have very regular um sort of knowledge sharing and stand-ups where we kind of disseminate information and that that's at all levels across the organization. So kind of peer-to-peer on the coal face, um, regular project meetings and catches up. And then you can imagine kind of uh the next level of leadership, sharing and cascading information and goals all the way through to the CEO, CEO level, kind of cascading our purpose and our vision and making sure that everyone um understands and aligns with the direction and supports the direction that the business is going in.

14:17SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and I think you really need to embed that as part of the culture, don't you? Like it has to be like that knowledge sharing, it's something that has to be embedded in the in the organization. And like you said, you see it from you know from the top all the way working its way across the organisation, across different regions, because it's it's it's the way you do it, you know, it becomes that kind of ingrained in the culture that this is the Equinix way.

14:39SPEAKER_01:From a talent development perspective and and mentorship, I work, you know, I know, I know your talent team, Claire and Ian, and I know you do some great things around talent across across the globe, but from internally and also when you bring new people in, but also when you're you know moving people internally, how do you support talent development and mentorship within your teams? And have you got any examples of where that's had a real impact, either in your teams or or in the overarching organization?

15:04SPEAKER_00:Oh, I think between between Matt and I there's lots of examples. Maybe I'll I'll I'll kick it off really just just by emphasising that how this this is such an exciting space to work in. There's there's so much opportunity for um individuals within our organization to take on opportunities to to grow and to lead and um to increase their scope uh throughout their career. So that so it's really a kind of natural environment to to nurture talent and allow people to grow.

15:29SPEAKER_00:Um, but it does take uh a kind of intentional effort to create those opportunities for people. And our general, let's say, leadership or management style within Equinex is one of coaching and empowerment. Um so there's some structural uh kind of training and intentional mentoring that goes on as well. But generally speaking, the um the approach is one of uh empowering, supporting, and allowing people to grow. Um the mentoring processes that we have in place I think are uh are extremely valuable because it gives people an opportunity to be paired up with individuals outside of their immediate area of um of of of the business.

16:07SPEAKER_00:So we intentionally give people the opportunity to be coached and mentored by other leaders outside of their their immediate team. Um again, promoting sharing of diverse um uh cultures and understanding and experience. Um I personally benefited from from that process and really enjoying the mentoring that I'm uh having the opportunity to do myself. Um we also have lots of communities within Equinex that are that are part of uh we have a we are we are Equinex uh philosophy where community groups can be stood up and and it's very inclusive.

16:40SPEAKER_00:Anyone can join any of these community groups. Um but I'll give you one example that uh that struck out to me recently where our women in operations community group led a fireside chat with some of our inspirational leaders. Um and there was it was it was so many amazing insights from one of the particular sessions with uh with Tiffany, our X-scale business leader. She she said something to me that I think everybody could learn from, which was that you can borrow people's confidence in you.

17:07SPEAKER_00:Um and a lot of people when they are put into a new position or they're kind of daunted by the chance to grow, don't realise that they can do it. But people who have already grown and achieved that in their careers can see that in you. Um so she said that in this in this fireside chat that was broadcast to uh uh lots and lots of people within the organization, and it those types of nuggets of of information that that stick with people and really inspire them to to kind of grow.

17:33SPEAKER_00:Uh I think yeah, borrowing other people's confidence in you is something that that everybody could do. And that's just one of many examples of where I think I've been benefited from those types of uh mentoring opportunities.

17:44SPEAKER_02:Yeah, just j just um picking up on on the opportunities that you mentioned there, Andy. Um I had uh I had a young A-level um student come and come and see me there uh just last week, actually, and we spent two hours. He didn't really know what he wanted to do. Yeah, he he he thought he might want to go into engineering, um, and um there was a family link. And so so we um we we had a chat and uh it's it's extraordinary. Yeah, you think that we're we we're a data center company, but um but there there are so many facets of a company, any company, you know, from you know from HR to you know to to engineering to operations to accountancy to legal um to you know to to project management offices, yeah.

18:28SPEAKER_02:It it's so diverse. And yeah, it was really interesting, you know, him forcing me to think about it. It was actually, yeah, we we spent about 40 minutes just talking about the different opportunities within one company, and uh he thought he was coming talk to me about data centers, but there yeah, there really is such breadth. Um I'm I'm I'm also busy on the on the mentorship pro program at the moment, and it's the first time I've done done it as a as a mentor.

18:53SPEAKER_02:Um and um I'm I'm super excited. I've got a got a really um really amazing young uh young engineer that I'm working with. And um yeah, convinced that we're that we're both going to learn a hell of a lot from each other. Um and so yeah, so so that's that that's really exciting. Um my my sort of example of of how it's how it's affected my career. Um I had a mentor um in one of the design and build um companies um who was he was he was the MD of the company.

19:22SPEAKER_02:And yeah, not only did I learn a lot, uh a lot from him about processes and systems and design and that sort of thing, but um I think what having that FaceTime with him, that airtime with him gave me was uh was was a relationship with him and trust. And and that gave him confidence in in me, um, confidence in him in my abilities, and it enabled him to you know to to to throw me into the deep end in in different situations because by the time we'd gotten through that process, he he knew that that um that I could handle myself in that s in those certain circum circumstances.

19:59SPEAKER_02:And so I no I've got no doubt that um that not only did I learn from him but that that it directly impacted on you know my uh my career path because of that um that relationship that we developed.

20:11SPEAKER_01:Yeah, great stories. And I think one of the key points you put is you can everybody learns, don't they, in a in a mentor, mentee relationship. We can all learn from each other. And I think this industry for for too long was kind of quite ring-fenced in the data center world. Everybody was, you know, we we do this and we don't really want to listen to anybody else or talk to other people. Whereas now there's such a diverse workforce in the industry, we can learn so much from from people coming to join us in this sector that have have had different experiences.

20:38SPEAKER_01:So it's great to hear the the work that you guys are doing. And and what role does leadership play in sort of empowering the individuals to then thrive and grow within the organisation? Because we can see it from the outside, a lot of people develop within within Equinix, and that you go on that great career journey in in what is a huge and you know exciting organization. But yeah, what what role does leadership play in that journey?

21:01SPEAKER_00:I'll I'll maybe start with just uh two two points. Um I think this we talked about it earlier, really, is that uh ensuring that there's a more broad strategic understanding of the purpose, like knowing knowing what Equinex stands for, what we're trying to achieve, um the the the kind of operating norms and the behaviours that are expected of people as we go about that. Um so for me that's that's quite fundamental, is that the leadership allows everybody to have that shared sense of purpose and understanding.

21:31SPEAKER_00:And we actually check in on that fairly regularly. We have a mechanism called Pulse where we we ask all of our employees globally lots of questions to give them an opportunity to confidentially um demonstrate uh w where they need support in in understanding that business vision, etc. Um and then the I think the second point is is granting permission by by setting an example when we talk about leadership and our behaviours and and inclusive behaviour, that that starts by living that and and being an ambassador for that.

22:00SPEAKER_00:By your leaders um having those behaviors and showcasing those behaviours every day. And one thing we did mention earlier that in relation to a question was around well-being. Within Equinex, we we we thrive and we're successful because of the the talent and the skills and the culture of our people. But if they're not happy and healthy uh at work and getting that balance between work and home life uh and looking after their well-being, we we we can't have a thriving workforce.

22:29SPEAKER_00:Um so for me one of the key sort of uh areas that leadership helps with within Eclinex is championing the prioritization of your own well-being. We have so many great initiatives that I'm very proud of that that have helped me and have helped lots of other people really thrive at work because we get that balance right between uh w working hard and uh getting our our well-being prioritized.

22:51SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. So many examples of of of um of things that Equinex do that uh that that supports that narrative. You know, just a couple of weeks ago we had a our well-being day where the whole company got the day off um for well-being. Um we we we get a thing called a flex wallet where where we're given an an allocation of of money where that you can spend on on anything that's well-being or health related. Um it's that sort of thing that's just drip-fed to you the whole time that that you know, you matter.

23:22SPEAKER_02:We we care about you, we we're worried about you, yeah, free um counseling services. Um I think this week there was a there was a bird song thing that you could go and listen to for half an hour at uh at lunchtime. You know, it's all just those little things that um that that add up to a lot to yeah, to to make sure that people understand that the company cares, but also to make sure that that people are looking after themselves because the other results, as Andy said, are important.

23:48SPEAKER_02:Um I also think that um something that uh that Equinix does really well is um is what what you might describe as a sort of as servant leadership, where where a leader's role, a leader's job isn't to have all the answers and to control everything and control all the decisions, but it's more to to create an environment where where the teams can succeed. You know, so so that means that you you've got to be clear on those goals which we talked about, um providing the autonomy and the trust and removing the blockers to enable your team to to achieve their um their objectives.

24:21SPEAKER_02:So yeah, the the leadership works for the team rather than the other way around.

24:26SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and I think and well being it's a great point to bring it up, and I'm glad you highlighted it. This industry's you know it's it's hard, it's it's fast-paced, it's you know, it changes all the time, and you know, we need people desperately, we need more people, so it's really important we look after the the people that we have. So, you know, it's good to hear you your Equinix are doing great things around that subject. A few more questions, but innovation and sustainability are obviously big parts of of Equinix.

24:52SPEAKER_01:You know, I know that, and I'm sure the previous episodes also also highlight that. And innovation in this industry is a level, a level beyond a lot of industries. It it changes quicker than we can keep up with it, I think, a lot of the time. But how does innovation and sustainability intersect with high performance culture within Equinix?

25:10SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's a that's that's a great question there, because uh the the the the public perception, and and rightly so, is that yet data centers are consuming a huge amount of our uh of our natural resources and uh and and contributing to that carbon footprint. And so that weighs very heavily on on my conscience. Um and and so I want to be I want to be pretty confident that I'm I'm working with the best of the best and and and with the company that that that cares about it because because I certainly do.

25:41SPEAKER_02:Um yeah, yeah, Andy, you look I know you've got a lot more to say on this subject, given it's your uh your field of expertise.

25:49SPEAKER_00:Yeah, absolutely. I'm I'm really glad you brought this up, Andy. And I think Matt's sentiment there is is really important and it's not unique that um almost every employee within it with an Equinex, I would guarantee, has has that same level of integrity and kind of conscience to make sure that um we're being good corporate stewards of the environment. And it really motivates our teams uh to know that Equinex is committed, that we are an industry leader, that we take these these topics and issues seriously.

26:15SPEAKER_00:Um and having the privilege of leading a team dedicated towards integrating sustainability into our business decisions kind of for me is really motivating. But that that disseminates all the way through our teams that um you can be proud of the projects that you're working on, knowing that that they have a real kind of intentional impact, that we're making really sort of sound decisions, whether or not that's around water, renewable energy, low carbon construction, exploring heat to communities.

26:41SPEAKER_00:There's so there's so many initiatives that we that that we focus on, a big broad spectrum around sustainability and innovation that um really motivates our teams to be proud of the projects that we're delivering. Um it is it's also for me a differentiator of about attracting and retaining talent. If you if you ask people now that they they've got a choice of where they work for in the data center sector, um so why would you work for a particular employee?

27:05SPEAKER_00:Well, these are the questions that people, high-performing people are asking us now. Is just be show me, demonstrate to me that this is your level of commitment. And uh I think that's brilliant, that that's the level of accountability that that people in the industry are expecting of employees like Econex.

27:20SPEAKER_01:Yeah, definitely. I think it's it's a really good point. It they are the questions people ask now, and it's and also you know, we're doing so many great things. I hosted a podcast not long ago about perception and kind of the overall sort of sentiment from that was the industry does some amazing things around whether it's sustainability or other areas, but we we we've never been the best at communicating it. So now we're kind of like trying to get on the front foot of how can we communicate all the amazing things we're doing in order to kind of respond to the perception that that is out there and quite and like you say, it's quite rightly out there because we haven't shared the story well enough.

27:55SPEAKER_01:So it's good to hear you're you're doing some great things. Regarding Equinix, uh, this you probably give a you know, you'll answer this question in a way, but um, how does Equinix sort of differ from from other companies in the data center industry when it when it comes to culture?

28:12SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I think yeah, I I think we've we we've probably touched on quite a few of of of the little aspects already, things that yeah, the the well-being pieces and um the diversity inclusion and the and the mentoring, all that sort of thing. But um just sort of casting my mind back to to when I joined Equinix five years ago, um yeah, I'd I'd worked for a number of different companies and um I heard about the magic of Equinex and yeah, I just figured it was another yeah, another bit of lip service towards uh towards all the yeah, diversity and inclusion and and all the rest.

28:45SPEAKER_02:Um but I have to say, you know, uh I I did I did start in the middle of COVID as well. Um but I was blown away in that first year um by by how much Equinex was doing um in in in charitable events, in diversity and inclusion, in well-being. Um it was just it's it's just it's all the time. Um that there is something going on. Every company meeting you go to, there'll be a spotlight on one of the local companies, and they'll be talking about the charity that they're supporting.

29:23SPEAKER_02:Um it'll be a bike ride. It's just it's there's something all the time. Um and and that that really, really surprised me um because it it's real. So often I think it's window dressing and it's yeah, it's drawing you in. And I yeah, I've been around the block a few times and uh and and didn't believe it. Um and and and and so I I use it whenever I'm whenever I'm hiring um as a as a real selling point because I genuinely I genuinely think it is.

29:59SPEAKER_00:Well, I I I don't have that outside perspective. Um it's always it's always refreshing to hear somebody who who has kind of re reinforcing that point. But so I've as I said earlier, I've not I've not really worked elsewhere. I went straight from consultancy to working for Equinex uh as a consultant and then at Equinex. So it's quite hard for me to comment on how we're different. But what I would say is that this is a very competitive industry and there are always opportunities to move around.

30:23SPEAKER_00:So what what actually keeps me here is all the things that we've just described. Um I'm hoping it kind of like comes across just how how genuine the the the style of leadership is empowering, the um the commitment to our employees, and the fact that so yeah our our previous CEO um stood by the mantrose wants wanting everybody to be able to say, I'm safe, I belong, I matter. And that's not just a phrase, that's something that we we all live by. And uh since Adair joined as our new CEO, that's kind of been doubled down in the way that we um sort of set expectations and accountability of each other to create that that culture.

30:58SPEAKER_00:Um so I I certainly don't take it for granted. Uh I would be very nervous to to leave that sort of uh that culture because it is so valuable and I I appreciate it so much. Um and that the that it doesn't just um point towards our our employees internally either. That's one of the things that makes me very proud about that principle is uh being in service to others. We we are in service to our customers, uh, our employees, our communities, our supply chain, we uh every every person that we uh or or opportunity, we we look from that lens of how can we be in service to those uh in that opportunity.

31:37SPEAKER_00:So it really does make me proud. Uh I say I can't I can't say whether or not that's that's a norm. I wish it was everywhere, but I I do feel like this is quite exceptional.

31:46SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and I think from doing this podcast and speaking to the the individuals that I've spoken to and and knowing some of the people I I do within within Equinix, my point as an outsider would be it's very clear that you're all sort of bought into everything and that you are living the values and you're living what what the what Equinix is trying to create. You know, you're all part of it because it's very clear that everyone's very passionate about what you're doing, everyone's kind of doing it in the right way, you're all what you're all well-being's come up in a lot of the conversations, which shows you care about each other.

32:16SPEAKER_01:So I think you can you can see from hopefully people can see from these conversations what Equinix is like and what what the people are like within the organization, which will paint a great picture. Before we close up, one final question that I ask everyone on my podcast. If you could give one piece of advice to anyone looking to start a career in the data center sector, what would it be? I want to I want to mix something that Andy said earlier.

32:39SPEAKER_02:Um you know, look for look for an opportunity that gives you a broad experience. Yeah, I I I got that in in spades with with with smaller companies, but you can get that within Equinix by yeah, within a bigger company by looking for diversity of roles. Yeah, don't feel you need to stay in that same role for for the rest of your life. You know, take the opportunity to move, um, do something different, even if it's not you know not a direction that you want to go in for the rest of your career.

33:09SPEAKER_02:Take the opportunity to learn. It exposes you to different people, it exposes you to different ways of thought, um, it broadens you and it makes you a better rounded person.

33:22SPEAKER_00:Stall my answer there, Matt, but yeah, I will I'll I'll I'll add in really to take to take to take every opportunity that you have to learn from from other people, uh build build networks, embrace uh people's perspectives, actively, actively challenge yourself to um to find people who have a different opinion to you. Because if you surround yourself with people that have the same opinion of yourself, you won't grow anywhere near as quickly as uh reaching out to people who think think differently or maybe even oppose your views.

33:52SPEAKER_00:And uh in the data center sector, that the speed at which we're moving, you you have you have to be able to be comfortable going at pace. So buckle up was the phrase that I was maybe going to use, but like be be prepared to bring energy, be prepared to to to be committed to being agile and going fast and learn from others along the way.

34:13SPEAKER_01:Definitely. And I think mentors, again, which you talked about, is another great piece of advice for people. You know, if you can find somebody you can learn from or learn with, you know, it can really help you as well, which cuts in with that broad exposure. So definitely, I think there's lots of snippets of advice in in this episode. But thank you both for your time. I appreciate you taking the time to speak. It's obviously it's good to learn more about Equinix.

34:35SPEAKER_01:As I said, we have a couple of episodes previously, so so dig them out if you listen to this one and you want to learn more about Equinix. But if anyone wants to get hold of either of you and and get in touch or learn a bit more about what we're doing, what's the what's the best way to get get hold of you?

34:49SPEAKER_02:Probably probably via LinkedIn, I would have thought.

34:52SPEAKER_00:Yeah, absolutely. Reach out via LinkedIn and uh we'll we will definitely get back to you. And if we can't help, there's there's a small army of people that that will be able to, so we can put you in touch.

35:02SPEAKER_01:We know someone that can, but yeah, and obviously if you can't find them, reach out to me and I'll I'll put you in contact. But thanks again. Thanks for your time, keep up the great work, it's good to learn more about Equinix, and I'm sure we'll catch up again soon. Thanks, Annie. Thanks for that. Thanks, Danny. That's it for this episode of the Inside Data Centre Podcast. Thanks for tuning in. This show is brought to you by Data X and Data Exec, the recruitment partners powering global talent across the data centre and digital infrastructure world.

35:26SPEAKER_01:If you enjoyed today's conversations, don't forget to follow, like, and subscribe. It really helps us grow the podcast community. Stay tuned for more stories, insights, and conversations with the people shaping the future of our industry.