How Partnerships Can Tackle the Digital Infra Gender Gap

A partnership between JLL and Schneider Electric is supporting inclusivity and female leadership across digital infrastructure sectors.

The collaboration aims to confront gender imbalances at industry events by focusing on personal development and providing female leaders with the skills and confidence for public speaking.

Global energy management company Schneider Electric is working with real estate and investment management firm JLL as a key partner in its Women’s Speaker Series.

JLL established the programme to address the gender divide within digital-focused business sectors, particularly regarding representation at industry events. The second season of the series is scheduled to be held at Schneider Electric’s Victoria Office in London.

Addressing the data centre skills gap and gender imbalance

Within the data centre industry, the low presence of women in leadership roles is a recognised issue. A lack of diversity could lead to long-lasting implications that include limited innovation and missing out on digital opportunities.

According to a 2024 report from Uptime Institute, 80% of data centre operations teams have only 10% women or less and organisations are failing to attract qualified female candidates.

Feedback from attendees at previous JLL events suggests that female speakers made up between 20-34% of agendas, with one major US event having no female representation on stage.

“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,” says Catriona Shearer, Global Head of Data Centre Consulting at JLL.

She explains: “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.”

Developing female leaders through practical training

To address these imbalances, the collaboration will host the second season of JLL’s inclusion programme, providing attendees with a one-day workshop. The event includes panels, interviews and networking opportunities with industry experts.

This structure is designed to encourage shared learning experiences and personal development through practical, real-world training scenarios.

The initiative directly addresses the need for more visible female role models and experts in the public sphere. By equipping women with the necessary skills for public speaking, the programme aims to increase the pool of available female speakers for industry events.

Fostering industry-wide change and inclusivity

To ensure the programme has a lasting impact, JLL collaborates with a range of leading event organisations. These organisations have received the details of women who have completed the Women’s Speaker Series sessions, creating direct pathways for these female leaders to speak at future events.

This approach moves beyond internal company initiatives to foster broader ecosystem change. Other companies are also committing to similar initiatives, which could show a growing awareness of the issue. Kao Data, for example, launched its own programme to spotlight women’s contributions to digital infrastructure.

“As the global leader in energy management and automation, Schneider Electric works across a multitude of industries, many of which continue to experience significant skills shortages,” explains Louisa Buckley, Sales Manager Secure Power Division at 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.”