We ‘Deep Dive’ with Nicola Burke, Chief Legal Officer at Pure Data Centres, who tells us more about life inside and outside the office.
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement in the data centre industry?
I moved into the data centre industry after working as General Counsel for Mileway, Blackstone’s logistics platform in Europe, and before that for 15 years at US and UK law firms. Perhaps my biggest achievement has been learning a whole new language – as each industry has its own terms, acronyms and jargon.
It has been an exciting few months for Pure DC and I have been involved in leasing our new facility in Abu Dhabi and launching a joint venture in Saudi Arabia. We see the GCC as a significant area of growth for Pure DC.
The data centre sector was uncharted territory for me prior to joining Pure DC so the whole experience has been fascinating. I’ve had the opportunity to see first-hand how the industry is shaping the global economy and the challenges we face.
What first made you think of a career in technology/data centres?
What initially attracted me to the data centre sector was the potential for growth. All you have to do is go online or look at the newspaper to see that the sector is booming and it’s only going to accelerate over the coming five to 10 years.
As data centres expand globally, driven by the growing demand for cloud services, AI and digital infrastructure, the need for specialised legal expertise is also at an all-time high.
It was clear to me early on that there was a need for further institutionalisation in this space. As data centres grow in scale and complexity, so too do the legal, regulatory and compliance challenges they face. As a lawyer, this is an exciting area to tackle.
It’s also an industry that has captured the attention of institutional investors. As more capital flows into the sector this space, the opportunities for legal professionals to engage on both corporate transactions and financings as well as the day-today legal week is something I have done before and which I enjoy.
Ultimately, the growth trajectory of the sector made it a very attractive and rewarding field to join.
What style of management philosophy do you employ in your current position?
In short, the opposite of dictatorial! I think the key to success – whether it be in a team or in a company as a whole – is diversity of voice. I make a conscious effort to ensure the team around me have the space and confidence to share their opinion and suggestions on how we can improve. I encourage them to not work in silos but to sit in with the development and investments team to really understand how the business operates and how the legal function can add value.
I’ve seen firsthand the benefits of fostering a team culture that is collaborative and where there is the freedom and an encouragement to propose new ideas or challenge old ones.
What do you think is the current hot talking point within the data centre space?
It’s been interesting to see what used to be quite and isolated sector becoming increasingly intertwined with the broader news cycle. One of the most obvious drivers is the rise in power-intensive AI applications.
Accommodating the demand of AI is going to introduce a lot of new challenges as the applications require so much power. For context, a ChatGPT query needs nearly 10 times as much electricity to process as a Google search. That stat is staggering when you think of how many people use ChatGPT today. And like anything that requires a lot of power, there is going to be expected strain on the system.
Data centres will face mounting pressure to meet the skyrocketing energy demands. This is where the issue of power constraints becomes a critical concern. Additionally, the push for sustainability, rising electricity costs, and potential energy shortages will make it even harder to balance the growing demand with limited energy resources.
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office?
I love to run. I’m currently training for a marathon in Utrecht, The Netherlands which is apparently the flattest marathon in Europe – the best one to do! I’ve always enjoyed exercising, it’s always been the perfect way for me to unwind or think through a particularly difficult work problem.
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry?
My area of expertise is purely legal – working principally on all the contractual aspects of data centre delivery. Other people are far more qualified than me to answer this. However, I would expect to see growing investment in building data centres in emerging markets. I also suspect we will see a longer-term trend for data centres to be planned more collaboratively within broader developments. I think there will be investment in renewable sources of power (perhaps small modular reactors) and carbon removal technologies. Our subsidiary, A Healthier Earth, has recently announced plans for the biggest production facility for biochar in the UK which can be part of that solution.
What are the region-specific challenges you encounter in your role?
Just like a lot of jobs covering multiple jurisdictions, it can be challenging to navigate the different frameworks – in my case, the legal sector.
Each country has its own unique regulatory environment, planning, permitting and construction regimes and energy usage rules – all of which need to be understood and applied by my team.
Different cultural ways of working are another challenge and one that I didn’t expect when I first became a lawyer. Different cultural norms, language and business practices can mean you’re also dealing with different negotiation styles on a daily basis.
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the coming months?
There is increasing interest in data centres as an asset class from institutional investors. Alongside this there is a need for bigger and more powerful data centres coming from our customers. In my job I am the centre of so many relationships, serving Pure DC, but also speaking to our investors, clients and suppliers. I expect us only to get busier and more international, working across more territories with a wider range of stakeholders.
