Accelerating digital infrastructure investment strategies
28 - 29 January 2026 / Convene 133 Houndsditch, London
Agenda 2025
08:00 - 08:45
Networking Breakfast
Kickstart your day with elite networking as you connect with over 100 C-level executives, including Europe’s top dealmakers and digital infrastructure leaders, all before the day begins. Enjoy a complimentary buffet breakfast with fresh beverages and gourmet treats in a relaxed setting that fosters meaningful conversations. Gain an early advantage by building relationships, exchanging insights, and uncovering exclusive opportunities that will pave the way for deeper discussions throughout the event.
08:45 - 08:55
TMT Finance Welcome Address
Speakers
Ben Nice, Chief Content Officer, TMT Finance
Elles Houweling, Features & Special Content Editor, TMT Finance
08:55 – 09:10
TMT Finance Editorial View – Transactions Outlook for 2025
Speaker
Stephanie Harris, EMEA Editor, TMT Finance
09:10 – 09:25
Microsoft Fireside Chat: The Future of Datacenters – Land Development and Community Investment
Moderator
Susanna Kass, Energy Fellow, Stanford, Operating Partner, Digital Gravity Infrastructure
Speaker
Eanna McDarby, UK Construction Director for Data Center Development, Microsoft
This fireside chat will cover Microsoft’s land development strategy, lifecycle land acquisition, build, construction, sustainability, development progress in gigawatt scale across a global fleet of data center deployments. Speakers will share insights of current progress and challenges of Microsoft’s land development investment strategy to supporting Microsoft’s unprecedented growth for hyperscale data center construction, infrastructure and innovation in the AI era. A not to miss fireside chat to gain first hand knowledge of hyperscale new land development, investment approach towards benefitting the communities by Microsoft customers.
09:25 – 10:05
TMT Leaders: Assessing Growth Horizons, Deal Structures and Investment Strategies
Moderator
Tom Levine, Partner, A&O Shearman
Speakers
Matt Evans, Head of Europe, DigitalBridge
Keri Gilder, CEO, Colt
Michael Bird, CFO of Vodafone Investments, Vodafone
Cristina Gonzalez, Managing Director European Infrastructure, KKR
William Lindström, Managing Director, EQT
Leaders across the TMT space will discuss how operators and investors have adjusted to the lack of capital available, who will be the winners and losers under the current macro environment, innovative financing vehicles to fuel growth, the shakeout in EMEA datacentres and UK fibre, and an everchanging regulatory landscape across digital infrastructure.
10:05 – 10:20
State of the Nation Speech – Exploring the EMEA Fibre Landscape
Speaker
Stuart Cockburn, Partner, AlixPartners
10:50 – 11:30
Digital Infrastructure M&A: Navigating Headwinds & Examining Transaction Volumes in 2025
Moderator
Anne Chitan, Global Co-Head of Communications & Partner, CMS
Speakers
Jim Ryan, SVP & CSO, Liberty Global
Jennifer Smith, CFO, Zayo Europe
Oliver Bradley, Senior Managing Director, Macquarie Capital
Alexis Kantt, Managing Director, Blackstone
Gonzague Boutry, Managing Director, Ardian
Leaders across digital infrastructure discuss the most critical issues currently facing the sector, including how the next wave of transactions will shape up, growth strategies, subsector opportunities and evolving deal structures.
11:30 – 11:45
Visionary Fireside Chat - Unleashing Fibre’s Full Potential: The Power of Data, Automation, and Agility
Moderator
Dean Bubley, Founder and Director, Disruptive Analysis
Speaker
Richard Jeffares, Founder and CEO, Vitrifi
11:45 – 12:25
Datacentre Leaders: How to Invest in the Biggest Bet in Tech History
Moderator
Ulrich Loewer, Partner and TMT Strategy Sector Leader, EY-Parthenon
Speakers
Dame Dawn Childs, CEO, Pure Data Centres Group
Chester Reid, CFO, Yondr Group
Alexander Oyaert, CIO, Data4 Group
Nick Haslehurst, EMEA CFO, Vantage Data Centers
The ongoing digitisation and AI explosion are driving the demand for over 100 GWs of new global hyper/scale data centre capacity over the next decade. To meet this enormous demand, the industry requires hundreds of billions in funding.
In this panel, we will explore the latest trends shaping the data centre landscape, strategic positioning for future growth, and innovative approaches to accessing and deploying capital. Gain insights from top industry executives on how to navigate evolving market dynamics and successfully invest in the biggest bet in tech history.
12:25 – 12:40
Visionary Keynote Speech - Powering the Future: Mastering the Dynamics Between Energy and Digital Infrastructure
Speaker
Jan Weismüller, Global Head of Infrastructure and Transportation Finance, LBBW
13:40 – 14:20
Fibre as an Enabler of Digital Transformation in France
Moderator
Thomas Solelhac, Partner, EY-Parthenon
Speakers
Zeynep Lucchini Gilera, Investment Director, Infravia Capital Partners
Lionel Recorbet, CEO, XpFibre
Moana Tumahai, Senior Director Corporate Development, EuNetworks
David Elfassy, Group Vice President, Altitude Infrastructure
France is set to register the fastest CAGR over the next decade and is considered the safest for investment in European fibre. Speakers will highlight the continued robust investment activity, strategic M&A and divestments, and favorable regulatory environment.
13:40 – 14:20
Regulatory Pathfinders: Navigating Obstacles to Growth Within Digital Infrastructure
Moderator
Sarah Peterson, Director of Public Policy, Digital Infrastructure Advisors, LTD
Speakers
Matt Hunt, Global Co-Leader, Economics Consulting, AlixPartners
Emma Fryer, Director of Public Policy in Europe, CyrusOne
Konstantinos Masselos, President, EETT
13:40 – 14:20
Executive Workshop - Monetisation Strategies for Stabilised Datacentre Assets
Moderator
David Hart, Partner, Baker Mckenzie
Speakers
Joe Malca, Senior Principal, Centerview
Jim Footh, Managing Director, Data Center Investments and Portfolio Management, PGIM Real Estate
Will Innes, SVP Strategy & Corporate Development Global Data Centres, NTT Global Data Centers
Oliver Jefferies, Partner, Baker & McKenzie
14:20 – 15:00
Germany Fibre Leaders: Examining the Buildout, Customer Acquisition & How Capital Availability Has Impacted Growth
Moderator
Sören Grabowski, Partner, EY-Parthenon
Speakers
Gerhard Mack, Chairman of the Board, metrofibre
Andrea Kraus, CCO and Board Member, Eurofiber
Jan Georg Budden, CEO, Deutsche GigaNetz
Government support has led to a significant amount of FTTH build in Germany since 2022. However many operators have started to have difficulties with customer take up, with altnets being forced to scale back their build plans and focus capital on customer acquisition. How is the market set to shake out in 2025? Panelists will also discuss the expansion of the open access model in Germany to increase nationwide fibre expansion.
14:20 – 15:00
What is the Next Phase of Growth Across Connectivity?
Moderator
Stephanie Harris, EMEA Editor, TMT Finance
Speakers
Juraj Šedivý, CEO, CETIN
Neil McRae, Chief Network Strategist, Juniper Networks
Lee Myall, CEO, Neos Networks
Martin Lippert, Group CEO, GlobalConnect
Elie Hanna, President and CEO, Tampnet
Wireless connectivity operators and investors will determine the next phase of growth across fibre, towers, DCs, network solutions, smart cities, small cells, 5G, DAS, and edge computing. How will RAN-Sharing develop throughout 2025 and who will lead this?
14:20 – 15:00
Executive Workshop - Financing Transformative Growth within Digital Infrastructure Scale-Ups
Moderator
Maisie Clarke, Senior Reporter, TMT Finance
Speakers
Matthew Harris, CFO, Kao Data
Pauline Thomson, Managing Director, Infrastructure Funds & Head of Data Science, Ardian
Giovanni Della Pesca, Managing Director, Macquarie Capital
Andrei Milekhin, Managing Director, Global Head of Digital Infrastructure Investment Banking, Nomura
15:00 – 15:40
Spain Fibre Leaders: Post-Buildout Market Dynamics, M&A, and What Can Be Learnt from Overbuild?
Moderator
Bruno Coste, Managing Director, PMP Strategy
Speakers
Victor Pons Mesman, CFO, Lyntia Networks
Jose Antonio Vazquez Blanco, CEO, Onivia
Carlos Avila Rivero, CEO, Adamo
The fibre buildout in Spain has exploded over the last decade because of the low costs and government support. With the market now fully built out, how will dynamics between the incumbents and the altnets develop? How will the Orange-MASMOVIL merger change competition in the country? What can UK players learn from the development of the Spanish market?
15:00 – 15:40
Edge vs Hyperscalers: Where are the Investment & Deal Opportunities?
Moderator
Charles Murray, Partner, Analysys Mason
Speakers
Jeffrey Tapley, COO, Digital Realty
Tesh Durvasula, CEO, AtlasEdge
Huw Owen, CEO, Ark Data Centres
Brenden Rawle, Senior Director Business Development, Equinix
Pia Lambert, Executive Director, Morrison
Those at the forefront of the Edge DC and hyperscaler market analyse growth opportunities, the evolution of the sector, and the key trends in the market for 2025.
15:00 - 15:40
Exploring the Utilisation of Alternative Financing Structures To Fuel Growth - ABS & YieldCos
Moderator
Edward Moser, Partner, A&O Shearman
Speakers
Thibault Sauvage, Senior Director, Infrastructure Financing, CDPQ
Natalia Tsitoura, Partner, Capital Solutions, Apollo
James Fox, Managing Director, Infrastructure Debt, Ares Management
Marcus Da Costa, European Head of Capital Markets, Brookfield Asset Management
Xenia Sarri, Managing Director, DigitalBridge
2024 saw alternative financing structures being introduced into the EMEA datacenter space, including the first ABS, several YieldCos and an expansion of JVs with relationships between both investors and hyperscalers developing for operators. In what cases are these structures being implemented, what factors are behind their introductions, and what challenges and opportunities do they create?
16:10 – 16:50
Shaping the Future - Leveraging Efforts of Multiple Stakeholders in the Energy and Digital Transformation
Moderator
Christian Felix Munz, Global Sector Coverage Infrastructure Funds, LBBW
Speakers
Tom Kingham, Senior Director, Design, CyrusOne
Thomas Jürgenschellert, Strategic Management and Sustainable Corporate Governance Lecturer, Steinbeis Hochschule
William Lindström, Managing Director, EQT
As AI applications drive evolving workload demands, there's a critical assessment of the impact on data center infrastructure. Speakers will focus on the capture and transmission of energy, the imperative for sustainable power generation and consumption and exploring the pressing need for scalable and efficient infrastructure to accommodate AI-driven workloads.
16:50 – 17:30
UK Fibre Leaders: Is the Next Wave of M&A Finally Here?
Moderator
Richard Morgan, Partner, Analysys Mason
Speakers
Jeremy Chelot, CEO, Netomnia
Greg Mesch, CEO, CityFibre
Richard Allwood, CSTO, Openreach
Daren Baythorpe, CEO, ITS Technology Group
Dana Tobak, Founder and CEO, Hyperoptic
With a number of strategic and distressed consolidations having taken place in 2024, and new players emerging into the market, such as the VMO2 NetCo, how will the next wave of M&A play out in 2025? What can investors and altnets learn from the current environment as they look towards the next phase of growth across UK fibre?
17:45 - 19:30
Networking Drinks
Join us for an evening of networking where you can reconnect with delegates you may have missed during the day in a lively, informal setting. Enjoy complimentary drinks and canapés while engaging in meaningful conversations with fellow senior leaders. Set the tone for Day 2 by building on your discussions and keeping the momentum going for tomorrow’s exciting networking opportunities.
