The Executive Board is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the European Data Centre Association.
Lex Coors
Chair & Policy Committee Chair
Chief Data Center Technology and Engineering Officer at Digital Realty
Lex Coors' career in the industry spans more than 30 years. In his roles at Interxion and Digital Realty, he has supervised the design and construction of over 70 data centers and developed 600,000 m2 of gross space.
His extensive experience underscores his ability to create data centre infrastructure that is not only adaptable but also cost-effective and energy-efficient, setting industry standards.
In December 2023, Lex was nominated as the Chair of the EUDCA, a position he holds alongside his role as Policy Committee Chair.
Additionally, he serves as a Board Member of the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact and Natron Energy, actively contributing his insights to sustainable practices within the industry. Alongside his industry commitments, Coors shares his knowledge and expertise as a Visiting Professor at the University of East London
Laurens van Reijen
Treasurer
Laurens is Managing Director of LCL Data Centres in Brussels, Belgium.
As the Founder, Managing Director of LCL Data Centres, Laurens oversees the operation of five cutting-edge data centres strategically located throughout Belgium.
Under Laurens' leadership, LCL Data Centres has achieved a remarkable transformation by revitalising three vacant data centers in the Brussels metropolitan area into thriving carrier-neutral colocation facilities.
In his role as Treasurer at the EUDCA, Laurens is entrusted with the vital task of ensuring the organisation's financial activities are diligently and accurately reported to both the Board of Directors and the entire membership. His financial acumen and attention to detail help steer the organisation toward continued success, making him an essential figure in the EUDCA's leadership team and the data centre industry at large.
Andrew Harrison
Techincal Committee Chair
Director, Arup
With over three decades of industry experience, Andrew is a seasoned professional renowned for his expertise in designing and overseeing the execution of data centre, high-specification, science, industrial, and transportation projects across the globe. His commitment to integrated thinking, technical excellence, sustainable development, and carbon emission reduction has propelled innovation and redefined industry standards.
Andrew's journey has taken him from New York to Hong Kong and is currently based out of London. In his role as Chair of the Technical Committee at the EUDCA, he spearheads the creation and dissemination of technical papers, driving the association's mission forward.
Marie Chabanon
Deputy Chair of Technical Committee
Chief Technical Officer at DATA4 Group
Marie Chabanon has been working in the Data Center sector for more than 14 years and has been the CTO and an Excom member at Data4 Group since January 2018. She orchestrates the Design and Construction of data centers throughout the Group’s platform in Europe.
She has recently joined the Board of the European Data Centre Association and serves as the Technical Deputy of the Association’s Technical Committee. She is a signatory of the Women’s Forum for Economy and Society’s Charter for the fight against climate change, and campaigns for the development of women’s leadership in the technical professions.
Matt Pullen
Chair of the CNDCP
EVP and Managing Director Europe, CyrusOne
In his role as Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Europe, Matt is responsible for driving the growth of CyrusOne’s operations in Europe and delivering the very best in data center excellence to CyrusOne’s hyperscale and enterprise customers worldwide.
In addition to his role at the EUDCA, Matt sits on the board of the CNDCP and is a key member of techUK’s Data Centre Council. He is committed to strengthening relationships with key policy stakeholders and elevating standards for best practices in the data centre industry across Europe. Matt offers his experience, support, and leadership to educate and encourage best practices in data center policy in Europe and around the world.
Dick Theunissen
Deputy Chair of NTA Committee
Managing Director EMEA at EdgeConneX
Dick Theunissen is the Managing Director EMEA at EdgeConneX, a role he has held for nearly 10 years. With over 25 years of experience in the telecommunications, data centre, hosting, and cloud services industry, he joins EUDCA with extensive knowledge and experience. EdgeConneX operates more than 50 data centers in 30 markets around the world, working with customers to define, build and deliver custom-built data centre solutions where they want it.
As an active member of the EUDCA Board, Dick serves as the Deputy Chair to the NTA committee. Dick also serves as a Board Member of the Dutch Data Center Association.
Adam Eaton
Executive Group Director, Global Switch
Adam joined Global Switch as Managing Director, London in 2022 and was soon after promoted to his current role of Executive Group Director (London). Adam has around 20 years of experience across the data centre sectors, technology and cloud sector.
Matthew Baynes
NTA Coordination
Vice President at Schneider Electric
Matthew Baynes serves as the Vice President, Design & Construction Partners for the Cloud and Service Provider Segment of Schneider Electric. As a Board Member of the European Data Centre Association (EUDCA) Matthew is dedicated to helping cloud, hyperscale and colocation service providers design, build and operate sustainable digital infrastructure. Matthew has over 20 years of experience within the IT, Data Centre and manufacturing industries, and today he focuses on identifying and developing business opportunities within new, existing and emerging markets; often working directly with global customers to help them scale into new regions quickly and efficiently.
Stijn Grove
NTA Coordination
Managing Director, Dutch Data Center Association
Stijn Grove is Managing Director at Dutch Data Center Association, connecting the market-leading data centers in the Netherlands to strengthen economic growth of the industry and drive awareness of data centers in Dutch society. Additionally, Stijn holds various board positions, notably as Chairman of the KickStart Conference, and he is also a member of the jury for prestigious awards, including the Datacloud Global Awards. Within the European Data Centre Association (EUDCA), he actively supports the NTA committee and serves as an NTA coordinator.
Geraldine Camara
Deputy Chair of NTA Committee
Managing Director at France Data Centre
Geraldine Camara serves as the Managing Director at France Datacenter, which serves as the primary representative of the French Datacenter Industry. In her capacity, she takes the lead in delivering the organisation's strategic objectives and acts as a spokesperson for the industry in parliamentary hearings, public interventions, and legislative proposals. At the European Data Center Association, she holds the position of Deputy Chair of the NTA Committee, where her focus is on ensuring that the perspectives and concerns of local jurisdictions are effectively communicated and heard at the broader European level.
Gary Aitkenhead
SVP, EMEA, Equinix
Gary Aitkenhead is the Senior Vice President of Operations at Equinix, where he leads the engineering, construction, and operations of critical data center infrastructure across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Gary and his team of nearly 2,000 engineers and technicians help power Equinix’s trusted global platform, bringing together and interconnecting the foundational infrastructure that fuels the success of customers and partners around the world.
The European Data Centre Association is an International non-profit organisation registered in Belgium under BE0847628857. It is governed by an Association Board consisting of up to 12 members made up of operators, vendors and national trade associations. Together representing all aspects of the datacentre industry, from owners and operators, suppliers, manufacturers and service providers through to national trade associations that also represent the datacentre industry in specific countries.
Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the EUDCA, the Board of Directors oversees the Association, its committees and its work, serving as its ultimate authority. Admission of new participants is processed by the Board, based on EUDCA guidelines.
In June 2023 a new Board of Directors was elected at the AGM. Michael Winterson was unanimously reconfirmed as Chair of the Association, and will continue at its helm as it navigates an industry evolving to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Furthermore, as datacentres become part of the critical fabric of society, the Board considers how this role will influence our operations and guide the development of regulations in Europe.
