The iMasons Innovation Podcast Thought Leadership

What does it take to build data centres fit for an AI-driven world? In this Innovation Exchange session hosted by iMasons Innovation, three industry experts explore the forces reshaping AI data center development. Pritesh Indore (Crusoe) breaks down why site selection is no longer a real estate decision — it's an energy procurement and geopolitical one. Eric Closson (Stream Data Centers) examines...

In this episode, host Romain Tranchant speaks with Geene Alhady, President of Clark Pacific, about how industrialized, product‑driven construction is reshaping data center and AI infrastructure delivery. Geene explains why Clark Pacific has moved away from traditional project‑by‑project construction toward a manufacturing mindset focused on standard products, repeatability, and market share. He di...

This episode of Innovation Unwrapped offers a behind‑the‑scenes look at how innovation is being shaped within the iMasons community.  Romain Tranchant, Chair of the iMasons Innovation Committee, shares a clear update on the Committee’s priorities and initiatives—from working groups and thought leadership to the progress of the iMasons Incubator Program.  He is joined by Rudolf Gordon‑Seymour, EMEA...

Originally streamed live on February 3rd, 2026.  To participate in future sessions, live—and ask questions in real time—visit the  Events – Infrastructure Masons  page and register.   ------------  In this episode of the iMasons Innovation Committee series, we introduce a brand‑new format: ten‑minute spotlight presentations from cutting‑edge innovators shaping the future of digital infrastructure....

Originally streamed live on Oct 8, 2025. To participate in future sessions, live—and ask questions in real time—visit the Events – Infrastructure Masons page and register.  ------------ This panel brings together leaders in AI optimisation, power management, and infrastructure innovation to examine how data centre operators can enhance efficiency while maintaining resilience. The conversation cove...

Originally streamed live on November 12th , 2025.  To participate in future sessions, live—and ask questions in real time—visit the  Events – Infrastructure Masons  page and register.   ------------  The digital infrastructure industry is entering a new era of accountability. Regulations such as the SEC’s climate disclosure rule and the EU’s CSRD and CSDDD demand detailed reporting on environmenta...

Joel Farrington, UK Sales Manager for  Legrand ’s Critical Power Division, shares his expertise in navigating complex power infrastructure decisions. In this conversation, we delve into the evolving relationships between clients, operators, and suppliers—and examine what it takes to design accountable, future-ready systems.  Moderator:   Romain Tranchant, Chair of the Innovation Committee  Guest: ...

Originally streamed live on September 18, 2025. To participate in future sessions, live—and ask questions in real time—visit the Events – Infrastructure Masons page and register.  -------------------------------------------------- This panel brings together leaders from Southwire , Enchanted Rock and RE24 to explore how next-generation data centres can secure power that is reliable, cost-effective...

In this episode, Romain Tranchant, Chair of the iMasons Innovation Committee, reveals how innovation will operate at iMasons in 2026: as a structured, predictable, and participative system. You’ll hear how the committee has moved to a 12-month operating model, introduced working groups, expanded global timezone coverage, and created clearer pathways for members, partners, and innovators to get inv...

Innovation Unwrapped is a fast-paced overview of what’s ahead for iMasons Innovation in 2026 and beyond. In this recorded session, iMasons Innovation Committee leaders share highlights from the committee’s roadmap, upcoming initiatives, and opportunities for members and partners to get involved — from new working groups to future events and collaborations. This session covers: Innovation Committee...

What if everything we know about data centres — from power and cooling to management — needed to be reinvented from scratch? In this episode of the iMasons Podcast, Romain Tranchant sits down with Yuval Bachar , Founder & CEO of ECL, to explore how he’s redefining what a sustainable, modular, and energy-conscious data centre can be.  Yuval shares how innovation now moves in 12-month cycles ins...

What happens when a century-old manufacturer decides that sustainability isn’t a department — it’s the business itself?  In this episode of the iMasons Podcast, I sit down with Burt Fealing , Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Sustainability Officer at Southwire, to explore how one of America’s largest wire and cable companies is rewiring its operations for a...

In this episode of the iMasons Podcast, host Romain Tranchant sits down with Nabeel Mahmood, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Nomad Futurist, to explore how education, talent, and innovation come together to shape the future of digital infrastructure. From his global career to his work inspiring the next generation, Nabeel shares what drives his mission to make our industry more visible, access...

John Cowan is the founder of Next Wave Partners , a venture studio and investment fund redefining early-stage capital through founder-aligned financing structures. He is the author of Venture Capital 2.0, a widely circulated critique of the legacy VC model and a blueprint for building startups in the post–power law era.  Next Wave developed the Safer—a hybrid investment instrument that prioritizes...

Liam Round , Managing Director for Teksan UK and Regional Director for Europe & Africa, joins us to share his inspiring journey from military service to leadership in the data centre industry. A proud member of the iMasons Veterans’ community, Liam reveals how his service shaped his people-first approach in recruitment. He shares lessons from rebuilding teams from the ground up and emphasizes...

Innovation Committee Chair, Romain Tranchant, leads a panel at the IRENA Conference in BONN on behalf of the iMasons Climate Accords .  This session unpacks how the rapid growth in global data centre electricity demand, driven by AI advancement, can be transformed from a grid challenge into an opportunity for accelerating renewable energy deployment and achieving decarbonisation targets.  Moderato...

Innovation Committee Chair and host Romain Tranchant interviews Waleed Zafar.   Waleed Zafar is the Director of Mission Critical at XYZ Reality , a company transforming how mission-critical projects are planned, built, and delivered with its innovative construction delivery platform. With a background in investment banking, Waleed joined XYZ as its first employee, playing a pivotal role in develop...

Innovation Committee Chair and host  Romain Tranchant  interviews  Alison Marlow  and  Courtney Popp .  Alison is Account Executive at Schneider Electric and the Global Chair for Armed Forces at Infrastructure Masons. Due to her non-traditional background, she is passionate about helping people find success who have taken alternate paths in life.  Courtney Popp is iMasons' Director of People Progr...

Innovation Committee Chair and host  Romain Tranchant  interviews   Venessa Moffat , Executive Board Member at the Data Centre Alliance.  Venessa has worked in the sector for over 20 years, holding various roles across IT and facilities. Today, Venessa is exploring the ever-evolving world of software in data centres, focusing on how AI is contributing to our increasingly complex, data-driven syste...

Innovation Committee Chair and host Romain Tranchant interviews Dan Tennakoon , CEO and Founder at RE24 - an enterprise platform that enables data centre to procure renewable energy directly from power generators.   RE24 streamlines contract management while providing powerful analytics on renewable consumption, ensuring operators optimise their use of green energy. Through its advanced hourly mat...

Innovation Committee Chair and host  Romain Tranchant  interviews  Maximilian Weidl , CEO and Co-Founder at  Clear Decisions . Clear Decisions is the first AI-powered compliance platform tailored for data centers. It automates compliance and streamlines audits. By optimizing these processes, Clear Decisions drives sustainability, ensuring data centers operate more efficiently and with a reduced en...

Innovation Committee Chair and host Romain Tranchant interviews Markus Gerber , Sr. Business Development Manager at nVent . nVent provides a versatile range of data center and networking solutions, with a particular emphasis on cooling equipment. Their offerings span from in-row coolers to immersion cooling systems, effectively utilizing white space. Markus discusses strategies for operators to op...

Scott Sickmiller  is the CEO at  Midas Immersion Cooling . Midas Immersion Cooling is the leading supplier of immersion cooling equipment solutions for data centers and ASIC mining. Scott has accepted to share his experience of what makes liquid cooling a suitable and sometime superior solution for cooling.  If you are interested in being featured on our Innovation Committee 's podcast, get in tou...

The talent shortage in digital infrastructure is a growing challenge, but innovation is helping companies stay ahead. In this episode, Mike Meyer , Managing Director at Portman Partners , and Adelle Desouza , Founder of HireHigher's Rising Star Programme , join host and Innovation Committee Chair Romain Tranchant to discuss how recruitment strategies are evolving in the data center industry. Key t...

Lawrence Hooker is Operations Director for the data centre section at SES , a national design and build contractor, part of the Wates groups. He has agreed to take us through the practical aspects of designing, building and commissioning liquid cooled data centres. We will talk through the pitfalls and changes that are required to continue operating high resiliency environments.----more---- If you...