The Data Centre Alliance has announced the appointment of a new advisory board following the recent expansion of its advisory council.

Liam Round has been appointed chair, joined by board members Jonathon Freegard, Scott Cunningham, Astrid Wynne, Phil Beale and John Booth. The DCA said members were selected for their expertise and breadth of experience across the data centre sector.

The new board will sit above the advisory council and is intended to help it identify and prioritise the most pressing issues facing the industry, as well as oversee collaborative initiatives that the DCA says will benefit the wider sector.

In practical terms, that means using the council as a forum to agree where the industry needs to focus its collective effort – and then producing guidance, reports and other outputs aimed at informing key stakeholders, including end users, policymakers and the media.

Liam Round, Managing Director, Teksan UK and newly appointed Chair of The DCA Advisory Council, commented, “It is an honour to take on the role of Chair of the Advisory Board and Council at The Data Centre Alliance at such an important time for our sector. Digital infrastructure underpins economic growth, national resilience and AI development. I look forward to working with the DCA’s leadership and Partners to provide clear guidance, strong governance and strategic focus as the industry navigates rapid change.”

A programme focused on planning, power and standards

Over the coming year, the DCA said the advisory board and council will take forward a programme focused on a set of core priorities for the UK market.

Those include planning reform and infrastructure designation, energy market integration and grid access, sustainability and water resilience, AI infrastructure readiness, and the advancement of industry standards.

The DCA’s stated aim is for the council not simply to respond to regulatory and market changes as they arise, but to help shape the policy, energy and infrastructure frameworks that affect the delivery and operation of data centres in the UK.

While the new advisory board’s appointment does not, by itself, change the rules data centres operate under, it is a signal of where the trade association believes the sector’s collective effort now needs to sit: planning and designation, access to power, resilience (including water), and clearer standards as AI-driven demand continues to reshape capacity and design assumptions.