Critical Careers

About Critical Careers

Real stories. Diverse journeys. Women leading what’s next. Critical Careers is a podcast from Kao Data, celebrating the women building, leading, and designing digital infrastructure. Through honest conversations with women at every stage of their careers, we uncover what it takes to thrive in one of the world’s most vital and fast-changing industries. Whether you’re already in the industry, looking to make a change or considering your first career move, these stories are for you.

Publisher

Kao Data

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Oct 2025

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   The Value Gap

   In this episode of the Critical Careers podcast, Lizzy McDowell is joined by Andy Davis from DataX Connect and Sarah Davenport from Capstone Recruitment for a conversation about the value gap, and why salary is only one part of how people understand their worth at work. Drawing on insights from the DataX Connect salary survey and their experience recruiting across the data centre industry, Andy and Sarah explore how pay, progression, recognition and opportunity shape career confidence. They discuss why women can be negatively impacted by salary discrepancies and career breaks, particularly when progression stalls after parental leave or when people remain in roles longer without regular pay reviews. Together, the conversation explores pay transparency, sponsorship, mentorship, self-advocacy, progression, retention, representation, and the need to widen the talent pool beyond the data centre industry. At its heart, this episode is about understanding value more broadly: not just what someone is paid, but whether they are seen, supported, recognised and given the opportunity to grow. “I think worth, knowing your worth and salary aren’t always aligned.” - Sarah Davenport “You have to be the CEO of your own career. You have to make your ambition known.” - Sarah Davenport “How can we give people the platform so they can be the role models for the next generation?” - Andy Davis ----- Key Takeaways - The value gap is about more than salary. It also includes recognition, confidence, progression, opportunity and whether people feel genuinely valued at work. - Salary discrepancies can widen at senior levels, particularly when people are promoted internally without regular pay reviews or external benchmarking. - Career breaks, maternity leave and part-time working can affect progression and earning potential, but deeper issues around representation and promotion also play a role. - Women may stay in roles longer and value stability, project complexity and strategic exposure, which can make regular salary reviews and progression conversations even more important. - Employers need to understand what “feeling valued” means for underrepresented groups, rather than assuming salary is the only marker. - Mentorship, sponsorship and external perspective can help women understand their value, build confidence and position themselves for the next stage of their careers. - Self-advocacy matters. People should document their impact, make their ambitions known and be clear about the extra work they are doing beyond their formal role. - Progression does not always mean promotion. It can also mean broader experience, lateral moves, new challenges or exposure to different parts of the business. - Representation needs to move beyond the same voices appearing at the same events. More women need platforms to share their expertise, not only to speak about being women in the industry. - Employers and employees share responsibility for career development: organisations must create supportive environments, but individuals also need to make themselves known. - Bringing talent in from outside the data centre sector remains essential, particularly from related industries such as construction, telecoms, logistics, power and other asset classes. - Demystifying the industry is critical. Data centres need engineers, but they also need people in finance, marketing, project management, commercial, recruitment and many other roles. ----- To learn more about Critical Careers, or to get involved with the Critical Careers community, head to the Critical Careers website or search “Critical Careers”. Thank you to our founding partner, Kao Data, and our season sponsors: CBRE, AVK, JLL, Eversheds Sutherland, and Mace Construct.

2. 

   8 Oct 2026

   Resiliency When Things Don’t Go to Plan

   In this episode of the Critical Careers podcast, Lizzy McDowell, Marketing Director at Kao Data and co-founder of Critical Careers, is joined by Hadas Lorber from Nebius, and Social Impact Consultant and Professional Speaker, Michillay Brown, for a conversation about resilience, reinvention, and building a career that does not always follow a straight line. Hadas shares how her career moved from national security and government affairs into digital infrastructure, and why that transition made sense when she began to see technology as a central part of national security. After more than 25 years in government, including work on strategic technology dialogues, AI, quantum and international cooperation, she reflects on how curiosity, adaptability and a strong sense of direction helped her begin again in a fast-changing industry. Michillay reflects on a career shaped by early responsibility, personal loss and determination. After losing her father at a young age and watching her mother support the family as a nurse, she began working early, taking on roles in hospitality, retail and voluntary organisations before building a career across sustainability, social impact, mining, energy, tech and digital infrastructure. She explains how those experiences shaped her resilience long before she held a formal leadership title. Together, the conversation explores how resilience is built through life experience, not just career milestones. Hadas and Michillay discuss grief, motherhood, sacrifice, starting over, transferable skills, mentorship, human-centred leadership and the importance of building a compass rather than following a fixed map. At its heart, this episode is a reminder that careers are rarely linear. Sometimes the moments that feel like setbacks, pivots or starting again are the experiences that build the strongest foundations for leadership. “For me, resilience is really maintaining your sense of direction when circumstances change.” - Hadas Lorber “I think resilience is built in those different chapters from when you’re younger throughout. It builds up to the leadership title that follows afterwards.” - Michillay Brown ----- Key Takeaways - Resilience is built through life experience, not only through formal leadership roles or career milestones. - Hadas Lorber’s move from national security into digital infrastructure shows how careers can evolve when skills, values and global challenges intersect. - Michillay Brown’s journey highlights how early responsibility, personal loss and hard work can shape long-term resilience and leadership. - Voluntary work, unpaid opportunities and early career sacrifices can build valuable experience, credibility, networks and future opportunities. - Starting again can feel like a step backwards, but it can also be a sign of growth, curiosity and expanding capability. - Human-centred leadership means asking for help, protecting capacity, leading with empathy and recognising the human cost of work. - In a fast-changing world shaped by AI, curiosity, critical thinking and the willingness to keep learning are essential leadership skills. - Careers need a compass more than a map: know your values, interests and direction, but leave room for unexpected opportunities. ----- To learn more about Critical Careers, or to get involved with the Critical Careers community, head to the Critical Careers website or search “Critical Careers”. Thank you to our founding partner, Kao Data, and our season sponsors: CBRE, AVK, JLL, Eversheds Sutherland, and Mace Construct.

3. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Creating Space For Every Voice

   In this episode of the Critical Careers podcast, Joyce Wady is joined by Adam Nethersole from Kao Data, Justin Hewitt-Coleman from CBRE and Lawrence Olney from Mace for a conversation about allyship, leadership and why men have an important role to play in supporting greater diversity across the data centre industry. Together, the conversation explores why Critical Careers matters, why male allies need to be active participants in the conversation, and how the industry can create a more inclusive future by recognising talent, broadening perspectives and building stronger relationships. “I often am the person that waves the wand. But the real magic happens with other people.” - Adam “If everyone’s travelled the same path, they’ll identify the same blind spots.” - Justin “It’s not diversity for the sake of diversity. It’s diversity of thought. It’s diversity of perspective.” - Lawrence -----Key Takeaways - Critical Careers was created to showcase the breadth of women’s talent across the data centre industry, from apprentices to CEOs. - Adam reflects on how many of the most important role models and mentors in his life have been women, shaping his view of leadership and opportunity. - Women in the industry are often recognised through narrow rankings or senior lists, which can miss younger talent, emerging leaders and those working across different functions. - Critical Careers aims to give a more rounded picture of where women fit into digital infrastructure and how many different career paths exist. - Male allies have an important role to play because some audiences may listen differently when men actively support and amplify the conversation. - Justin highlights that data centre operations depend on safe environments where people feel confident to speak up, challenge assumptions and raise concerns. - Leaders need to do more than say their door is open. They need to actively invite different voices into the room and act when concerns are raised. - Inclusion and operational resilience are closely connected because diverse thinking helps teams identify risks, blind spots and better solutions. - Allyship is not just a label. It requires action, empathy, support and a willingness to meet people where they are. - Lawrence reflects on how leadership changes as you move from focusing on your own role to bringing others with you on a shared journey. - Accountability, responsibility and communication are key leadership qualities for the future of the industry. - Understanding people’s individual motivations, needs and circumstances helps leaders get the best from their teams. - Diverse teams are not about optics. They help solve complex problems by bringing different perspectives, experiences and personality types into decision-making. - The industry’s future depends on attracting, retaining and developing young talent while continuing to make progress on gender balance and inclusion. To learn more about Critical Careers, or to get involved with the Critical Careers community, head to the Critical Careers website or search “Critical Careers”. Thank you to our founding partner, Kao Data, and our season sponsors: CBRE, AVK, JLL, Eversheds Sutherland and Mace Construct.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.