GRI Data Centres Europe 2025
Powered by GRI COMMERCIAL RE EUROPE 2025
18th November
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Dominic Silman
Gustavo Favaron
Chris Rae
Alex Coulter
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Program
Opening Talkshow I 09:00 - 10:15
Europe CRE Outlook
Capital, confidence, and what comes next
- Investment Appetite – Transactional volumes to rebound or dry-powder to remain dry?
- Pricing & Valuations – Asset repricing unlocking entry points or risk premiums still widening?
- Capital Allocation & Portfolio Winners – Where to place our bets: offices, retail, logistics, data centres…?
- Debt vs. Equity – Leaning into mezz and preferred equity or keeping the capital stack simple and senior?
- Risk & Returns – Underwriting for resilience or aiming for higher yields?
Moderator
Dominic Silman
Chief Economist
LaSalle Investment Management
Moderator
Gustavo Favaron
Global CEO
GRI Institute
James
Halstead
MD, Chief Investment Officer for European Value-Add Real Estate
BlackRock
Ronen
Ribak
Head of Value-Add, Real Estate Europe
DWS
Steven
Skinner
CEO
HB Reavis Group
Breakout Discussion I 11:00 - 12:00
Fundraising for Data Centres
Market complexity aligned with investors´expectations?
- LP Return Expectations – Real estate income profiles or infrastructure-style long-duration returns?
- Valuation Confidence – LPs comfortable with pricing transparency or cautious in specialist markets?
- Equity Partner Profiles – Pension funds, SWFs, insurers, or infra GPs leading large cheque writing?
- Funding Mix – Shift toward open-ended platforms or preference for closed-end, project-specific capital?
- Fund Differentiation – GPs innovating to stand out in a competitive data centre fundraising market?
Breakout Discussion I 12:30 - 13:30
Data Centres Challenges
Power, regulations & the path to scale
- Power Demand – Managing soaring energy needs amid grid limitations or investing in innovative efficiency solutions?
- Energy Costs – Navigating volatile pricing impacts on data centre profitability or leveraging hedging strategies?
- Regulatory Compliance – Aligning with complex environmental and zoning laws, or facing delays and added costs?
- Technology Adaptation – Future-proofing facilities with new tech or facing obsolescence risks?
- Sustainability Reporting – Meeting evolving ESG disclosure standards or struggling with inconsistent metrics?
Moderator
Chris Rae
Co-Head of Real Estate Sector and Partner
CMS
Babak
Fouladi
Cloud HQ
Lionel
Grotto
Deputy Director of Strategy and Development, Bouygues Bâtiment Industrie
Bouygues Construction
Matthew
Brown
Partner, Energy & Climate Change
CMS
Sebastian
Schmidt
Co-Founder - Managing Director
GIGA.GREEN
Breakout Discussion I 14:30 - 15:30
Strategic Partnerships in Data Centres
Win-win returns or competitive advantage at sight?
- Partner Selection – Aligning strategies for long-term value, or risking mismatched priorities?
- Risk Sharing – Effective de-risking through collaboration, or diluting control and returns?
- Capital Access – Unlocking new sources of growth, or adding layers of decision-making and approvals?
- Operational Control – Leveraging local expertise and networks, or losing strategic direction?
- Exit Strategies – Designing flexibility for changing market conditions, or locking in suboptimal outcomes?
Closing Talkshow I 16:00 - 17:00
CRE Institutional Trends
Fund flows, allocations, and performance-driven capital
- Fund Formation – Raise with scale from day one or secure anchor investors and build in phases?
- Investment Mandates – Core comfort or value-add edge?
- Capital Deployment Timing – Wait for further repricing or lean into first-mover advantage?
- Underwriting & Risk-Adjusted Returns – Staying strict on historical IRRs or adjusting to market realities?
- Structuring Preferences – Stick with commingled scale or shift to SMAs and bespoke capital?
Moderator
Alex Coulter
Real Estate Partner
Dentons
Gianlorenzo
Paolella
Head of Europe, Real Estate Investments
Korea Investment Corporation
Guilain
Decrop
Co-Head of Europe, Real Estate
Norges Bank Investment Management
Jenny
Hammarlund
MD, Head of Europe
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Khadija
Benzit
Head of Europe - Real Estate Investments
Mubadala Investment Company
Neil
Meikle
Head of Private Markets Distribution
Legal & General
Thomas
Jackson
Head of Europe, Real Estate
CPP Investments
Dominic Silman
Chief EconomistLaSalle Investment Management
United Kingdom
Chief Economist at LaSalle Investment Management. Strategist and researcher for real estate debt and value-add funds. PhD Econometrician and University lecturer, First-Class Honours degree in Economics with Politics. Extensive experience of teaching and using statistical analysis across multiple platforms and programming languages.
James Halstead
MD, Chief Investment Officer for European Value-Add Real EstateBlackRock
United Kingdom
James Halstead, Managing Director, is BlackRock’s Chief Investment Officer for European Value-Add Real Estate. He is responsible for investment strategy, originating and managing value add and opportunistic real estate investments across the region. He is a member of the European Real Estate Investment Committee and has invested in over $2bn of transactions at BlackRock across three European Value-Add funds.
Ronen Ribak
Head of Value-Add, Real Estate EuropeDWS
United Kingdom
Has been appointed to a newly created position as head of value-add real estate for Europe
Steven Skinner
CEOHB Reavis Group
United Kingdom
Steven Skinner is the Group CEO for HB Reavis Developments. He joined HB Reavis in 2017 responsible for developing the UK business, leading teams through acquisitions, leasing, financing, asset management and marketing. In 2018, Steven was appointed UK CEO and responsible for delivering a pipeline of developments in excess of £2bn. In 2020 he was appointed to the Group Board and in 2023 appointed Group CEO.
Paco González
Founder & PartnerCore Tech Capital.
Spain
An entrepreneur since childhood, I launched my first company just after turning 18. From that moment on, I never stopped creating projects, all of them linked to technology.
I had the honor of presiding over Eurocloud for several years, both at the European and Spanish levels, and over time I began collaborating with the most prestigious business schools, first in Spain, such as The Valley or ISDI, and later internationally, such as MIT. “Technological Keys for Digitalization” has become one of the most iconic sessions in all of them.
I entered the investment world in 2017 after the sale of Cartagon to a Dutch investment fund, which I later repurchased through Core Capital, founded by me in 2020, barely three years later.
Francisco De Bergia
Investment DirectorAzora
Spain
Chris Rae
Co-Head of Real Estate Sector and PartnerCMS
United Kingdom
Chris Rae is Co-Head of Real Estate Sector and Partner at CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang in London. With extensive expertise in commercial real estate law, he advises major clients on complex property transactions, developments, and investments across the UK and international markets. Chris specializes in retail, office, and mixed-use developments, working with leading property companies, institutional investors, and developers. His practice encompasses acquisitions, disposals, lettings, and development projects. Known for his strategic approach and deep market knowledge, Chris has played a key role in numerous high-profile real estate deals and continues to be a trusted advisor to clients navigating the evolving property landscape in London and beyond.
Babak Fouladi
Cloud HQ
United Kingdom
Lionel Grotto
Deputy Director of Strategy and Development, Bouygues Bâtiment IndustrieBouygues Construction
France
Son arrivée chez Bouygues Bâtiment Industrie marque une nouvelle étape dans la structuration et le développement des activités industrielles du groupe. Lionel Grotto aura pour mission d’accélérer le développement de nouveaux marchés et de renforcer les partenariats stratégiques aux échelles locale, nationale et internationale. Sa connaissance du secteur et son expertise lui permettront d’adapter l’offre de Bouygues Bâtiment Industrie aux besoins des acteurs du secteur. Il contribuera également au déploiement de projets de développement immobilier en lien avec les équipes de Linkcity.
Matthew Brown
Partner, Energy & Climate ChangeCMS
United Kingdom
#ERROR!
Sebastian Schmidt
Co-Founder - Managing DirectorGIGA.GREEN
Germany
ist Co-Founder und Managing Director von GIGA.GREEN. Er
studierte Betriebswirtschaft an der Munich Business School, der EBS Paris und der
London Business School. Bereits früh als Unternehmer aktiv, gründete und leitete er
mehrere Unternehmen in der digitalen Wirtschaft. Unter anderem als Co-Founder
der CityDeal GmbH, dessen Geschäft er an das US-amerikanische Unternehmen
Groupon verkaufte und das im November 2011 an die US-Börse Nasdaq ging.
Piotr Staniszewski
Partner | Real Estate and ConstructionDentons
Poland
Piotr Staniszewski is a partner in Dentons’ Warsaw office, a member of the Real Estate team and Co-Head of the Construction Practice Group. He focuses on real estate, corporate and commercial law.
Piotr represents foreign investors in entering the Polish real estate market, through managing construction and development projects, advising on JV or institutional acquisitions. Piotr plays a vital role in real estate investment transactions and lease projects encompassing a diverse range of assets, including data centers, offices, retail parks, mixed-use projects, hotels, warehouses and residential properties.
He advises on construction aspects of forward-funding acquisitions of build-to-rent (BTR) and student housing developments in Poland. He stands out as one of the few lawyers in Poland involved in the construction of a data center campus, a pioneering project in the local market.
Babak Fouladi
Cloud HQ
United Kingdom
Dr. Christopher Stief
CEOData Center Partners
Germany
DATA CENTER PARTNERS is a leading operating partner for hyperscale and colocation data centers. The company plans, builds and operates data centers across Europe with a focus on Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The firm manages and develops assets with a current value of 660 Mio. EUR and close to 200 MW in operation or under development. Dr. Christopher Stief is founder & CEO of the firm.
Paco González
Founder & PartnerCore Tech Capital.
Spain
An entrepreneur since childhood, I launched my first company just after turning 18. From that moment on, I never stopped creating projects, all of them linked to technology.
I had the honor of presiding over Eurocloud for several years, both at the European and Spanish levels, and over time I began collaborating with the most prestigious business schools, first in Spain, such as The Valley or ISDI, and later internationally, such as MIT. “Technological Keys for Digitalization” has become one of the most iconic sessions in all of them.
I entered the investment world in 2017 after the sale of Cartagon to a Dutch investment fund, which I later repurchased through Core Capital, founded by me in 2020, barely three years later.
Thor Johnsen
Managing PartnerDigital Gravity Infrastructure Partners
United Kingdom
Alex Coulter
Real Estate PartnerDentons
United Kingdom
Alex Coulter is a Real Estate Partner at Dentons, one of the world's largest law firms. Based in the UK, he specializes in commercial real estate transactions, development projects, and property investment matters. With extensive experience in the real estate sector, Coulter advises clients on complex property deals, including acquisitions, disposals, leasing arrangements, and joint ventures. He works with a diverse client base including property developers, investors, and occupiers across various sectors. At Dentons, Coulter is recognized for his expertise in navigating sophisticated real estate transactions and providing strategic counsel to clients throughout the property lifecycle. His practice encompasses both domestic and international real estate matters.
Gianlorenzo Paolella
Head of Europe, Real Estate InvestmentsKorea Investment Corporation
United Kingdom
Gianlorenzo Paolella serves as the Head of Europe, Real Estate Investments at Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), the South Korean sovereign wealth fund, based in London. In this role, he has been key in shaping KIC's European real estate investment strategy. KIC, under his direction, has focused on diversifying its portfolio beyond traditional offices and logistics into niche sectors such as residential, healthcare, and data centers, while also exploring new geographies within Europe. Europe remains a vital market for KIC, valued for its low volatility and downside protection in investments.
Guilain Decrop
Co-Head of Europe, Real EstateNorges Bank Investment Management
United Kingdom
Guilain Decrop serves as Co-head of Europe at Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the investment management arm of Norway's sovereign wealth fund. In this role, he oversees the fund's investment activities and strategic initiatives across Continental European markets. NBIM manages the Government Pension Fund Global, one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds. Decrop brings extensive experience in investment management and European capital markets to his position, contributing to NBIM's mission of generating long-term returns while maintaining responsible investment practices across diverse asset classes and geographic regions.
Jenny Hammarlund
MD, Head of EuropeOntario Teachers' Pension Plan
United Kingdom
Jenny has over 20 years of real estate investment experience across Europe and has transacted over €20bn of real estate in her career. She is currently a Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital, where she is responsible for investments across various investment strategies in Western Europe. She was previously at KKR, where she was a Director focused on value-add and opportunistic investments in the UK, Germany and the Nordics. Prior to KKR, Jenny was a Director at Värde Partners in London, focused on special situations and distressed investments in Europe. She was also a Vice-President at Lehman Brothers Real Estate Partners in New York. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and speaks four languages.
Khadija Benzit
Head of Europe - Real Estate InvestmentsMubadala Investment Company
United Arab Emirates
Ms Khadija Benzit is Head of Europe at Mubadala Investment Company since 2017. Prior to joining Mubadala, Ms Benzit has held different positions since the beginning of her professional career having worked at ARES Management and AEW
Neil Meikle
Head of Private Markets DistributionLegal & General
United Kingdom
Thomas Jackson
Head of Europe, Real EstateCPP Investments
United Kingdom
Thomas Jackson is the Managing Director and Head of Real Estate for the United Kingdom & Europe at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), a role he assumed in July 2023. Based in London, he oversees CPPIB's real estate investments and leads the investment team across Europe and the UK. Since joining CPPIB in 2011, Jackson has been instrumental in building the European and UK real estate portfolio through joint ventures and platform investments, expanding into new sectors such as student housing, life sciences, and Built-to-Rent. His extensive experience includes leadership roles at Macquarie Capital, Jones Lang LaSalle, and BNP Paribas Real Estate. He earned a Master's degree from London South Bank University.
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Institute Partner
Pan European Institute Partner
REAL ESTATE
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