Which Australian executives were named in Data Centre Magazine's Top 100 Global Leaders for 2026?

Data Centre Magazine's 2026 Top 100 Data Centre Leaders list recognised 4 Australian executives: Robin Khuda, Founder and CEO of AirTrunk, ranked number 10; Craig Scroggie, CEO and Managing Director of NEXTDC, ranked number 35; Greg Boorer, Founder and CEO of CDC Data Centres, ranked number 95; and David Hirst, CEO of Macquarie Technology Group Data Centres, ranked number 98. Their selection reflects Australia's growing influence in hyperscale infrastructure, AI-ready facilities and sovereign data centre development across the Asia Pacific region.

Why are Australian data centre leaders gaining global recognition in 2026?

Australia has emerged as the world's second-largest destination for data centre investment, with more than $100 billion in announced projects between 2023 and 2025. Australian executives are gaining global recognition for driving hyperscale campus development, sovereign AI infrastructure and strategic partnerships with global operators including OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and Blackstone.

What makes Australia's data centre market significant in the Asia Pacific region?

Australia's data centre market is significant in the Asia Pacific region due to its combination of scale, sovereign capability and strategic geography. The country hosts major hyperscale campuses operated by NEXTDC, AirTrunk, CDC Data Centres and Equinix, with planned capacity expanding from 1.35GW today to between 4.7GW and 7.4GW by 2035, positioning Australia as a critical hub for AI workloads, cloud infrastructure and Indo-Pacific connectivity.

4 Australian leaders named in Data Centre Magazine's Top 100 Global Leaders for 2026

Data Centre Magazine's 2026 Top 100 Leaders list highlights the global executives shaping the future of digital infrastructure and Australia has secured four spots, underscoring the nation's growing importance as an Asia-Pacific data centre hub. Link: https://datacentremagazine.com/magazine/top-100-data-centre-leaders-2026

The Australian leaders recognised:

#10 - Robin Khuda, Founder and CEO, AirTrunk (Sydney)
The highest-ranked Australian on the list, Robin founded AirTrunk and led it through the largest-ever data centre transaction globally when Blackstone's consortium acquired the company for A$24 billion in 2024. Named AFR Business Person of the Year, Robin joined the Business Council of Australia Board in 2025 and continues to champion hyperscale infrastructure across the region.

#35 - Craig Scroggie, CEO and Managing Director, NEXTDC (Brisbane)
Craig has helmed NEXTDC since 2012, transforming it into Australia's premier carrier-neutral data centre operator. With over 30 years' experience across Symantec, Veritas and EMC, Craig was inducted into the ARN ICT Industry Hall of Fame for his contribution to Australia's technology sector.

#95 - Greg Boorer, Founder and CEO, CDC (Canberra)
Greg founded CDC in 2007 and has grown it into Australia's largest provider of secure, sovereign facilities across Australia and New Zealand. The company now serves government and hyperscale clients with a focus on sustainability, resilience and AI-era digital infrastructure.

#98 - David Hirst, CEO, Macquarie Data Centres (Sydney)
David has led Macquarie Data Centres from inception for over 16 years, positioning it as Australia's trusted sovereign AI infrastructure provider. The company partners with hyperscalers, the Australian federal government and enterprises to deliver secure, compliant, high-performance environments for technology advancement.

What this signals for the Australian market:

The presence of four Australian leaders in the global Top 100 reflects the nation's accelerating data centre investment momentum. With AI workloads, cloud adoption and edge computing driving exponential demand, Australia is increasingly viewed as a strategic sovereign infrastructure hub particularly for organisations seeking low-latency connectivity to Asia-Pacific markets and secure, government-compliant facilities.

Written by CertifiedStrategic Editorial Team

CertifiedStrategic.com - Australia's independent data centre index tracking capacity, certification and market news across the country's critical infrastructure providers.