Trailblazer Nancy Novak

The need for enterprises in the tech sphere to readdress their approach to diversity and inclusion has never been more apparent, both for the sake of fostering a more inclusive, just industry, and addressing the growing skills shortage already being felt throughout the industry.

More than ever, the industry needs to cultivate and advocate for diverse talent. “The urgency of the need for diversity is not simply one of fairness and equal opportunity,” wrote Nancy Novak, Chief Innovation Officer at Compass Datacenters, in a recent opinion piece. “It’s not hyperbolic to say that this is an existential issue for companies fighting to win the war for talent to enable them to put the right people in the right roles to be competitive today and tomorrow.”

With more than 30 years of experience in the construction industry - during which time she has overseen the delivery of more than $3.5bn worth of critical infrastructure projects - Nancy Novak is a true infrastructure veteran who has, and continues to, vocally champion the cultivation of a more diverse talent pool in the industry.

“Organisations that aren’t actively working to diversify their workforces run the risk of stunting their ability to grow by artificially limiting their access to talent,” she continues.

While Novak is a vocal proponent of increasing mentorship aimed at fostering greater diversity, she also goes beyond typical rhetoric to point out that the industry needs to go even further: towards true advocacy.

“Real change only happens when people in positions of influence and power take on the roles of advocates for talented women and minorities,” she stresses.

“Mentorship without advocacy by people with influence is a recipe for preparing women and minorities for an unattainable career path.”

In addition to her role as a thought leader at the cutting edge of the data centre industry’s ongoing evolution, Novak is herself working to embody the kind of advocacy that is required to foster true, lasting diversity in the industry.

She is a member of the iMason’s advisory council and is actively involved in numerous organisations dedicated to advocating for the advancement of women and minorities in the data centre sector, including Above the Glass Ceiling, Women in Government Relations (WGE), Women Construction Owners and Executives (WCOE), The World Trade Center Initiative, Fortune Media’s Most Powerful Women and the National Women’s Party.

Prior to joining Compass Datacenters, Novak held a number of roles as a construction executive at Balfour Beatty and Hensel Phelps, during which time she worked on renovations and construction projects for airports, hospitals and even the Pentagon, before retiring at the age of forty seven.

She came out of retirement three years later, joining Compass Datacentres in 2017, and has since driven the adoption of cutting edge technology, lean practices, and fostered an innovative culture through diversity of thought at the company.

In October of 2020, Novak was also recognised by Capacity Media at the 2020 Global Women in Telco and Tech awards, receiving the title of the year’s “Best Woman in Data Centre”.