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Connect | New York // DCD>Debate: Modular mirage - Can urban constraints be overcome?

  • —
  • Data Center Construction
  • Open Session

Speakers

Michael Roark

CEO, iM Data Centers

M Roark

Michael Roark

CEO, iM Data Centers

Michael Roark is the Founder & CEO of iM Data Centers.

iM Data Centers creates data centers with end-to-end services and investment solutions, including iM’s factory-built, modular facilities.

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Julie Ditchfield

Julie Ditchfield

Construction Project Manager, Equinix

Jesline Leston

Construction Project Manager

Jesline Leston New 180

Jesline Leston

Construction Project Manager

Jesline Leston is passionate about infrastructure programs in the data center space by leading the execution and delivery in data center construction program management. Jesline leads the construction operations process focusing on quality for major hyperscale clients.

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Dr. Atif Ansar

Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Foresight Works

Atif Ansar

Dr. Atif Ansar

Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Foresight Works

Dr. Atif Ansar is a global megaprojects expert. Atif is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Foresight, which provides Fortune 500 companies with AI technology to accelerate the delivery of big projects such as data centers, rail or power generation assets, large property or industrial developments.

Atif is the Founding Director of the Oxford’s Programme on Sustainable Megaprojects. He is a Senior Fellow on the MSc in Major Programme Management and the Major Projects Leadership Academy (MPLA) for the UK and Australian governments at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Atif's work is on the confluence of megaprojects, human psychology, and technology. In particular, he is interested in how big capital projects can increase their speed to market and total lifetime value by combining human expertise with technologies such as big data and Artificial Intelligence. Atif’s research on megaprojects is globally influential and several of his papers are among the most cited classics in the field of project management. His work features regularly in the media including in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, the New Yorker, the Financial Times, among others.

Atif has been recognised with a Fellowship by Special Election of Keble College at the University of Oxford, a Visiting Professorship at Tsinghua University (China’s top-ranked university) a Visiting appointment at Stanford University’s Global Projects Center, and external partner-level advisor role at McKinsey & Company.

Atif completed his DPhil (PhD) in 2010. Studying at Brasenose College, Oxford University, he received the prestigious Clarendon Award from the Oxford University Press for his doctorate. He undertook his bachelor’s degree at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where he majored in philosophy, politics, and economics.

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Modular construction is reshaping the data center landscape, promising rapid deployment, lower staffing, and faster ROI. From pre-built containers to plug-and-play units, the future seems modular— but is it really the game-changer it’s made out to be?

In fast-growing regions, modular solutions are becoming the new gold standard, but dense markets like New York City present unique challenges. Can modular construction truly thrive in urban environments constrained by power and strict regulations? Or is its promise best suited for regions with fewer barriers to entry?

Held under Chatham House Rule, DCD>Debates are open discussions led by a panel of experts on the most pressing issues in the industry.