The Route to Networking

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In this episode of The Route to Networking: Military Leavers Edition, Louis Parratt is joined by Richard Berry, Global IT Operations Manager at SCC and a former member of the Royal Signals with more than 22 years of military service. 
Richard shares his journey from military communications into leading global IT operations teams across networking, cloud, storage and infrastructure services. The conversation explores how the foundations built within the Royal Signals helped shape his leadership style, technical mindset and approach to problem solving throughout a career spanning both defence and enterprise technology. 
Throughout the episode, Richard reflects on the importance of understanding core networking and communications fundamentals, why military experience translates so well into the tech industry, and how adaptability has helped him evolve alongside rapidly changing technology. He also discusses his early exposure to Cisco networking, working across 16 countries during his military career, and how hands-on operational experience became one of his biggest strengths as a leader. 
The discussion also dives into the realities of leaving the armed forces during Covid, the confidence gap many service leavers face when entering civilian careers, and why leadership, accountability and proactivity are often the qualities employers value most. Richard shares practical advice around interviews, CVs and translating military experience into language businesses understand, alongside his thoughts on why service leavers consistently thrive within fast-paced technology environments. 
The episode closes with a quick-fire round focused on leadership, military transition, career development and the mindset needed to build a long-term career in technology after service.
🔗 Connect with Richard on LinkedIn here
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In this episode of The Route to Networking, Jamie Maher is joined by Tony Rossabi, Co-Founder of Ocolo and a long-time leader across telecoms, fiber, and digital infrastructure. 
With more than two decades of experience across Voice over IP, connectivity, and data centers, Tony shares his perspective on how the industry has evolved from the early telecom boom to today’s AI-driven infrastructure race. The conversation explores the rapid growth of hyperscale data centers, the increasing pressure on power and capacity, and why speed-to-market has become a major priority across the industry. 
Tony also reflects on his unconventional path into telecoms, how his career evolved alongside the infrastructure itself, and why resilience, adaptability, and initiative are essential for long-term success in digital infrastructure. Along the way, the episode dives into the growing talent shortage across data centers, leadership lessons from years in executive and board-level roles, and what the future of AI infrastructure could look like as demand continues to accelerate. 
The episode closes with a quick-fire round focused on leadership, career development, AI infrastructure, and the skills the next generation of professionals should focus on most.
🔗 Connect with Tony on LinkedIn here
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In this episode of The Route to Networking, Jack Rafferty is joined by Andrej Danis, Partner & Managing Director at AlixPartners, and Kanishk Raghuvanshi, a Director within Andrej’s team focused on digital infrastructure strategy, transformation and M&A.
Together, they explore how the digital infrastructure market is shifting from a period of hypergrowth into a new phase centred around profitability, operational efficiency and consolidation. Drawing on backgrounds across telecom, investment banking and consulting, Andrej and Kanishk share their perspectives on how investment priorities are changing and why execution is becoming more important than scale alone.
The conversation covers the growing pressures surrounding AI infrastructure, from power availability and connectivity challenges to the increasing complexity of data center and fiber deployments. They also discuss why consolidation across the fiber market is accelerating, how operators are adapting to tougher economics and what investors are now looking for in digital infrastructure businesses.
Along the way, Andrej and Kanishk break down the realities of large-scale transformation projects, the importance of operational strategy and why many companies are having to rethink business models built for a very different market environment. They also share thoughts on the future of edge infrastructure, convergence across fiber, wireless and satellite technologies, and the role AI could play in reshaping organizations internally.
The episode closes with a quick-fire round focused on career development, curiosity and the importance of building both depth and adaptability within the industry.
🔗 Connect with Andrej Danis on LinkedIn here.
🔗 Connect with Kanishk Raghuvanshi on LinkedIn here.
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In this episode of The Route to Networking, Charlie Cassie is joined by Obinna Isiadinso, Global Sector Lead for Data Center Investments at the International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group. With a background in investment banking and private equity, Obinna shares how his career has evolved alongside the rapid growth of digital infrastructure.
They explore the investment decisions that sit behind global data center development, including how projects are funded, where they get built and why certain markets attract more attention than others. Obinna also reflects on how data centers have shifted from being seen as optional infrastructure to a critical part of modern life, particularly following the surge in demand during COVID.
Along the way, Obinna breaks down the differences between developed and emerging markets, from fibre investment to mobile-first connectivity, and explains what investors look for before backing a data center project. He also shares insight into the growing role of sustainability, the challenges around power availability and how AI is driving larger, more complex builds across the industry.
He highlights key regions to watch, including Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, and discusses how global investment is evolving as demand for cloud and AI infrastructure continues to rise. Obinna also touches on the widening talent gap and the opportunities this creates for those looking to build a career in the space.
🔗 Connect with Obinna on LinkedIn here.
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In this episode of The Route to Networking, Jack Rafferty is joined by Gary Cudmore, Senior Vice President at Rowan Digital Infrastructure. With over four decades of experience, Gary shares his journey through the evolution of data centres, from early mainframe computer rooms to today’s hyperscale, AI-driven infrastructure.
They explore how the industry has transformed over time, including the challenges of early builds, the importance of designing systems with operators in mind, and the moment that shaped Gary’s approach to infrastructure delivery. Gary also breaks down the realities of scaling modern data centres, from power constraints and long-lead equipment to the growing impact of AI on energy demand.
Along the way, Gary discusses the return of nuclear energy in the conversation, the rise of “digital cities,” and why community engagement is becoming critical to successful projects. He also highlights the growing talent gap across the industry and the opportunities this creates for the next generation entering the space.
🔗 Connect with Gary on LinkedIn here.
Want to stay up to date with new episodes? Follow our LinkedIn page for all the latest podcast updates!

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Interested in following a similar career path?  Why don’t you take a look at our jobs page, where you can find your next job opportunity? 
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