ACS Group: Building a Global Data Centre Platform Through Executive Search

Hiring a Critical Energy Leader in a Competitive Market

As the joint venture began planning to appoint its executive leadership team, it became clear that specialist talent would determine how quickly and effectively the platform could scale, and a search for a Head of Energy was particularly urgent. A previous attempt to hire through another search firm had reached offer stage but ultimately fell through during negotiations, creating delay and disruption at a critical time. Each passing week without an energy leader in place risked slowing strategic decision-making and weakening the venture’s positioning in an increasingly competitive global data centre market.

The brief itself was highly specific, with the business requiring an individual with at least 20 years of experience in traditional power markets, combined with in-depth knowledge of U.S. grid and utilities infrastructure. The successful candidate also needed direct data centre exposure and a strong understanding of how utilities and data centre operators work together to secure long-term power supply and support the rapid scaling of hyperscale and AI-driven facilities.

This significantly limited the available talent pool, as many senior energy professionals have grid or utilities expertise but lack data centre experience. The venture required someone who could bridge both markets confidently to bring network operator and utilities expertise in-house.

To add to the complexity, there was initially no formal job description. CSG Talent worked closely with the leadership team to define the role around long-term commercial objectives, ensuring the hire would directly support capital deployment, grid strategy, and international expansion.

Delivering Executive Search with Pace, Precision, and Expertise

CSG Talent’s Data Centre & Power Recruitment Team first contacted the CEO by sharing two high-calibre profiles from its established network of senior energy leaders. One profile in particular sparked interest and opened a conversation about how CSG Talent specialises in aligning energy and data centre capability, which is the exact integration the platform required.

When selected to take ownership of the Head of Energy search, CSG Talent identified candidates who met the company’s niche requirements. Pace was crucial, but precision was also key to avoid a rushed or poorly screened appointment, which would risk repeating the previous failed process and further extending the delay.

Approximately 20 senior professionals were identified based on their experience across utilities, traditional power, and data centre infrastructure. Through detailed screening conversations, this was narrowed to a targeted shortlist of 7 candidates who all met the core technical criteria. This combination of an extensive talent network and precise candidate selection is one of the primary benefits of working with a specialised executive search partner.

CSG Talent conducted a direct headhunt, including outreach to senior leaders within competitor organisations. Engaging passive talent at this level requires credibility and discretion, providing access to individuals who would not appear through traditional recruitment channels.

Eliminating the risk of late-stage withdrawal was critical, so CSG Talent invested significant time into understanding each candidate’s personal aspirations and salary expectations and maintained regular contact with candidates throughout the process. By ensuring alignment on both professional and personal factors early in the process, CSG Talent reduced the risk of dropouts and further delays.

A strong shortlist was delivered rapidly, interviews were conducted efficiently, and the successful candidate started the role in less than two months from the initial brief, which is an exceptional timeline for such a critical senior hire.