JLL appoints Data Centres Project & Development Services Lead in the UK

JLL has appointed Sam Hill as Project & Development Services (PDS) Data Centres Lead in the United Kingdom. In this new role, Sam will be responsible for leading data centre PDS projects in the country, working closely with JLL’s established PDS and data centre teams.

Sam’s arrival signals the latest in series of high-level appointments in the region as JLL’s increased investment in data centre services to create and deliver greater value to investors, owners and occupiers. Sam will work closely with the existing PDS and data centres teams in supporting clients with integrated end-to-end development services for data centres. Sam brings extensive industry experience in managing all aspects of engineering construction and design deliverables. He joins from Arcadis where he was responsible for leading a key EMEA data centre account for design/project management.

Kevin Williams, Head of Project & Developments Services, UK & Ireland, JLL, said: “In a world increasingly fueled by the internet, data, and artificial intelligence, demand is rising for the real estate that makes it all happen. In UK, the data centre sector is experiencing incredible growth, which is driving demand for data centre design, construction and operations.

Sam’s strong track record in delivering projects in this sector combined with his clear understanding of future demand type and customer will be key to delivering fit-for-purpose facilities. His strategic mindset and collaborative style will help our clients realise greater value across every stage of their projects. I am excited to welcome Sam to the team.”

Hana Sutton, Head of EMEA Project & Development Services Data Centres, JLL, added: “Sam’s appointment is key to strengthening our end-to-end data centre offering to clients. His extensive experience and strong industry knowledge will be instrumental in helping us further scale our data centres business in the region to provide clients with comprehensive solutions that support every aspect of data centre projects.”

Sam Hill, Project & Development Services Data Centres Lead, UK, JLL, commented: “Demand for data centres shows no sign of deceleration and more and more companies are searching for specialist real estate data centre knowledge. I am confident that my experience across multiple critical infrastructure projects will be instrumental in driving the growth of JLL’s PDS and data centre business. I look forward to working with the teams to deliver the best results to our clients.”

According to JLL’s Data Centre report, 2023 was an exceptional year, with record take up for data centres across the FLAPD markets, which reached 352MW, a 19% YoY increase. A total of 391MW of new supply came online, with 161MW added in the last quarter alone – the biggest yearly increase seen with the core market size growing by 16 %. Frankfurt dominated 2023 both by market growth and take up, which saw 119MW of take up (20% up YoY) and 134MW of new supply (51% up YoY). This will continue to be the case in 2024, however we will see London make a comeback after a year of comparatively low market growth.