Michael Juniper Takes Helm at DigiCo to Drive Next-Gen Data Centre Growth

Leadership Shift at DigiCo

DigiCo Infrastructure REIT (ASX – DGT) has announced a significant leadership change with the appointment of Michael Juniper as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Juniper also assumes the role of Managing Director of Digital Infrastructure at HMC Capital, the responsible entity for DigiCo. This move marks a pivotal moment as DigiCo prepares to accelerate its development of next-generation data centre campuses amid surging demand driven by cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and GPU-intensive workloads.

Juniper’s appointment follows his recent elevation to senior executive and director roles within DigiCo, reflecting the board’s confidence in his ability to lead the company through its next growth phase. With over two decades of experience in digital infrastructure, Juniper is best known for his instrumental role in founding and expanding AirTrunk, one of Asia-Pacific’s largest hyperscale data centre platforms. His track record includes spearheading AirTrunk’s expansion into key Asian markets such as Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, and securing multi-billion-dollar contracts with global cloud and technology giants.

Strategic Focus on Innovation and Sustainability

Under Juniper’s leadership, DigiCo aims to leverage its position as Australia’s sovereign digital infrastructure platform to meet the rapidly evolving needs of cloud and AI customers. He highlighted the increasing importance of innovative energy solutions, noting that sustainable power sources are becoming critical differentiators for data centre operators. DigiCo is uniquely positioned to integrate HMC Capital’s broader energy and transition platforms, potentially delivering long-term power certainty and sustainable growth at scale.

Juniper’s vision aligns with the broader industry trend where data centres are not only expanding capacity but also focusing on environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. This dual emphasis is expected to enhance DigiCo’s appeal to institutional investors and customers seeking resilient, future-proof infrastructure.

Government Relations Take Centre Stage

Complementing Juniper’s appointment, Chris Maher, who has led DigiCo through its IPO and foundational period, will transition to a newly created role as Managing Director, Group Head of Government & Strategic Programs at HMC Capital starting early 2026. This strategic repositioning underscores the growing importance of government engagement in a sector increasingly shaped by regulatory developments around AI, data sovereignty, energy policy, and critical infrastructure protection.

Maher’s expertise in government relations will be critical as DigiCo navigates evolving policy landscapes, ensuring alignment with stakeholders and regulators. The company’s proactive approach to government engagement aims to mitigate risks and capitalize on emerging opportunities in the digital infrastructure space.

Market Implications and Outlook

DigiCo’s portfolio currently includes 13 data centres across Australia and North America, with a total planned IT capacity of 232MW. This includes 76MW of installed capacity and a substantial 156MW development pipeline. The leadership changes signal a clear intent to accelerate growth and innovation in this pipeline, positioning DigiCo to capture a larger share of the expanding digital infrastructure market.

Chair Joseph Carrozzi AM praised Juniper’s appointment, emphasizing his exceptional regional experience and ability to guide DigiCo through its next growth phase. Meanwhile, Maher’s continued involvement in a government-facing role ensures continuity and strategic depth in navigating complex regulatory environments.

As DigiCo embarks on this new chapter, investors and industry watchers will be keen to see how the company balances rapid expansion with sustainability and regulatory compliance, particularly as demand for cloud and AI infrastructure intensifies globally.