15th annual conference and awards
TMT Finance Europe 2027
Accelerating Smart Investment in
Digital Infrastructure
Digital Infrastructure
27 - 28 January 2027 | Convene 133 Houndsditch, London
Agenda 2026
Download the agenda08:50-08:55
Host’s Introduction
Host
Elles Houweling – Features & Special Content Editor, TMT Finance
Speaker
Elles Houweling – Features & Special Content Editor, TMT Finance
08:55-09:00
Welcome Address
Speaker
Ben Nice - Chief Content Officer, TMT Finance
Speaker
Ben Nice - Chief Content Officer, TMT Finance
09:00-09:05
Live Poll Kick-Off: M&A, Investment and Financing Intentions for 2026
Host
Elles Houweling - Features & Special Content Editor, TMT Finance
09:05-09:15
TMT Finance Editorial View: Debt outlook for 2026
The TMT Finance editorial team present deal data and pipeline for the EMEA market in 2025.
A detailed breakdown of announced and expected debt financing across all digital infrastructure asset classes.
Speaker
Maisie Clarke - Editor, Head of Financing Coverage, TMT Finance
The TMT Finance editorial team present deal data and pipeline for the EMEA market in 2025. A detailed breakdown of announced and expected debt financing across all digital infrastructure asset classes.
09:15-09:35
Headline Interview: How are sponsors deploying differentiated pools of capital across digital infrastructure?
Moderator
Tom Levine - Partner, Paul, Weiss
Speaker
Danny Vitas - Private Equity - Infrastructure, Apollo Global Management
09:35-10:15
Digital Infra Leaders: How consolidation and capital rotation is restructuring the sector's value equation
Moderator
Andrew Kenning – Partner, A&O Shearman
Speakers
Jim Ryan – Chief Strategy Officer, Liberty Global
William Lindstrom – Managing Director, EQT
Patrik Czornik - Managing Director, Head of EMEA Telecoms, JP Morgan
Bruno Candès - Partner, InfraVia
Nicolò Zanotto - Managing Director, Head of Digital Infrastructure Europe, Stonepeak
- Which digital infra sectors are outperforming on value creation and yields?
- How are valuation resets reshaping investor expectations?
- How are operators and investors adapting strategies as capital becomes more selective?
10:15
Live Poll: Datacentre Lender Appetite
Host
Elles Houweling - Features & Special Content Editor, TMT Finance
10:15-10:55
Datacentre Leaders Panel: How are we sourcing capital to fund the next phase of growth?
Moderator
David Hart – Partner, Baker McKenzie
Speakers
Randy Brouckman – CEO, EdgeConneX
Richard Bienfait – CFO, STACK Infrastructure EMEA
Alexis Kantt – Managing Director, Blackstone
Phil Green – Managing Director, SMBC
James Fox - Managing Director - Infrastructure Debt, Ares Management
- What datacentre financing models will gain prevalence in Europe?
- Are private credit, sovereign wealth, real estate and infrastructure funds crowding into the same datacentre deal pool?
- Is ultra-high leverage the future of datacentre financing?
- How are investor mandates evolving to reflect AI and sustainability trends?
11:25-12:05
M&A Leaders Panel: How M&A is shaping the Digital Future. Deals, Drivers & Digital Growth - Who is steering digital infrastructure M&A in 2026 and beyond?
Moderator
Eva Talmacsi – Global Co-Leader of CMS TMC Digital Com Infra, CMS
Speakers
Xenia Sarri – Managing Director - Head of Capital Markets, DigitalBridge
Laurence Hainault – Senior Managing Director, Evercore
Laurentiu Prodan – Director, CVC DIF
Alex Evans – Head of TMT, EMEA, Barclays
Carlotta Giacché - Debt Capital Markets & Financing Strategy, Data4
- What trends are reshaping transaction structures?
- How are buyers pricing growth v. defensive acquisitions?
- Are we seeing renewed confidence in asset synergies and/or platform expansion?
12:05-12:20
Keynote Presentation: A turning point for Europe's fibre markets - a change in sentiment, to reflect the market realities
Speaker
John Miles – Partner & Managing Director, AlixPartners
Europe’s fibre industry is at a pivotal inflection point. After years of rapid network build‑out, operators are now confronting a tougher reality: escalating cost pressure, stubbornly slow monetisation in key markets, growing refinancing needs, and the drumbeat of consolidation getting louder. Drawing on fresh insights from our 2026 EMEA Fibre Survey, we reveal how national markets across Europe are diverging—some accelerating towards operational maturity, others grappling with underperformance and tightening funding conditions. This session will unpack the strategic shifts now defining the sector, from the industry‑wide pivot toward operational efficiency to evolving commercial playbooks and the changing dynamics of FibreCo investment and M&A.
12:00-14:00
Ask the Editors: Subscriber Lounge Drop-In
Stop by the Subscriber Lounge for a casual, drop-in Q&A with our editors. Bring your questions, curiosities, or just pop in to chat - no agenda, just a relaxed chance to connect, learn, and get behind-the-scenes insights.
Not currently a subscriber but want to attend? Please contact john.chambers@tmtfinance.com
Maisie Clarke – Editor, Head of Financing Coverage, TMT Finance
Stephanie Harris – Chief Correspondent, EMEA, TMT Finance
Clara Oliver-Amorim – Senior Reporter, Debt, TMT Finance
Marta Colombo – EMEA Senior Reporter, TMT Finance
12:20-13:00
Fibre Leaders Panel: What's the next chapter in the wholesale fibre monetisation story?
Moderator
Richard Morgan – Partner, Analysys Mason
Speakers
Katherine Alexakis – CFO, euNetworks
Jennifer Smith – CFO, Zayo Europe
Jim Fagan – CEO, EXA Infrastructure
Dan Harris – CFO, Colt Technology Services
Maximilian Linder – Partner, Antin
• Which routes and service types are driving growth in Europe's wholesale fibre networks?
• How critical is pan-European network reach, and where can operators create meaningful differentiation?
• In what ways are hyperscale and AI connectivity requirements reshaping network investment strategy and capital allocation?
• What are the main incentives and obstacles for M&A among pan-European fibre platforms?
14:00-14:40
AI Leaders Panel: What’s the investment case for EMEA’s AI-ready infrastructure?
Moderator
Stephanie Harris - Chief Correspondent, EMEA, TMT Finance
Speakers
Anis Bennani - Head of EMEA Network Infrastructure, Microsoft
Alex Goldblum - CEO, Eurofiber
Tesh Durvasula - CEO, AtlasEdge
Jaime Rodriguez-Ramos - Operating Director, I Squared Capital
- How are operators and investors distinguishing between durable AI demand and short-term hype when prioritising CapEx and allocating capital?
- How are training clusters influencing power procurement, site selection and connectivity requirements across EMEA?
- Where could inference demand realistically emerge? And how does this affect commercial models?
- How are GPU business models and Neocloud providers shaping value creation throughout the stack?
- What are the biggest barriers to scaling? And how are they being overcome?
14:00
Live Poll: Refinancing Risk
Host
Maisie Clarke - Editor, Head of Financing Coverage, TMT Finance
14:00-14:40
Panel: Build, buy or backtrack - strategic forks in German fibre
Moderator
Clara Oliver-Amorim - Senior Reporter, Debt, TMT Finance
Speakers
Klaus Hoelbling – Head of TMT, EMEA, AlixPartners
Mirko Jerrentrup - CFO, Deutsche GigaNetz
Johanna Reinkemeier - Executive Director, LBBW
- Is M&A picking up or plateauing?
- How is refinancing risk impacting operator strategy?
- Is capital reallocation and M&A signalling a shift from build to buy?
- How are investors pricing operator performance?
- Do €1 transactions mark opportunistic entry points or market distress?
14:40-15:20
Panel: Is Spanish fibre entering a new investment cycle?
Moderator
Pablo Méndez - M&A Counsel, A&O Shearman
Speakers
Jose Antonio Vazquez Blanco – CEO, Onivia
Andrea Liboreiro – CEO, Elanta
Victor Pons Mesman – CFO, Lyntia Networks
Gonzalo Pansard – CEO, Axent
Alvaro Sanz Carrasqueño - Managing Director, Ardian
- How are minority stake sales in JVs influencing valuation benchmarks?
- What are the impacts of recent shifts in competitive dynamics?
- How will CNMC deregulation alter debt terms, equity valuations, and deal timing
14:40-15:20
Executive Boardroom: AI Compute Executive Boardroom: Bubble risk, the Neocloud model and the battle for economics
Moderator
Pol Castella – Engagement Manager, TMT Strategy, FTI Consulting
Speakers
Gilles Noël - SVP GPU Cloud & Corporate Development, Scaleway
Dan Thomas - CEO, GreenScale Data Centres
Matthieu van Amerongen - Director, Nebul
Michael Pothitos - Managing Director, H.I.G. Capital
Ben Richardson - VP Strategy, CoreWeave
• Are we in an AI build-out bubble? And what assumptions must hold true for current projections to materialise?
• How are increased capex needs favouring outsourcing at the chip layer?
• How do strengths and weaknesses of Hyperscalers, Neoclouds, GPUaaS operators, sovereign propositions and telco/DC-owned operators compare?
• From unit economics to PAYG structures and utilization thresholds - what's shaping the long-term viability of GPUaaS models?
14:40-15:20
Panel: How are datacentre customer leases rewriting the financing playbook (and vice versa)?
Moderator
James Boswell - Partner, Kirkland & Ellis
Speakers
David Bloom – Chairman, Kao Data
Alanna Hasek - European General Counsel, CyrusOne
Daryl Seaton - CFO, VIRTUS
Marco Fok - Senior Director of Investments and Portfolio Management, Pure Data Centres Group
Nikhil Mahajan - Director, Apterra Infrastructure Capital
- Which offtake structuring trends are shaping lease and financing negotiations?
- Which typical lease features can present a challenge from a financing perspective and how are those challenges being overcome?
- How does customer mix (business model, credit profile and concentration) influence financing terms?
15:20-16:00
Panel: What will define value creation for French fibre in 2026?
Moderator
Marta Colombo - EMEA Senior Reporter, TMT Finance
Speakers
Lionel Recorbet – CEO, XpFibre
Nicolas Aubé – Owner and CEO, CELESTE
David Elfassy – Vice President, Altitude Group
- What lessons have been learnt from 2025 refinancing?
- Where will the next carve-outs emerge?
- What will drive the next wave of consolidation?
- Are investors favouring wholesale-only platforms, integrated telco carve-outs, or public-private structures?
15:20-16:00
Executive Boardroom: Re-engineering the capital stack - is securitisation Europe's datacentre future?
Moderator
Miles Loo Jr. - Executive Vice Chairman & Global V&A Data Center Practice Lead, Newmark
Speakers
Timo Bujis - Co-Head of Digital Infrastructure Financing, ABN AMRO
Michelangelo Raimondi - Head of EU ABS and Global Head of Transportation & Renewable Securitization, Morgan Stanley
Henrik Nilsson - Executive Director, Natixis
- How are rating agencies adapting to the nuances of datacentre cash flows and construction risks?
- Which datacentre assets are being packaged into securitisation structures?
- Can European assets match the scale needed?
- CMBS v. ABS – which is more suitable for Europe?
15:20-16:00
Panel: What’s fuelling tower M&A and investment?
Moderator
Nick Spurrell – Partner, Clifford Chance
Speakers
Manjit Dhillon – Group CFO, Helios Towers
Jani Koskinen – CFO, Digita Oy
Emmanuel Leonard - Chief International Officer, TAWAL
Alejandro López Delgado - MD, La Caisse
- What are the barriers for tower roll-ups in urban areas?
- Will small cell deployments attract strategic acquisition interest from tower investors?
- Is integration between tower and fibre infrastructure unlocking new acquisition opportunities?
- What is the broadcast tower opportunity and outlook?
16:00-17:00
Datacentre Leaders Exchange
Join Squire Patton Boggs for an interactive discussion exploring the commercial risks and opportunities shaping data centre investment amid rapid technological change.
This session will centre on open discussion, with delegates encouraged to share real-world experiences, challenges and perspectives.
Host
Squire Patton Boggs
Moderators
Monika Lorenzo-Perez - Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
Ranajoy Basu - Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
Matthew Kirk - International Affairs Advisor, Squire Patton Boggs
Submit your interest here
Join Squire Patton Boggs for an interactive discussion exploring the commercial risks and opportunities shaping data centre investment amid rapid technological change.
This session will centre on open discussion, with delegates encouraged to share real-world experiences, challenges and perspectives.
We will examine the evolving risks, from regulatory uncertainty to geopolitical pressures and market volatility, while also identifying where genuine opportunities are emerging.
The conversation will also explore how investors are balancing these pressures through innovative financing approaches to achieve sustainable, competitive returns.
Designed for leaders across the data centre and finance sectors, this collaborative session will provide practical insights shaped by the collective expertise in the room
16:20-17:00
Panel: How are we rethinking altnet value in the UK?
Moderator
Christoffer Stone – Director, EY-Parthenon UK
Speakers
Dana Tobak – CEO, Hyperoptic
Graeme Oxby – CEO, Community Fibre
Jeremy Chelot – CEO, Netomnia
Rajiv Datta – CEO, nexfibre
Simon Holden - CEO, CityFibre
- Are lenders and sponsors aligned on what a sustainable altnet model looks like?
- How are risk models being recalibrated for fibre operators in 2026?
- How are customer take-up and operational KPIs being priced in exit valuations?
- Is TAR helping or hindering rollout and investment?
17:00
Live Poll: Datacentre Deal Types
Host
Elles Houweling - Features & Special Content Editor, TMT Finance
17:00-17:40
Panel: Which exit strategies will best suit digital infrastructure platforms in 2026?
Moderator
Celyn Evans - Partner, Kirkland & Ellis
Speakers
Pauline Thomson – Managing Director, Infrastructure, Ardian
Pascale Labrecque - Principal, DigitalBridge
Marco Quirico - Head of Telecom and Digital Infrastructure EMEA, Goldman Sachs
Julien Rault - Group Head of Investments, Orange
Stéphane Tetot - Managing Director, Partners Group
- What defines an ‘exit-ready’ platform?
- How are operators balancing long-term strategic priorities with investor exit horizons?
- What are investors prioritising when evaluating secondary transactions and recapitalisation options?
- How are partial exits, minority stake sales and CVs influencing market dynamics?
