We’re just over 2 weeks away from our London event on October 22nd and we’re counting down the days. If you still haven’t registered, you can RSVP here. We’re looking forward to our first European event with all of you dazzling ladies for a chance to network and get to know one another as we continue to build our community.
Since WTF is a grassroots initiative, support from our sponsors goes a long way in order to put on these events throughout the year. But it’s important to us that our sponsors believe in the WTF ethos. We are thrilled then to have CyrusOne, who has shown enthusiastic support of the WTF mission, on board as a sponsor of our London event.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Rebecca Wall-Morris, Regional Marketing Director, about her experience at CyrusOne and her thoughts on navigating the industry as a woman.
Get to know CyrusOne’s Rebecca Wall-Morris, Regional Marketing Director
What’s the one trait that has helped you tackle the gender divide in our industry and succeed in your career?
Without hesitation I would say my work ethic. I’ve spent most of my career in B2B marketing in a traditionally male-dominated real estate sector as part of an in-house marketing ‘support’ function of predominantly women.
To be taken seriously, to hold a seat at the table, and to progress within the industry, I believe women need an internal motivation to get the job done no matter what, and to ensure that their professional opinion is voiced.
What’s one thing you wish you could teach your younger self upon entering your career?
The importance of getting and holding on to a mentor, coupled with continually pushing for industry-specific training. It is so easy to get caught up on the tactical delivery of tasks – to cancel training and ‘nice to have’ catch-ups when you have a busy and demanding job. But it’s essential to continually stick your head above the parapet and see the bigger picture. I like the simple saying, ‘a goal without a plan is just a wish’ and I try to constantly remind myself of this.
How do you see WTF helping with the gender gap in our industry?
I am relatively new to the Women’s Tech Forum, but I can immediately see that the practice of ‘women supporting women’ is at the heart of the organisation. We all know that communication is more than just words and as such the WTF’s mission to create opportunities for face-to-face contact is vital.
One of the many reasons I’m personally delighted that CyrusOne is supporting the WTF network is to support its growth across borders, and I’m extremely excited to be part of the team driving that objective.
How long have you been at CyrusOne?
I joined CyrusOne in September, following the acquisition of Zenium - a leading European hyperscale data centre provider with portfolio in the UK and Germany (Europe’s largest data center markets) - as Regional Marketing Director based in London, UK.
Who is CyrusOne?
CyrusOne is a high-growth real estate investment trust (REIT) specialising in highly reliable enterprise-class, carrier-neutral data center properties. We have a portfolio of nearly 50 data centers worldwide, providing mission-critical facilities that protect and ensure the continued operation of IT infrastructure for approximately 1,000 customers, including 201 Fortune 1,000 companies.
What is your role there?
In my role as Regional Marketing Director I’m responsible for establishing the CyrusOne brand across Europe and supporting the growth of the business within and into new territories through strategic integrated marketing and communications activities.
It’s an incredibly exciting time. The acquisition of Zenium was an important step in establishing CyrusOne’s footprint in Europe and driving expansion across the region by addressing the increasingly global needs of our customers who demand larger deployments.
By the end of 2019, we expect our European platform to provide nearly 250 megawatts of potential data center inventory - spread across four major markets - London, Dublin, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. Take-up across London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris in the first half of 2018 was an impressive 87 megawatts, up 50% from the first half of 2017.
Naturally I’m thrilled to be at the helm of these ambitious growth plans and looking forward to working with our local partners to develop meaningful entry strategies for these new markets.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with many members of the CyrusOne team on the corporate integration since we announced the definitive agreement to acquire Zenium in December 2017, and something that consistently shines through is the teams palpable and genuine love for the company. Culturally CyrusOne people are without question focused and ambitious, ‘glass is half full’ people who are in it for the long haul. We work hard and play hard, and that old adage ‘blood sweat, and cheers’ is certainly true here – it’s a real team effort and we love to celebrate!
A passing message
Since joining CyrusOne almost everyone I’ve been introduced to has left the conversion with these four final words … “Welcome to the party!”
They truly mean it, and I too warmly extend them to the WTF community, and look forward to seeing everyone in London in a few weeks!
Contact Rebecca
Rebecca Wall-Morris
+44 (0)782 651 9389
Rebecca will be at the event on October 22nd so be sure to say hello!
-The WTF Squad