278 words…about a minute read

What’s new : As investment in data centers and digital infrastructure accelerates, the challenge is shifting from ambition to execution. Capital and demand may drive growth, but delivering infrastructure that is resilient, bankable and built for long-term performance depends on decisions made much earlier.

In this Risk Capital Insight episode of the On Aon podcast, Mary-Catherine Hamill, Head of Construction, Australia, and John Berven, Growth Director, discuss why successful digital infrastructure projects depend on connecting decisions across risk, capital, people and operations from the outset.

Their conversation explores how site selection, power and utility readiness, workforce planning, governance, cyber resilience and operational readiness can influence delivery long before construction is complete. These interconnected decisions can help organizations manage execution risk, protect capital and build infrastructure that performs reliably over the long term.

This directly reflects Aon’s wider Reliable by Design approach, where risk decisions move upstream and resilience, bankability and insurability are considered across the digital infrastructure lifecycle rather than addressed only once assets are operational. Aon’s published digital infrastructure material uses this same lifecycle framing.

Key Takeaways:

1. Reliable delivery starts before construction. Decisions around site selection, utilities, governance, workforce strategy and capital deployment establish the foundation for execution and long-term performance.

2. Digital infrastructure risk is interconnected. Bringing together risk, finance, technology and operational priorities earlier can support better-informed decisions across the project lifecycle.

3. Preparedness strengthens execution confidence. Anticipating dependencies, strengthening governance and acting on emerging risks can help organizations deploy capital more effectively and build stakeholder confidence. 

Experts in this episode:              

• Mary-Catherine Hamill, Head of Construction, Australia, Aon    

• John Berven, Growth Director, Asia, Aon   

Listen for more: The “On Aon” podcast is available on Spotify, Simplecast and Apple Podcasts (iTunes)