An industry veteran with 35+ years of experience, Paddy Padmanathan served as the President & CEO of ACWA Power from its startup phase 18 years ago to what it is today, a globally recognized leading developer, investor, and operator of power generation, water desalination, and green hydrogen plants, valued at US$75 billion at the forefront of energy transition and desalinated water production and now listed on the Saudi stock exchange with a market capitalization of circa US$30 billion.

Mr. Padmanathan stepped down from his position at ACWA Power in March 2023 to focus on new ventures to address the accelerating need to decarbonize human endeavour and to address the looming potable water crisis in both existing and emerging sectors. As part of this focus on sustainability, Mr. Padmanathan has stepped into the role of Chairman at DataVolt.

In addition to DataVolt, Mr. Padmanathan is also the Vice Chairman at Xlinks and Zhero BV and Chairman at Desolenator BV – All vehicles focused on a sustainable and green future.

With over 40 years of experience in the power, water, and other sectors, Mohammad Abunayyan is Chairman of Vision Invest, ACWA Power, and Saudi Tabreed. He is on the board of several other reputed organizations in Saudi Arabia, regionally, and globally.

An accomplished business leader, Mr. Abunayyan has championed the value-adding role of the private sector in delivering sustainable, cost-effective, localized, and transformative partnerships across various infrastructure sectors, with a strong focus on technological innovation and operational excellence.

Omar N. AlMidani, a Board Member of DataVolt, holds the prestigious positions of President, Chief Executive Officer, and Board Member of Vision Invest. Vision Invest’s affiliates and subsidiaries thrive under his leadership, with a strong operational presence spanning Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Mr. AlMidani actively contributes as a Board Member to esteemed companies such as ACWA Power, Saudi Tabreed, Air Products Qudra, and Miahona. His extensive experience and strategic vision enable him to excel in forward-planning, financial discipline, deadline-driven administration, and modern leadership practices.

With over 35 years of experience in financing and investing in the energy and infrastructure sectors, Ms. Nandita Parshad is a seasoned leader known for her strategic vision and commitment to sustainable development.

Previously the Managing Director of the Sustainable Infrastructure Group at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), she oversaw a team of 200 professionals managing a portfolio of approximately EUR 30 billion across 38 countries. Her career has spanned diverse regions, including India, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Mongolia, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa.

In addition to her executive roles, Ms. Parshad has been an influential voice in the energy transition space, serving on the Energy Transition Commission, co-chairing the WEF Future Council on Energy, and participating in the IEA Finance Industry Advisory Board. She is currently a member of the Supervisory Board at Meridiam, an Independent Board Member and Executive Committee Member at DataVolt, and serves on the External Advisory Council of the MS Chadha Centre for a Global India at Princeton University.

Ms. Parshad holds both her undergraduate (A.B. 1986) and graduate degrees (MPA 1988) from the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Rajit Nanda is an accomplished global leader in the energy & infrastructure industry. He holds an MBA from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, India, and pursued an Advanced Management Program (AMP) from INSEAD. As the former Chief Financial Officer, Chief Investment Officer & Chief Portfolio Management Officer of ACWA Power, he drove the company’s global growth over a decade and a half through his expertise in new business development, acquisitions, finance, construction, and operational matters to an eventual US$ 30+ billion listing in the stock market. Prior to that, Mr. Nanda was the CFO of Engie for the Middle East, Asia & Africa, where he helped catapult Engie from a single asset business to becoming the largest I(W)PP player in the Middle East and Africa region.

Mr. Nanda is a catalyst of positive impact and is passionate about inspiring innovation and embracing purpose amidst change. He also sits on the Board and Executive and Investment Committees of several large listed and non-listed power and infrastructure investment companies.

Kashif Rana is an accomplished business leader with over 20 years of experience in the power and water sectors. A Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan, he has built a distinguished career driven by his expertise in corporate strategy, portfolio management, finance, and organizational transformation.

As the former Chief Portfolio Management Officer and Chief Financial Officer at ACWA Power, Kashif Rana played a key role in managing a diverse portfolio of over 75 projects, worth approximately USD 80 billion, across 13 countries. His leadership in private equity transactions, a record-breaking IPO, and strategic financial initiatives were integral to the company’s global expansion. His contributions spanned across business development, financial structuring, and stakeholder management, which solidified ACWA Power’s position as a leader in renewable and fossil fuel energy.

Before joining ACWA Power, Kashif Rana held senior leadership roles at Aqualyng AS and AES Corporation, where he led major project finance initiatives and financial operations across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
Kashif Rana is renowned for his forward-thinking approach to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable growth in the power and infrastructure industries. His ability to navigate complex commercial landscapes and deliver impactful change has established him as a recognized leader in his field.

Dr. Andrea Lovato has a Ph.D. in Manufacturing Engineering and is acknowledged as a global industry-expert with several publications over 20 years of proven experience in power, hydrogen, and desalination.

Previously, Dr. Lovato was the Global Head of Hydrogen and Head of Renewables at ACWA Power since 2009, where he closed US$30bn worth of projects in power and hydrogen technologies in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Anil Vijayachandran brings over 15 years of expertise in infrastructure project development, project finance and M&A. Most recently, he headed the Business Development Office at ACWA Power, and prior to that, lead a project finance team managing transactions across the Middle East and Central Asia for ACWA Power. Earlier in his career, he served as a USAID appointed financial expert advising African governments and governmental authorities on their IPP / PPP programs, and as a project finance advisor at Synergy Consulting, a leading project finance advisory firm headquartered in Virginia, USA.

Sangram Khuntia has a strong technical experience of over 27 years across the energy sector focusing on development, construction and operation across all technologies. As the Executive VP at ACWA Power, Mr. Khuntia led a 40-member strong techno-commercial team delivering over 40 GW of power and over 4 million m3 / day of desalination projects.

Prior to ACWA Power, Mr. Khuntia was the General Manager at AES India Ltd, overseeing Business Development activities across India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the Middle Eastern Markets.

Thomas John is a highly experienced professional in the energy and infrastructure industry with over 20 years of experience. He holds an MBA in Finance from the Asian Institute of Management, Philippines, and a Mechanical Engineering degree.

Prior to joining DataVolt, Mr. John led KPMG’s Infrastructure and Debt Advisory division in the Lower Gulf and was a key member of their Global Infrastructure Group. He has advised on several large deals across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, that have achieved financial close in excess of USD 10 billion across sectors including Utilities, Transport, and Social Infrastructure. As the head of investments and financing, he combines his technical knowledge with financial acumen, to spearhead the financing of best-in-class digital infrastructure.

Anurita Andurkar Joshi is a seasoned People and Culture executive with over 20 years of experience across the Middle East, North America, and Asia. She brings in a wealth of experience from her career that spans from consulting firms to start-ups. Prior to DataVolt, Mrs. Joshi was Senior Advisor and Regional Head at Devoteam Middle East – a French technology consulting firm. Based in Dubai and Riyadh, she led the HR function for over 600 employees, expertly aligning Human Capital strategy with corporate objectives. Before joining DataVolt, she enriched her portfolio at Convergys CMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, showcasing her versatile and impactful approach to HR leadership.

Nava Akkineni is CEO, North America and Advisor to Group CEO of DataVolt. Mr Akkineni is formally trained in the field of engineering and has decades of experience in global sales and as an entrepreneur. With proven leadership and commercial experience in cutting-edge technology and innovation companies, Mr. Akkineni has led global commercial teams and secured worldwide deals for Acer, Chip Logic, Analog Devices, Solar Semiconductor, Nextracker and more.

Most notably, Mr. Akkineni ran emerging market business development for the world's first dual core communication processors Involving complex semiconductors. A veteran of the solar Industry for close to two decades, Mr Akkineni is also the USEXIM Chair Advisory Committee member on the Council for Climate Change and is a passionate and fervent advocate of renewable energy, climate technology solutions and digital infrastructure. He earned his master's degree in M.Sc. (Tech.) Engineering Physics- Electronics from the National Institute of Technology in Warangal, India.

Abdulaziz leads DataVolt’s growth in Saudi Arabia, turning national goals into real-world progress. He works at the intersection of land, policy, and partnership. Securing sites, aligning with regulators, and building customer relationships that power the Kingdom’s digital future. With experience in both sustainable energy and complex infrastructure in over seven countries, Abdulaziz helps DataVolt deliver projects that serve people, not just servers.

Abhay Tiwari boasts over 30 years of experience in leading global initiatives and executing billion-dollar strategies. His expertise spans business transformation, crisis management, and program management, earning him industry-wide recognition. Abhay has a proven track record in executing complex projects and building high-performing, multicultural teams. His career highlights include serving as Head of Datacenter Delivery at Microsoft India, leading Capital Projects and Corporate Real Estate at BNP Paribas, and various senior roles at Deutsche Bank and Tata Consultancy Services. He began his career as a Deputy Director for the Government of India.

Not every data center is built for the future, but Somen’s job is to make sure ours are. With over 25 years of experience and projects delivered across India, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, he leads the teams that design DataVolt’s infrastructure from the ground up. His work spans everything from cooling systems that use seawater in extreme heat, to ultra-efficient electrical designs that cut waste and cost. Somen doesn’t just build sites, he builds systems that work smarter, last longer, and leave a lighter footprint. At DataVolt, he’s shaping the next generation of sustainable data centers, where engineering meets ambition.

A progressive, visionary leader with 25+ years experience managing operational and technical teams within the Data Center industry.

Holding extensive experience gathered from working within some of the worlds largest Data center providers (including Digital Realty and Interxion) and servicing the needs of the most demanding markets, from Hyperscalers, Network providers and International enterprises, to large AI deployments.

Ryan has a history of having managed the safe operation of over 150 sites across the EMEA region, servicing thousands of customers, ranging from modest 1MW edge sites through to developments of 300MW AI campuses. Proven success in defining and delivering Operational and technical rollout strategies at scale and leading high performance global teams to exceed company objectives in highly pressurised, high pace working environments. 

Passionate about building people, sites, and businesses that disrupt the industry, and deliver impact.

With over 30 years of global leadership experience in digital infrastructure, telecommunications, and technology platforms, Mr. Jarrett B. Appleby is widely recognized for driving growth, operational scale, and business transformation across complex global organizations.

Mr. Appleby serves as Senior Advisor to The Blackstone Group, supporting global digital infrastructure investments, and as Chief Executive Officer of Appleby Strategy Group, where he advises private equity firms and platform operators across data centers, connectivity, and cloud ecosystems.

Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer of Digital Realty, where he led global operations, strategy, and product development for one of the world’s largest data center platforms, delivering significant growth and operational improvements. He has also held senior leadership roles at CoreSite, Equinix, and Reliance Globalcom, contributing to large-scale global expansion and transformation initiatives.

He holds an MBA and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Economics from Lehigh University, United States

With over 35 years of international experience across investments, infrastructure, and digital platforms, Mr. Mounir Barakat is a seasoned executive with a strong track record in scaling global portfolio businesses.

Formerly Senior Executive Director – Head of Digital Infrastructure Investments at Mubadala Investment Company, he led investments across a diversified global portfolio, including data centers, telecom platforms, and digital infrastructure assets such as Aligned Data Centers, Reliance Platforms (Jio), and Princeton Digital Group. He also held board roles across leading infrastructure and connectivity companies in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Previously, he served as Executive Director of ICT at Mubadala, where he chaired Khazna Data Centers and held multiple board positions across technology and satellite communications businesses. He continues to serve in advisory roles across institutional platforms.

Mr. Barakat holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Economics, and an MBA, all from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom.