Reformed statutes, new leadership: The German Datacenter Association e. V. (GDA) has elected an executive board for the first time. firstcolo founder Jerome Evans is contributing to the strategic realignment of the association.
Frankfurt/Main, June 2026. The German Datacenter Association e. V. (GDA) has elected an executive board for the first time. At the GDA general assembly, eleven seats were allocated in two rounds of voting. From a field of 28 candidates in total, Jerome Evans, founder and CEO of firstcolo, prevailed in the first round and joined the executive board as a representative of data center operators.
As the central industry association of the German data center industry, the GDA represents the interests of its members to policymakers, business, and society and actively works to shape the framework conditions for digital infrastructure in Germany. As part of the election, the GDA statutes are being reformed, with strategy and operational responsibility clearly separated. The new executive board assumes strategic management and oversight of the association.
“The election and the trust placed in me mean a great deal. With firstcolo, I have been operating digital infrastructure in Germany for almost two decades. As a member of the GDA executive board, I look forward to contributing my experience where the course is being set for our industry,” says Evans.
"Anyone discussing competitiveness and Europe's digital future must keep all interests in view. Data centers are built in municipalities: they are only sustainable when both sides benefit."
“Data centers are part of the foundation of our digital sovereignty. That is why we must not design them in an ivory tower. We must do persuasive work on the ground that addresses concerns and demonstrates the benefits: How do data centers integrate into municipalities? What concrete contribution do they make to employment and value creation in the region? We as an industry must answer questions like these. Anyone discussing competitiveness and Europe’s digital future must keep all interests in view. Data centers are built in municipalities: they are only sustainable when both sides benefit.”
About firstcolo
The firstcolo Group, based in Frankfurt am Main, is a leading operator of state-of-the-art data centers. Since its founding in 2007, the company has offered tailored IT infrastructure solutions ranging from colocation and server systems to managed services and cloud solutions. With a guaranteed availability of 99.999% and certifications according to ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO 9001:2015, firstcolo sets the highest standards for operational security and data protection. A central focus is on ecological responsibility: the entire infrastructure is operated 100% with certified green electricity. Furthermore, its own IP backbone with a capacity of over 2,000 Gbit/s ensures excellent connectivity and low latency. Today, more than 400 customers from various industries rely on the team of approximately 80 experts, who sustainably shape the digital future through personal support and innovative strength.
