Dr. Andrea Merkle is the global Data Centre sector lead as well as the European Data Centre lead and has over 20 years of experience in environmental consultancy. Over the last years, Andrea with her team has significantly developed Ramboll’s services along the life cycle of data centers, including sustainability and ESG assessments, site selection, due diligence, environmental permitting, EHS operational support, conceptual master planning, air and noise modelling, and site solution work. For several years Andrea led the international Impact Assessment (IA) team in Germany, with a focus on international finance, EIA/ESIA, socio-economic assessments, stakeholder engagement and EHSS Due Diligence. Before that Andrea led the M&A transaction team in Germany for more than 5 years. She was responsible for multi-site M&A due diligence assignments across a range of industries and geographies for multinational clients. Sectors covered included HiTech and data centers, power and energy including renewables, oil and gas (pipelines, tank storages, fueling stations), mining and processing, infrastructure, a variety of industrial manufacturing, chemicals and pharma, agricultural processing, and real estate. She advises corporates, finance institutions, investment firms, and the legal sector.