For Ali Blanch, Senior Director of Commercial Development at AirTrunk, that belief isn’t theory. It’s the backbone of a program that’s now reshaping women’s career trajectories across digital infrastructure.
Backing Women with More Than Good Intentions
Across the construction and infrastructure sectors, women consistently face the same barrier: lack of visibility. Not lack of capability - lack of access to the rooms where decisions are made and careers are accelerated.
AirTrunk knew this called for action. So Ali led the development of the Plus One Sponsorship Program, to give emerging women leaders real access to senior decision makers.
Plus One pairs women with executive sponsors and embeds them into business critical projects for six months - not as observers, but as contributors. It’s real exposure, real influence, and real stretch.
And it’s working. Women from the pilot cohort reported stronger confidence, clearer personal brands, and a new understanding of strategy and leadership, with several stepping into bigger roles, shaping market expansion, and gaining visibility at the highest levels. This year, 12 women from AirTrunk spanning the Asia Pacific region have joined the second cohort, building the momentum.
As Ali puts it:
“Intentional sponsorship isn’t just good for individuals; it strengthens the organisation as a whole.”
A Sector Ready for Skilled Women to Step In
Digital infrastructure is scaling fast and it needs the expertise women in construction already have. Project management, stakeholder alignment, problem solving under pressure, navigating complex builds… these are the foundations of data centre delivery too.
Ali knows this firsthand. She spent over a decade delivering major tunnelling and roads projects before pivoting into digital infrastructure, despite plenty of advice not to. Some senior leaders warned that leaving big infrastructure projects for a young, fast-moving sector like data centres would stall her career.
Instead, it accelerated everything. Joining AirTrunk during a period of rapid regional growth gave her broader influence, strategic exposure, and new leadership pathways.
“I’ve made several pivots in my career, and many were made possible because sponsors backed me, especially in the moments when I wasn’t sure myself,” she says. Her experience now shapes how she actively advocates for other women looking to progress their career.
A Culture Where Women Can Thrive (and the Data to Back It)
Plenty of companies talk about inclusion. Fewer have numbers that prove it. At AirTrunk:
• 91% of employees say the company genuinely lives its diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) commitments.
• 91% also say they can be their authentic selves at work.
• 43% of the executive team are women.
• We have a 1.7% median total pay gap in favour of women - one of the strongest results across all industries (WGEA 2025)
• We’re a recognised Great Place to Work® across five markets - Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.
Numbers tell one part of the story. What really matters is whether women have the access and opportunities they need to progress. It comes down to the people, the culture, and the platforms that put women in front of senior leaders and into the conversations where decisions - and careers - are shaped. Plus One was created because women at AirTrunk told us, through our employee feedback surveys, that greater visibility and access to senior leadership would accelerate their development. So we listened, and we acted.
Thinking About Your Next Pivot? Digital Infrastructure Is Full of Opportunity
If you’ve built your career in construction and are curious about digital infrastructure, now is the moment. The sector is scaling, the projects are complex, the impact is regional, and the pathways for women are opening fast.
AirTrunk is proud to sponsor the NAWIC NSW International Women’s Day Luncheon, and we’re excited to meet the women that will be shaping our industry in the future.
We’re growing rapidly across Asia Pacific and the Middle East. If you’re ready for your next career move - one that expands your influence, stretches your skills, and puts you at the centre of the region’s digital backbone - we’d love to meet you