The demands on an industry association like the German Datacenter Association (GDA) are steadily increasing – politically, regulatorily, and strategically. To meet these challenges, the Board, extended Board, and Advisory Council unanimously approved a structural development of the executive leadership on February 13, 2026.
As part of this decision, Martin Kohoutek was appointed as GDA’s Chief Executive Officer, while Matthias Ploetzke was named Executive Director. The two-person executive leadership strengthens clear responsibilities, faster decision-making processes, and a professional separation of strategic planning and operational execution – laying the foundation for further growth.
Outlook: Structural Reform and Election of Volunteer Representatives
The committees have also agreed to propose a comprehensive amendment to the statutes during the members’ assembly in the second quarter of 2026. The focus will be on the structural development of the elected governing bodies as well as the election of member representatives. The goal is to fundamentally modernize GDA’s governance structure, ensuring a clear separation between strategic oversight and operational management.
We will keep our members informed about the next steps and look forward to a constructive exchange on the further development of our association.
