As the global data centre construction boom reshapes risk management demands, Marsh has moved to strengthen its digital infrastructure practice with a senior hire focused on the contractual risks at the sector's core.

The firm named Dereck Wischmeyer (pictured above) as senior advisor within its Global Digital Infrastructure Industry Practice, where he will lead contract strategy across leases, customer agreements, vendor contracts, and partnerships.

His focus will be helping clients manage risks tied to asset lifecycles and reinvestment timing – a challenge that has grown sharply alongside the scale of modern data centre development.

The context behind the appointment is striking. McKinsey has projected that close to US$7 trillion in capital expenditure will flow into global data centre infrastructure by 2030, with more than 40% earmarked for the US.

Construction starts alone hit US$77.7 billion in 2025 – a 190% year-over-year jump – as hyperscalers including Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta collectively spent roughly US$320 billion on AI infrastructure that year.

Wischmeyer brings more than 12 years of legal and commercial experience in the sector. He joins from Ark Data Centres – a UK-based operator serving government clients through a joint venture with the UK Cabinet Office alongside private sector customers – where he was general counsel.

Before Ark, he served as executive vice president and general counsel at Everstream Solutions, overseeing risk management, acquisitions, integrations, and refinancing. He also held legal positions at Crown Castle and Lightower Networks.

Mike Mathews, Global Digital Infrastructure Practice leader at Marsh, said the sector presents distinct contractual challenges stemming from the varying lifecycles of assets, leases, and revenue agreements.

"Navigating these overlapping timelines requires specialised expertise to manage risk effectively and drive operational success," Mathews said, adding that Wischmeyer's legal background and hands-on experience in the digital infrastructure ecosystem would be central to helping clients align their contract strategies with those complexities.

New capacity alongside the hire

Marsh also launched Nimbus Casualty, a new excess general liability facility for US digital infrastructure construction projects. The facility offers up to US$75 million in capacity, attaching at a minimum of US$25 million, and is backed by A+ rated insurers from Lloyd's and the London market.

It uses Marsh's proprietary XSellence excess casualty form to deliver follow-form coverage across a client's broader excess casualty tower, reducing potential disputes at the claims stage.

The launch extends the existing Nimbus construction facility, previously expanded to US$2.7 billion in limits covering construction all-risks, delay in start-up, property damage, and business interruption for large data centre developments.

Wischmeyer said his time on the client side gave him firsthand insight into the risk management gaps that digital infrastructure companies face, and that he looks forward to working with Marsh's teams to address them.