This appointment brings more than three decades of experience and well established industry relationships to support growth across the data centre, hyperscale and critical infrastructure markets.
LONDON, 27 October 2026: OryxAlign has appointed Darren Watkins, former Managing Director and Chief Revenue Officer of VIRTUS Data Centres, as a Strategic Advisor to the Board, strengthening its commercial expertise and ambitions across the data centre and critical infrastructure markets.
Watkins brings more than three decades of experience spanning telecommunications, connectivity and digital infrastructure. During his 13 years at VIRTUS, he helped develop the business from a single data centre into a leading European operator, building longstanding relationships with major cloud providers, technology businesses and organisations throughout the digital infrastructure supply chain.
His appointment comes as growing investment in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services places increasing demands on the infrastructure supporting them. As operators expand capacity, greater attention is being paid to the security, resilience and long-term performance of the mission critical networks and operational systems that keep these important facilities running.
For OryxAlign, this presents an opportunity to promote its established expertise to a wider market. The Company operates where information technology and operational technology meet, providing enterprise network consultancy, design and build, operational technology, cybersecurity, infrastructure lifecycle management and 24x7x365 network support.
These capabilities address effectively, head on, a mission critical consideration for data centre operators: namely, ensuring that the systems that connect, monitor and protect their facilities remain reliable throughout their operational life cycle.
Working alongside OryxAlign's Board and leadership team, Watkins will focus on strengthening commercial strategy, developing relationships with hyperscale operators, data centre developers and infrastructure partners, and identifying opportunities for growth across the UK and Europe and the Middle East. His experience of scaling businesses will also serve to inform the Company's approach to managing growth while maintaining operational performance and customer confidence.
Darren Watkins, Strategic Advisor to the Board, said:
"My career in data centres has reinforced how much operators depend on partners who understand critical environments. OryxAlign’s expertise in enterprise networks, operational technology and cyber security addresses a fundamental part of that requirement. I see a clear opportunity to help the business bring that capability to more operators across the sector.
"My role is to help the Board and leadership team translate that expertise into growth: understanding where customers need support, sharpening the proposition and opening relevant conversations that can develop into long-term business relationships."
Carl Henriksen, Founder and CEO of OryxAlign, said:
"Darren brings a rare combination of commercial experience, industry relationships and a deep understanding of what it takes to operate critical infrastructure at scale, successfully. He's worked with some of the world's leading data centre operators and understands the challenges they face, from expanding capacity to maintaining reliable operations.
"We've worked together for many years, and Darren knows OryxAlign and its capabilities well. His appointment strengthens our ability to reach new customers and develop our presence across the data centre market. As we grow, his experience will also help us maintain the operational discipline and quality of service our customers expect."
Watkins began his career with six years in the Royal Air Force before moving into telecommunications, spending more than two decades working across fibre networks, connectivity and digital infrastructure in the UK and Europe. He subsequently held senior executive responsibilities at VIRTUS during a period of significant expansion.
Beyond his professional career, Watkins has also found a personal purpose in helping others following his own experience of serious illness. After being diagnosed with stage-four cancer and subsequently receiving the all-clear, he began sharing his experience with people facing similar circumstances.
Through his independent, non-commercial initiative, 1% Protocol, Watkins explores resilience, recovery and sustained performance. He also makes time each week to speak with people who have recently received a cancer diagnosis, offering reassurance, sharing his experience and helping them navigate the uncertainty that often follows such news.
Reflecting on how this experience has shaped his outlook, Watkins added:
"My personal experience has deepened how I think about resilience. You build it through preparation, understanding dependencies and consistently doing the things that matter. That perspective shapes how I advise businesses, and it is particularly relevant in critical infrastructure, where customers depend on sustained performance under pressure."
The appointment follows Palatine's investment in OryxAlign and forms part of the company's continued investment in senior leadership and its strategy to expand across critical infrastructure markets.
About OryxAlign
OryxAlign is a specialist technology services provider working across managed IT and critical infrastructure, helping organisations design, secure, manage and strengthen the technology environments on which their operations depend. The business has particular expertise across Data Centres, the built environment and the wider mid-market, where digital infrastructure, operational technology and physical systems increasingly converge.
OryxAlign’s work reflects the changing nature of modern infrastructure, where IT systems, building technology, connected devices and operational environments can no longer be treated in isolation. The company helps clients strengthen resilience across both digital and operational environments, including the cyber-physical risks created as these systems become more connected.
As a certified B Corporation, OryxAlign embeds environmental, social and governance considerations into how the business operates and grows. Its ESG programme is built around environmental stewardship, social impact and responsible governance, with a focus on transparency, accountability and sustainable growth.
Founded in 2006, OryxAlign supports a long-standing client base across the UK and Europe. For more information, visit www.oryxalign.com.