Justine Sanchez

I attribute all of my success to three very important people in my life: my mentor, my husband, and my mother. My mentor's guidance, values, and work ethic really played a significant role in shaping who I am professionally, and she truly continues to push me to pursue excellence. My husband has given me unwavering support and given me the confidence to take on challenges and grow, knowing that I have a strong foundation at home. And my mother - her resilience and sacrifices and commitment to giving me the best life instilled in me a drive and perspective that I carry with me every single day. They all three of them have influenced how I work and how I show up in the world. I've really been lucky to be working with people that push me professionally to continue to pursue excellence, and I see that around me, and it drives my motivation.

The best career advice I've ever received is honestly really simple. It was truly that respect is earned. I think I knew that, but it never clicked until someone had said those three words. This mindset has shaped how I approach my work and relationships. It's led me to lead through action, stay consistent in that leadership, and communicate with intention. Because I've learned that credibility isn't given, it's built over time in how you show up every single day.

I would say, own your feet at the table. You don't need to wait until you feel ready, because growth comes from stepping into opportunities before you feel fully prepared. You do not need permission to be impactful, and don't shrink yourself to fit the environment. This industry doesn't need you to be less. It needs more strong, capable women showing up as themselves.

A key challenge in data center construction and finance right now is navigating rising construction costs, labor shortages, and long lead times for critical equipment, especially in data center development, where power and land constraints add complexity. We want to build data centers, but that takes away from the people, and that is not something that I agree with. If people have to pay more for power, then that becomes an issue, and data centers are released.

My values are honesty, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. I believe in treating people with respect, giving credit where it's due, and taking ownership of work. His or hers, it doesn't matter who it is, but also showing up as your genuine self. And that's how I choose to lead, like, my team, or when I'm onboarding someone new, I always try to embody that, and make sure they feel supported in however I can.