Speaking exclusively to Capacity, Keri Gilder didn’t shy away from talking about the cyberattack that rocked Colt over the summer.

First noticed by the company in August 2025, the attack stole files that included employee salary data, financial information, customer contracts, personal details of executives and staff, network designs and software development files.

Colt later confirmed that customer data was stolen in the attack and was offered for sale online.

Confronting an industry in disruption

With cyber-crime continuing to significantly increase in recent years on account of AI, this incident – along with similar events across the telecoms sector over the summer – has acted as a wake-up call for business leaders.

“Almost every conversation that we had with our customers and suppliers started with them saying: If it wasn’t you, it would be us,” Gilder said. “The main lesson learned is that the crisis plans and preparation most leadership teams practice with is for the physical part of the attack – systems down, manual processes, business continuity.”

She added: “What leaders do not plan for is the emotional side of a cyberattack – the human trauma associated with it.”

As the world of connectivity continues to change, Colt’s focus in 2025 has been to balance providing technology solutions to solve customer challenges alongside pushing boundaries to test and pilot innovative new solutions.

“What leaders do not plan for is the emotional side of a cyberattack”

 

Gilder said this is to “solve future challenges, like trialling quantum key distribution with low earth orbit satellite connectivity.”

She explained: “Underlying these solutions and tech trials has been our passion to deliver against our ambitious sustainability goals, to reduce carbon emissions, to explore renewable energy sources and to invest in the circular economy.”

A significant part of these plans was Colt’s decision to sell off eight of its data centres, closing the divestment in early September of this year. The sale was for the company to focus on its growth strategy after its acquisition of Lumen EMEA in 2023.

“As running data centres is not part of our core business, selling them is a natural step in simplifying our post-acquisition business,” Gilder explained. “The sale allows us to stay focused on what really matters: driving growth, delivering exceptional customer experience and building a sustainable network for the future.

“For Colt, our commitment to data centres is centred around providing the digital infrastructure that connects our customers – from enterprises to global content providers and hyperscalers – to the global economy.”

Adapting ethically and inclusively

Elsewhere across the business, Colt has committed itself to diversity and inclusion. Gilder remains very active in this area across the wider industry to create what she calls “a culture of kindness and inclusion”.

“It’s widely documented that you and your customers get the best from your people who feel welcomed, appreciated and respected,” she said. “At Colt, we’ve continued to embed DEI into our culture, policies and leadership practices and we’ve focused on creating inclusive environments across all our regions.

“There is still a way to go, but I’m super proud of the progress we’re making.”

The company is also focused on continuing its investment in digital accessibility and inclusive design, having partnered with a range of external organisations to audit and improve its own accessibility standards.

Colt’s progress in this area includes:

• Improving gender diversity across our leadership roles
• Hosting an Inclusive Leadership programme attended by over 200 managers, promoting awareness and practical strategies for inclusivity

• Partnering with organisations to support marginalised communities, in particular Kids.org and Pure India Trust
• Expanding reach of its employee networks, creating safe spaces for connection and advocacy

In recent years, many businesses have scaled back DEI commitments. According to the UK government’s Diversity in UK Tech report, underrepresented minorities are twice as likely to leave technology roles due to unfair treatment. Likewise, 20% of men in tech believe women are inherently less suited for tech roles and 21% of UK data centres have no women in technical roles.

“It’s widely documented that you and your customers get the best from your people who feel welcomed, appreciated and respected”

 

“The data proves we still have a problem. It’s not a problem we’ll solve overnight, but these figures stoke a genuine passion among my peers and I to be part of a movement for change,” Gilder shared.

To mitigate this issue, Colt surveyed more than 1,000 telco workers earlier in the year to explore how AI can be implemented in a way that supports all employees. It particularly focused on those from underrepresented groups in the workforce that may be disproportionately impacted by AI.

“We found a real need for businesses to adopt AI responsibly, ethically and inclusively, with clear governance, involving people with different experience and backgrounds in AI projects to ensure diversity of thought; supporting impacted employees with training and career pathways; and ensuring systems are properly trained and monitored to guard against hidden bias,” Gilder explained. “It sounds obvious, but many companies are missing a trick here and as an industry we need to get behind this.”

Creating change from within

“Our goal is to be the most inclusive telco within the next five years”

 

Although a turbulent and disruptive year, Colt remains steadfast in its desire to deliver against its goals. A significant part of that is accessibility and inclusion, which Gilder said goes hand-in-hand with innovation.

“Our vision is to attract and develop the best and brightest from all walks of life and create an environment where everyone can make their mark,” she explained. “Our mission is to drive an inclusive culture and cultivate a sense of belonging and our goal is to be the most inclusive telco within the next five years.”

With the industry under pressure to deliver transformation, Colt is helping to guide its customers through the complexity with simplicity.

“This will be with simplicity, greater levels of automation, intelligence, experience and ultimately, with the best digital infrastructure solutions and the best people in the industry,” Gilder said.

“We have a way to go, but we are on track and I’m very proud of our progress.”

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