NEXTDC WGEA PAY GAP STATEMENT 2026

Committed to Gender Equality

NEXTDC is committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where all our people feel valued, respected and are confident to embrace their authentic selves. We aim to provide equitable remuneration, treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all our people, and we are committed to closing the gender imbalance and pay gap within our organisation.

We recognise this is a long-term endeavour. By prioritising this issue and adopting a continuous improvement approach, we are confident we will achieve our goal. 

Our Gender Pay Gap in organisational context       

NEXTDC is a lean organisation operating in the technology sector, which has historically been a male-dominated industry. With few like-for-like roles, the majority are unique and span a broad range of highly technical and non-technical disciplines. We aim to be leaders in advancing women into senior roles and reshaping pathways to leadership. 

What is shaping our Gender Pay Gap?

Our annual remuneration review, most recently conducted in November 2025, reinforced our confidence that employees in similar roles are paid equitably. The primary driver of our gender pay gap is the underrepresentation of women in technical and leadership positions, which typically offer higher base pay, as well as short- and long-term incentives. While these incentives contribute to the overall gender pay gap, they reflect the growing value of these positions, driven by NEXTDC’s expansion and the broader data centre industry – not a reflection of inequity in how they are applied. 

  • Technical roles: Attracting women to fields that remain predominantly male, such as IT, engineering, and data centre operations, is an ongoing challenge. The data centre industry is highly competitive globally and locally, with niche skills in finite supply. Technical roles often command higher market rates and are more likely to attract additional performance and growth incentives, contributing to our pay gap.

  • Leadership roles: Senior positions have historically been male-dominated, with the average tenure of our leadership group being approximately 7 years. Remuneration at these levels includes performance and growth incentives at a percentage of base pay. NEXTDC’s success in recent years has further increased the earning potential of leaders, thereby widening the gap. 

Where we are today Although male participation rates are high, our corporate functions (such as Legal, Compliance, Finance, and HR) reflect female participation rates of 50% or more. Further, female representation on our Board is 38%, nearing our target of 40%. This shows that gender diversity continues to be a key priority for the Company at all levels. 

Our action to close the gap

Remuneration and reward

We have retained commitment from our Executive team and Board to ensure our remuneration framework supports pay equity.

Our competitive remuneration packages align pay with performance, contributions, skills, and market benchmarks. Both our short-term incentive (STI) and long-term incentive (LTI) programs use a comprehensive levelling system that assesses employees solely on their role and scope, ensuring fairness and removing potential gender bias. 

Inclusive hiring practices

  • We regularly review our recruitment and promotion strategies to ensure an inclusive and equitable approach. All job advertisements are processed through a gender decoder to remove biased language. We continue to update our WORK180 profile to enhance our employer brand and reach more women seeking inclusive workplaces.

  • In 2024, we launched our Graduate Program, with our second cohort planned for 2027. The program is designed to attract more women into engineering, technology and other higher-paid technical and specialist roles at a grassroots level. 

Leadership representation

  • We are a signatory to 40:40 Vision, having publicly committed to achieving gender balance in executive leadership by 2030, with 40% of executive leadership positions held by women

  • We have maintained our partnerships with Executive Central and Women Rising to provide tailored coaching and development for experienced and emerging female leaders.

Leadership accountability and capability

  • In FY26, we introduced SCALE, our enterprise-wide Leadership Capability Framework. SCALE defines the behaviours and standards expected across all leadership levels and provides consistent criteria for performance, promotion and succession decisions. The framework strengthens objectivity and transparency in how potential is assessed and how career progression occurs.

  • Through SCALE, leaders are explicitly accountable for building diverse teams, demonstrating inclusive decision-making and developing talent equitably across functions. By embedding consistent capability expectations and clearer promotion pathways, we reduce subjectivity in advancement processes and support equitable access to higher paid leadership and specialist roles.

  • SCALE is supported by structured development guides and resources to ensure leaders are equipped to sponsor and progress diverse talent, supporting increased female representation in senior and technical leadership positions over time. 

External partners

NEXTDC has been recognised as an inclusive employer by WORK180 since August 2023, with the partnership renewed in 2025. Through WORK180’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion tool, we review our initiatives, policies, and metrics annually and benchmark our gender pay gap against other employers to drive continual improvement. 

Inclusive workplace

  • We continuously review and refine our policies to ensure fairness and equity in all aspects of employment, supported by meaningful development opportunities that foster open communication, empathy, and awareness of diverse perspectives.

  • Our flexible work arrangements support work/life balance for all our people, including gender neutral parental leave (20 paid weeks for the primary caregiver, extending to those impacted by stillborn or newborn death) and five days of compassionate leave, including for miscarriage.

  • Our NEXTDC Women community provides a safe space for women to connect, collaborate, and discuss challenges that are prevalent for women in the workplace. 

Closing statement

NEXTDC remains committed to taking meaningful action to close the gender pay gap. Our current gap has been shaped by historical male dominance in the technology industry, skills shortages in our niche sector, and long-term incentive programs that have generated substantial growth for long-tenured male leaders, driven by the company’s growth and success.

We continue to progress initiatives including 40:40 Vision, WORK180, our Graduate Program with defined diversity objectives, pay equity audits, and benchmarking flexible work arrangements. In FY26, we also introduced the SCALE Leadership Capability Framework to strengthen leadership accountability and create more equitable pathways to senior roles. We are confident these efforts will pave the way for a truly equitable and inclusive workplace where talent thrives irrespective of gender.