Building from the Ground Up: A Q&A with Kelli Gustaf, Ada’s Head of Global Environmental, Health & Safety

With over two decades of experience in roles spanning government, energy, and retail sectors, Kelli Gustaf brings a unique mix of technical expertise, operational insight, and people-first leadership to her new role as Head of Global Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) at Ada Infrastructure. In this conversation, Kelli shares how her early passion for environmental impact evolved into a career focused on building safe, sustainable systems, and why the data center industry presents an exciting new frontier.

Can you tell us about your background and what brought you to Ada?

I've always been drawn to the environment and climate change, even as a kid. I started college intending to go to medical school and studied biology at the University of Nebraska, but eventually realized my heart was in environmental science. That shift led me to graduate school at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, where I studied international environmental policy, adding a global lens to my work.

After graduate school, I began my career as an oil spill responder for Washington state. That hands-on experience dealing with high-risk environmental incidents laid the groundwork for the rest of my EHS career. From there, I moved into environmental roles at bp, crisis management at Starbucks, and eventually into safety leadership, including time in London working directly with bp’s senior safety executive. Each role broadened my understanding of risk, response, and resilience.

What drew me to Ada was the opportunity to apply all that experience in a growing, fast-moving industry that’s still defining what great EHS looks like. I was also really inspired by Ada’s values—especially the commitment to community, sustainability, and innovation.

You’ve held global roles across sectors such as energy and retail. How has that shaped your approach to safety and sustainability in the data center space?

Working globally teaches you to lead with humility and curiosity. Regulations, risk levels, and cultural expectations vary dramatically from place to place. I’ve learned to design EHS programs that are adaptable but grounded in strong fundamentals—programs that empower people locally while meeting a consistent global standard.

Data centers present a different kind of complexity, but it’s also an exciting one. In some ways, this industry is where oil and gas were a century ago: rapidly expanding, facing increasing scrutiny, and still building its operational norms. That’s a huge opportunity to get it right from the start.

What are your top priorities in building a world-class EHS program at Ada?

My focus is on three things: risk-based design, contractor management, and safety-first leadership culture.

We’re not trying to copy frameworks from other high-risk industries—we want to right-size everything to our specific needs. That means clear, usable policies and procedures that make sense for the risks we actually face.

Since we rely heavily on third-party partners, contractor safety is critical. Choosing the right partners and building trust from the beginning by setting clear expectations, with systems in place to monitor, measure, and continuously make improvements are key to long-term success.

And then there’s culture. We already have a strong foundation at Ada, but my goal is to expand that—build trust, create simple tools like safety observation platforms, and promote transparency and open feedback loops. The best EHS programs aren’t built in a vacuum; they evolve through listening, collaboration, and iteration.

How do you see the role of EHS evolving as technologies like AI and high-density computing scale up?

Technology is becoming an indispensable part of the EHS toolkit. One area I’m especially excited about is predictive analytics—using AI and data to anticipate where the next incident might happen before it does.

I recently spoke with a startup using AI to audit EHS policies against local laws, global standards, and emerging risks. That kind of tool could be a game changer in a global organization like ours. It helps us stay proactive, not reactive.

We’re also thinking a lot about how to capture and share learnings from incidents across regions and partners. The goal is to foster a culture of continuous improvement, supported by smart tools that scale with us.

What excites you most about building EHS at Ada from scratch, rather than inheriting legacy systems?

Honestly, it’s refreshing. In other roles, I’ve seen systems that evolved through bolt-on fixes—kind of like a house with too many renovations. They become inefficient and hard to navigate.

At Ada, we have the chance to pause, ask the right questions, and be intentional. What adds real value? What actually improves safety? We’re not doing things just because they’ve always been done that way.

We’re also in a position to shape industry norms, not just follow them. That means engaging with regulators early, building partnerships, and helping define what “great” looks like for data center EHS. That proactive approach is not only smart, but also the responsible thing to do.

What advice would you give to young professionals looking to grow in the EHS field—especially in digital infrastructure?

First, maintain a growth mindset. EHS touches every part of a business, from environmental compliance, operational safety, to crisis response, and even labor rights. It’s an incredibly diverse and impactful field if you stay open to learning.

Second, don’t rush your career. Take time to learn operations firsthand. Understand the equipment, the procedures, the fieldwork. Those experiences are what set great EHS professionals apart.

Lastly, find a mentor. I’ve had incredible mentors throughout my career, and they’ve helped me navigate everything from technical decisions to leadership growth. And if you’re passionate about EHS but not sure where to start—reach out! I’m always happy to connect with people exploring this path.