Zahl founded the Data Centre Specialist Group within the BCS in 2006. Since then the DCSG has attracted over 1100 members from over 30 countries although the majority today are European based. Zahl has championed energy efficiency since the inaugural meeting of the DCSG and has played an active role in the BCS's contribution to industry best practice such as the EU Code of Conduct for Data Centres and encouraged the DCSG committee to take an active role in UK policy and advisory services.

Personally has been in the information technology and data centre business for over 15 years. Holding senior operational management posts in both FTSE100 and NASDAQ organisations. Zahl like all the other committee members, is a volunteer within the DCSG.

During the day Zahl is the Chief Executive for Romonet Limited a software business focused on helping bring cost and energy accountability to the data centre and IT sectors. Zahl, speaks regularly on behalf of the BCS and DCSG at public events and conferences around the world, represents EU input into programmes such as EnergyStar and the global metrics harmonisation programme being coordinated by the Green Grid.

Zahl also chairs the judges panel for the DataCenterDynamics industry leaders awards and sits on the oversight committee for the GAIA project being run by the European Space Agency through the Science and Technologies Facilities Council in the UK.