DEEP DIVE
and ecosystems. I believe there are many edge
challenges ahead to support the arriving market
of 5G and latency issues as part of the future
demand.
3. The adoption of liquid cooling systems to
deal with HPC and super compute architectures,
with high density chip design are ever-increasing.
4. Driving efficiency to lower the carbon
footprint of data centres and how the industry deals
with the future predictions.
5. Skills shortages throughout the industry and
how we feed the market with new talent for the future
with the best training and experience possible.
How do you deal with stress and unwind
outside the office?
For me the best way to deal with stress is to try to
prevent and reduce stressful situations by planning
ahead and being as organised as best I can. Obviously,
you can’t always have a plan ahead of time, but you
can form a basic strategy with the information that you
already have available. I also think it’s crucial to know
when to take time out. To unwind I spend a lot of time
with my family. I have four children, so there is always
plenty to do. I play golf with my older son, which is a great
way to relax and enjoy time with him. I also love clay and
rifle shooting which helps me to wind down and focus on
one thing: hitting the target.
What do you currently identify as the major areas
of investment in your industry?
The data centre industry is an ever-evolving market and this
is fuelled by the global digitisation trends with more and more
people online and connected via smartphones. This is driving
companies to invest in transitioning to digital ways of doing
business, which means their IT infrastructure is growing. Data
www.intelligentdatacentres.com
centre operators are also looking at many areas to optimise
and drive efficiency through monitoring systems and new
technologies to lower operational costs.
Another area of future investment is into edge and regional
edge compute architectures which will be needed to support
the ever increasing IoT and 5G networks.
What changes to your job role have you seen in the
last year and how do you see these developing in the
next 12 months?
SPIE UK has a focused appetite to grow within the data centre
market and we have spent the last six months providing market
awareness to the industry to facilitate this growth.
We are looking to receive more opportunities over the next 12
months to support the market with our core business offering and
be a lot more proactive with new customers during this period.
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to
obtain a senior position in the industry?
My advice would be to gain a good sound knowledge of the
industry – the technologies, leaders and experts in it – through
networking events and being seen.
Working with a reputable company that has a good track
record and stake in the industry is also beneficial. It is a good
idea to gain five to 10 years’ experience in a management
role with proven track record of capability and achievements,
demonstrating that you can motivate and inspire a team.
Finally, I’d say look out for opportunities where you can progress
within an organisation and put yourself out there by being
proactive, showing willing, embracing new challenges and
taking the initiative to enhance your position. Be ready when the
opportunity comes for a senior management role. ◊
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