DEEP DIVE

INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICE .

What would you describe as your most memorable achievement in the data centre industry ?

Being asked to talk at DCD Mumbai was exciting as it showed people were genuinely interested in what I had to say . With the data centre industry being full of industry experts with a lifetime of experience , it was humbling to have been chosen to take part in this talk , with so many industry leaders in the space . With well over 100 people watching at the event , this translated to a huge queue at the booth I was exhibiting on post-talk . It was great to be able to discuss specific topics one-on-one and expand on points with the talk attendees .

My second most memorable achievement has to be having the opportunity to go on stage to accept a major award on behalf of Iceotope – this was an incredibly proud moment for me and a fantastic moment for the whole Iceotope team too . Celebrating the team ’ s successes and knowing that Iceotope ’ s innovation and hard work have been recognised by an industry-leading awards body , really makes all the work that we do worthwhile .

What first made you think of a career in technology / data centres ?

I ’ m not sure many of us planned for a career in data centres ( or even knew what one was for that matter ), however , once you ’ re there , you realise how data centres are intrinsically linked with everything we do every day and it ’ s a crazy thought . The innovation within the sector is something I find incredibly interesting and I wouldn ’ t dream of leaving this industry . I think that ’ s why it ’ s so close-knit , where everybody appears to know everybody – once you ’ re here you tend to stay .

What style of management philosophy do you employ in your current position ?

Everybody should be as autonomous as they want or need to be with the right support available when required . The world

has changed and I believe , certainly in this industry , that nine to five is a thing of the past . If I ’ ve learned anything over the last few years , it ’ s that you need to find the right balance between work and personal time – it ’ s a real cliché but it ’ s true and I always try to make sure people take the time they need , even if it ’ s during the traditional working day . Trust is critical within team dynamics to ensure a successful and happy environment .

What do you think is the current hot talking point within the data centre space ?

I ’ m going to be completely biased here , given what I do , but I also think most people would agree with me that liquid cooling is one of the main topics of conversation at the moment . It ’ s not just a case of if liquid cooling will take off on a wider scale , but when . Of course , it ’ s directly linked to the other main buzzwords at the moment within the data centre industry including Edge Computing , HPC and sustainability , making it an exciting place to be working within . Looking at the energy efficiency of liquid cooling and the overarching savings it can have for a data centre is outstanding and something I feel is progressing the data centre industry forward .

How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?

I think it ’ s important to remain active and I find running in the countryside is a great stress reliever and a way of organising the thoughts in your mind after a stressful day . I ’ ve also recently taken up kayaking , which I ’ ve found to be a great way of unwinding .

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