D E E P D I V E

WE ‘ DEEP DIVE ’ WITH

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

Back in 2019 when I was at Ficolo ( now the Finnish arm of Verne ), we were shortlisted for the M & A of the Year category at the Data Economy Finvest Global Awards , for our acquisition of Fujitsu ’ s data centre in Helsinki . Even though we didn ’ t win , this recognition was a really memorable moment for me . We were up against companies many times larger than our own – including Digital Realty , who ultimately won for its acquisition of Interxion .

Being selected as a finalist felt like a validation of the work we were doing , and highlighted how even a smaller player can compete and stand out in the data centre industry . For us to be shortlisted alongside such companies was a great achievement .

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

I started in the tech industry as a product engineer and then as a product manager . That was my area of expertise . In terms of my move to the data centre industry , I would say it wasn ’ t exactly planned . I knew some people were starting up a company and I was able to raise funds for that – I was excited to get on board with the start-up . This became Ficolo which then led to my current role at Verne . I ’ m glad the path led me to where I am , working in a dynamic and evolving field at a company that has had sustainable tech in mind long before it became a global priority .

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

My management philosophy is to empower people by giving them the space and responsibility they need to excel in their roles . I had a great manager myself when I was at Tellabs many years ago . They were very focused on people and helping them succeed so that ’ s definitely something I try to emulate . But when it comes to management , I don ’ t think it ’ s best to follow just one approach . I ’ ve picked up lots of different ideas from various management books , such as former GE CEO , Jack Welch ’ s , as well as the people I ’ ve worked with .

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

Availability of power is definitely top of the agenda . It ’ s such a hot topic in the data centre space that it ’ s even entered public consciousness , with some people protesting the building of new data centres altogether . This is more of an issue in metro locations , for example in countries like Ireland , where the data centre industry is vying for power from a rather limited power grid . It stands to reason that people are questioning how best to allocate limited energy resources , especially given ongoing global climate concerns . So , it ’ s no surprise that sustainability is also a hot topic in the data centre industry . Access to green power – such as hydroelectric and geothermal resources in Iceland , and wind in Finland – is an increasingly important consideration for data centre operators and end-users .

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

I lead a very active lifestyle outside of the office – so lots of different sports and boating too . If I ’ m really stressed , I ’ ll do some meditation .

What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?

It ’ s got to be data centres for AI . The capacity requirements for AI are huge . There ’ s a lot of investment into building and designing data centres that can handle AI compute , but we also need to think about sustainability .

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