On the lighter side of things , we ask the industry experts what makes them tick . . . .

It would certainly be my time at Custodian , being promoted to Sales Director and a serving board member . It ’ s certainly something I am incredibly proud of , especially within the IT sector , which , while it is improving , is still a very male-dominated arena .

What first made you think of a career in technology ?

It started during my time in recruitment . I could see the introduction of new technologies entering the industry and the impact they were having . They completely transformed the way recruiters operated and changed the industry almost immediately . For me , that was a lightbulb moment . My passion has always been to continually learn and to work in a sector that doesn ’ t sit still , so moving into technology , and more specifically , the data centre industry was the perfect move for me .

What do you think has emerged as the technology trend of 2021 and why ?

The pandemic has certainly pushed organisations to review how their IT infrastructures are set up for the future . 2021 has presented many challenges in the

way we work , and businesses have had to adapt to that . This new hybrid model where businesses need to cater for both office and home working has been a real step-change in how organisations are deploying their infrastructure . It ’ s no longer a commercial afterthought , but often front and centre of overall business strategy . Data centres get to play a crucial role within that , which is something I find truly exciting .

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

There are many major areas we could discuss in the data centre space , but specifically , it would have to be renewable and alternative energy solutions . As an industry , the sustainability conversation is becoming more and more important . We are seeing the hyperscalers continuing to push boundaries with areas like hydrogen fuel and even nuclear technologies being

I would never expect any of my team to do something I wasn ’ t prepared to do myself .

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