Our Award-Winning Team

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙞𝙚𝙨?

I’m keen on sports in general. I enjoy being outdoors in nature hiking or exploring picturesque coastal areas and beaches.

𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢?

Yes, I am a Newcastle United Football Club fan and I am delighted that they are doing so well this season.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙖 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩 𝘽𝙪𝙡𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖?

Honestly, there are so many nice and beautiful places there that it would be difficult to start listing each one of them. I would recommend Nessebar which is a UNESCO world heritage site located on the Black Sea coast. Further into the mainland I would pick Plovdiv Old Town as an architectural and historical reserve.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩?

Working alongside great professionals in the data centre industry.

𝙒𝙝𝙤’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

It's got to be Batman since I grew up reading the comics and later watching the early movies. I find him a very complex and deep character amongst the other superheroes.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

It would probably be the air fryer kitchen appliance. I enjoy trying new recipes and it provides a level of comfort and efficiency when it comes to preparing meals.

𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬

I used to play football competitively during my teen years for a local team and later won the local league being part of the university team.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙?

So far I would say it's Boracay island in the Philippines with its crisp white sand and mesmerising beach views.

What's the best thing about living in Dorset?

Living in Dorset means I’m close enough to the Jurassic coast to drive down there whenever I want. I love the coast, it’s one of my happy places.

What did you want to be when you were small?

I could say I wanted to be a musician, but after a number of comic (for everyone else) performances as a child, I realised quite quickly that the idea of being on stage was quite terrifying. It didn’t stop me from carrying on to do a music degree though.

Other than family or pets, what’s your most cherished possession?

My guitar, without a doubt. It gives me a chance to be creative from time to time.

If you could share a meal with any 3 individuals, living or dead, who would they be and why?

Chris Martin, because although I think he’s mad, I grew up with his music and I’ve never stopped loving it. Sigmund Freud because I find psychology fascinating, and it would be amazing to hear some of his theories first hand; although I would probably be hyper aware of him psychoanalysing everyone throughout the mea!. And finally, Nelson Mandela. He is an inspiration, and it would be amazing to talk to him about his life and the positive impacts he had on the world.

I’m not sure how they would all get on together, but I think the conversations would be interesting for sure.

What’s one of the most amazing things you’ve seen?

Chamonix in summer, or the Alps in general. The mountains are so vast and beautiful, I always find them incredible when I see them.

What was your first job?

In the holidays before I went to university, I went looking for a summer job. I walked down the local high street (albeit a small road) asking any shops if they were hiring. I didn’t have much luck so I went and sat down in the pub at the bottom of the hill for a quick drink and ended up walking out of there with a waitressing job. It was definitely the most active job I’ve had to date.

Tell us something about yourself that your colleagues probably don’t know

From time to time, I write my own music.

What’s a good book, film or podcast you’ve recently enjoyed?

I recently watched ‘The Swimmers’. It is inspiring to see the story of someone who battled against so much and still kept fighting to get to the place they wanted without giving up on reaching their goals. It also sheds light on the desperation refugees must feel to choose to go through the trauma and uncertainty that they do, and how we should act with compassion and understanding instead of judgement and prejudice.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙟𝙤𝙗

I worked at Halfords in Cambridge as a Sales Assistant.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

An absolute bargain of a treadmill off a sketchy Gumtree advert to help get my steps in, safe to say it’s made a lovely ornament in the garage so far!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?

My proudest achievement is becoming a Step-mum to 3 boys, it’s challenged me in ways I didn’t know I could be, and brought a lot of joy to my life as well.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙞𝙚𝙨?

My hobbies include hiking, the cinema, travelling and exploring, and Cross Stitch.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙮?

A road trip to explore somewhere new, and hopefully, find some good places to eat and drink along the way.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩-𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠

‘Ctl;’ to add the date into a spreadsheet quickly.

O𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣?

Our home, I never thought I’d be a homeowner and I’m grateful every day that we have a beautiful home in a great village.

𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙣, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙤-𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚?

Roast beef – it’s simple yet tasty and I’ve mastered the art of good gravy now, the secret is red wine 😊.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙

I’ve been to two places that I won’t forget:

1. St. Lucia for a family holiday with my parents and brother, the culture and vibe of the island is a good mix of relaxation and party. The island has some of the most beautiful views and the locals were so friendly. We had a speedboat trip that was so much fun.

2. Dubrovnik with my partner, I’d never been to Croatia, and we stayed in Dubrovnik which was full of history and stunning architecture. We also travelled up the coast to Lovište through lots of lovely villages and past many wineries.

𝘼𝙨 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙙 𝘿𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙, 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙤, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙤?

I’m looking forward to getting to know him and his personality as he grows up. As a newborn, he hasn’t given much away yet!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙?

It might be considered a cliché, but the Valley of the Kings and the other Ancient Egyptian sites in Luxor blew me away. Rajasthan in India is also stunning, and Udaipur is top of my list to go back to.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪?

The best advice I’ve ever received is more haste, less speed. It’s a classic, but I’ve found out the hard way that it certainly does hold true.

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙮 3 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

My dinner table would include:

● Henry VIII.

● Jeffrey Bernard.

● Paul Weller.

Sounds like a cracking evening to me!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩?

I’d like to think that I’m a pretty decent cook, although anything too complex might be off the menu for a while as the baby takes priority!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙?

I’d back myself on British and Irish jump racing from the last decade, or the Grand Cru Classe vineyards of Bordeaux.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠, 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙢 𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙤𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮𝙚𝙙?

Whilst driving, I often listen to ‘Off Menu’, and I also thought ‘Who Robs a Banksy?’ was a fantastic and wild story! I recently read ‘In The Weeds’ - it’s a memoir written by a producer who worked on many Anthony Bourdain shows, and included some behind-the-scenes stories from some fairly sketchy places around the world, which were fantastic – definitely worth a read if you’re a Bourdain fan.

𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧/𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩?

My first concert was ‘Arctic Monkeys’ back in 2006, and the most recent was a band called ‘Hælos’ a couple of months ago.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙆𝙖𝙤 𝘿𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪?

Positively, I would hope! 😉

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 ‘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡’?

My last meal would be a large ribeye, followed by a crème brulee and a bottle of a ludicrous, bucket-list wine like a 1945 Mouton Rothschild, which would suit me perfectly!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡?

My earliest recollection is wanting to be a Nun, but this only lasted for a short time because I soon realised that I would have to cut my hair short.

𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣?

It would have to be my smartphone and watch. I’d be lost without them!

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙮 3 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

First would have to be Dawn French. She has the most infectious laugh, and her humour and silliness would put her at the head of the table. Next would be Lizzo for her outstanding vocals, flute playing, and advocacy for inclusivity and body positivity. And finally, Michele O’Bama for balance and to keep us all in check.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣?

When my eldest son was seven, we went on a road trip in the US and saw some amazing sights, Zion National Park, Death Valley, but the most memorable was our helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon National Park. The colours of the Redwall Limestone, carved by the Colorado River, are simply stunning.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙟𝙤𝙗?

My Dad and brothers owned a petrol forecourt, car showroom and mechanics' workshop, just off the Old Street roundabout on London EC1. I spent the school summer holidays working in the office, stocktaking, and counting money.

𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬. .

My guilty pleasure is Emmerdale!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠, 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙢 𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙤𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮𝙚𝙙?

Steve Bartlett's ‘Diary of a CEO’. I love the format of this series; the depth of the interviews and every episode always has a takeaway and a learning experience.

Another favourite is ‘How to Wow’ by Chris Evans. Top of the list in this series are Dame Emma Thompson, Judy Murray, and Dawn French. I also love to listen to Audiobooks - Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’ beautifully recalls her life story.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

Our new home! We are currently mid-way through renovations, which is really exciting while proving slightly challenging!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩-𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠?

Believe in yourself, don’t be afraid to ask questions and always act with integrity.

𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢?

I’m a lifelong supporter of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, and you can blame my dad for that! In fact, up until recently, I was a season ticket holder.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

I recently bought a VW Campervan, which I try to get away in as much as I can. It is possibly the best purchase I’ve ever made.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩?

My proudest achievement was a charity mountaineering expedition, climbing Aconcagua – the tallest peak in the world outside of the Himalayas.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚?

There were many, but none that are appropriate for sharing in a professional environment!

𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬

I will not eat seafood, it is not to do with any allergy, I’m just fussy!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙮?

my perfect day would include doing anything with my partner, and she definitely did not insist I write that!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠?

My greatest tip for work is to apply common sense to every situation. As for shortcuts, I believe there aren’t any shortcuts worth taking – a job that is done once and well is better than a job you need to do over.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙮?

My introduction to the #datacentre sector came from my MEP QS background, I moved into the Business-Critical team at EC Harris (UK) Limited (now Arcadis) when it was first set up, supporting data centre and critical infrastructure projects.

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙮 3 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

The three people I would have at my dinner table would be:

Sir Chris Bonnington – a mountaineer.

John Candy – a popular actor of ‘The Great Outdoors’ & ‘Plane, Trains & Automobiles’ fame.

Sir David Attenborough – no description necessary.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙?

Speaking broadly, I would say that Scotland is possibly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Within Scotland however, it's hard to pick, but having completed the North Coast 500 in the campervan, and having walked the West Highland Way, I can safely recommend either to everyone.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡?

When I was a kid, I dreamt of becoming a pilot and used to flap my arms like wings and jump off the sofa! But as I grew older, I decided to let my dreams take flight in other ways, like becoming an astronaut in my spaceship made of cardboard boxes!

𝙊𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙞𝙚𝙨?

My hobbies include coaching boxing, I relish in the opportunity to inspire fighters.

Next up is smoking Shisha, an unconventional pastime, but even Rocky needed moments of relaxation! In my case, it's more like, "Adrian! Pass the Shisha!"

Whatever I'm doing, I live by Rocky's advice, giving my all and pursuing my dreams.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨?

Well, they say life is about making connections, but little did I know that selling cables for Panduit would lead me straight into the data centre world!

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙮 3 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

Firstly, my father. His unwavering resilience has been a constant source of inspiration in my life.

Second would be Muhammad Ali, one of history's greatest boxers. Ali's impact on the world far-transcended the sport.

Lastly, Alexander the Great, a most remarkable strategist. His achievements in uniting diverse cultures & forging one of the largest empires in the ancient world have left a mark on history.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩?

Whatever you hold in your mind, will tend to occur in your life. If you want different results, you must change your mind.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙?

Pakistan’s defeat of India in 2017 at The Oval. It was an absolute masterclass; even better when you’re sat in a pro-Indian crowd! The rivalry is real, a bit like Tottenham & Arsenal.

𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 “𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙤𝙧” – 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

Legend has it that the trees in Slough are so money-minded, they grow leaves made of dollar bills.

So, when people say Slough is the "Golden Corridor," it's not just a metaphor!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙮?

A perfect day for me is one where I feel like I’ve made a meaningful difference.

It’s a balance between the love of my family and the responsibilities of work. Alongside this, I ensure that I fulfil my five daily prayers as a Muslim, adding a spiritual dimension to my day.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩-𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠

There is no shortcut. Consistency is the secret to improvement and success.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡?

A magician – apparently I liked wearing a cape as a kid!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩-𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠?

Always ensure your CRM is up to date!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙?

South American history - simply because I’ve spent a lot of time there, so I’d like to think I’ve picked up some knowledge of it on my travels.

𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧/𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩?

My first band was Red Hot Chilli Peppers at Portman Road. Most recently, I saw Ezra Collective at the Hammersmith Apollo - I highly recommend them if you’re into your jazz.

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙮 3 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

I’d go for James Acaster (love his bizarre humour), David Attenborough (need I say anymore), and Ainsley Harriot (I just find him hilarious and it would guarantee a delicious meal)

𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢? (𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚 1 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙮)

I’ve been asked not to say their name, but there’s only one team for me & that’s Ipswich Town FC - the Tractor Boys! I’ve gone from watching us play (and win) against teams like Inter Milan in the Europa league to now watching us play against the likes of Forest Green Rovers & Fleetwood Town in League 1. Call me a deluded fan, but I still believe we’ll return to the top of the footballing pyramid one day.

𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣?

A bongo drum that I was gifted by a school in Ghana. It was given to me as a thank you for the help I gave in building a class-room whilst volunteering and brings back fond memories of that trip. I can’t say I’m particularly good at playing it, but it’s a nice ornament nonetheless!

𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬:

I’ve recently taken up climbing/bouldering as a new hobby.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡?

I always fancied myself as a thespian and that one day I would be an actor, only to realise at an early age that I had very little talent

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙?

It would have to be English Rugby, the only thing I know anything about.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜?

My green Napapijri hoodie, purely because wearing it in the office upsets Spencer Lamb so much! ;-)

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙧?

A black Vauxhall Frontera. Horrendous in every way!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩/𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙?

England spanking Australia in the 2003 rugby World Cup. A victory for the good guys!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙞𝙚𝙨?

Anything to do with the great sport of Rugby.

Rugby has been with me from an early age and continues to play a very important part in my life. My enduring friendships have come from involvement in a sport that teaches you respect and how important teamwork and camaraderie are. A sport where every shape and size and ability can all enjoy the same activity and come off of the pitch and be equal.

𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙣, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙤-𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚?

Can only be the great Sunday roast, which fortunately, by nature, limits my culinary exploits to a maximum of one day a week!

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙮 3 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

#NelsonMandela - to achieve so much with such humility has to be worth a spot at the table. The other 2 places would undoubtedly go to my Dad and sister, neither are sadly with us any longer. My Dad was simply a gentleman and if I’m in any way successful, it has always been in an effort to make him proud and thank him for the opportunity he gave me. My sister, Mandy, was simply the most wonderful person you could wish for as a sibling. I’ve never heard a single bad word said about either of them.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙆𝙖𝙤 𝘿𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪?

I would hope they’d describe me as someone they felt they could get a fairly prompt response to any of their queries and, if I didn’t have the answer, I could point them in the right direction.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 ‘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡’?

A large steak, fried eggs, chips & onion rings with HP Sauce, followed by a large bowl of Gallone’s Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate sauce. Not forgetting the wafer-thin chocolate mint - I take inspiration from Mr Creosote’s restaurant scene from Monty Python’s ‘The Meaning of Life’.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩?

You can waste your breath, money, energy and loads of other things and you can get them back, but don’t waste time, you can never get that back.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡?

An astronaut. When I was very young, I was determined to learn all I could about how to reach the stars and Intergalactic travel. But then, I discovered that space is a darn sight bigger than what we see and recently found out that reaching the nearest habitable planet (Kepler 452b) would take 26,000,000 years!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 (𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪)?

Reality TV’ and Soap Operas. I have watched one episode of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ (which I think should be suffixed with a ‘?) & I’m not sure I understand why so many people watch Christmas Day episodes of ‘Eastenders’ and ‘Coronation St’ to be made to feel so miserable.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝?

My Golf equipment (complete with ‘never lose’ Golf Balls – if only they existed!), my guitar (the only place I can guarantee not to annoy anyone with the racket I make), photos of my family.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙢?

Without a doubt Star Wars – A New Hope. I was 10 when it came out and I was taken by my parents to see it on the biggest screen in the country at The Odeon, Leicester Square. The opening, with the Empire’s Imperial Star Destroyer going straight over the top of everyone is still my most vivid memory.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙?

It has to be NASA at Cape Canaveral. When I went there, we were especially lucky that the Space Shuttle had been delayed in taking off prior to our visit to Florida and the launch had been rearranged for the morning we flew home. Even though we were staying in Kissimmee, on that morning, we could stand on our drive and watch the Shuttle rise up into the clear blue sky. It was stunning.

1. Tell us something about yourself that your colleagues probably don’t know.

I’m a very keen club cricketer, still trundling from 5 yards and Chairman of @Teddington Town Cricket Club - an honoured position which has been held in the past by some legends of our special little cricket club. My drive is to ensure, whilst under my leadership, the club will continue to flourish.

2. What’s the best thing about working in the data centre industry?

Being part of an industry which is fast paced. No two days are ever the same, but equally looking to develop and build the necessary infrastructure to support the future. The world is moving incredibly quickly and technology will lead this.

Data centre development, sustainability and the drive for greater energy efficiency, for example, with all providers becoming carbon neutral is key. Being part of the @UTC Heathrow Digital Future Programs and supporting the great work done by the founding partners only increases the opportunity to educate the next generation of engineers, developers, and system specialists, who will all be key in the coming years.

3. What’s one of the most important lessons you’ve learned from the past?

Quite simply “you get out what you put in” a lesson which encompasses several key traits; Trust, Respect, Hard work, Listening and Empathy.

4. Other than family or pets, what’s your most cherished possession?

Quite possibly my cricket gear, I’m like a schoolboy in the sweet shop every year when I go into the sports shop to replace a pair of socks etc and end up with a new piece of equipment that I clearly do not need!

5. Obviously being a ‘Boro fan you’ve been starved of footballing success, so changing sport - what’s the best cricket match you’ve ever watched and why?

I have had the pleasure to see a lot of #TestMatch cricket and have seen all the great all-rounders from the 80's play, (Botham, Hadlee, Kapil Dev, Imran). I’ve seen England in South Africa, Sir Alistair Cook's last two knocks at the Oval and I can claim to be amongst the 2 million who were at the World Cup final at Lords or Ben Stokes single handling beating the Australians at Headingley 2019😉. My standout moment was watching England bowl out a very good Indian touring side, which had Shewag, Dravid, Laxman, Tendulkar, a young Dohni, all in one day. It was particularly special!

6. If you could share a meal with any 3 individuals, living or dead, who would they be and why?

Difficult question and various aspects I would have loved to have sat around a table with Gary Sobers, Shane Warne and Rhaul Dravid. All wise gentlemen of the wonderful game of cricket. But the three that stand out are: Thomas Coram who is the original philanthropist, a modern-day leader in Barack Obama and the genius that was Albert Einstein to see if we can build the time machine!

7. Would you encourage your children to look at careers in data centres?

Absolutely 100% yes, it’s the future. The industry has several channels re the infrastructure, engineering, technology, finance, compliance, and marketing, which require a whole array of skills which need a much-needed injection of youth and diversity.

𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬:

I used to help operate vintage fairground rides for events, such as the Waltzer, which included walking around the moving deck to spin the occupied cars.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙧?

My first car was a 1.6 Golf CL. But when it came to my first job, I was entitled to a company car, which resulted in me obtaining a Renault Megan.

𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙞𝙚𝙨?

In my spare time, I enjoy cycling, however, I am also a certificated windsurfer & dingy sailor, which I do whenever I get the opportunity.

𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮

The most spectacular place was Hawaii.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙?

My specialised subject would be the internal combustion engine.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨? 𝙄𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙟𝙤𝙗 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧?

The future of data centres focuses on cutting carbon emissions and as we shift to reporting Scope 3 emissions from third parties, finding low-carbon materials will be key. Sourcing restrictions might apply, like using eco-friendly steel producers.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡?

I wanted to be a pilot in the RAF.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 20 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨?

The best innovation: Broadband & fibre for all.

In the early '00s, 500K downloads were groundbreaking, now, speeds reach up to 70 Mbps and 1 Gbps. We often stream, work from home, and access knowledge instantly, so internet access was crucial, especially during COVID-19. As a data centre, our challenge is to make it eco-friendly.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 (𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪)?

My pet hate is the poor use of English by the mainstream media. For example, “twice” is replaced with “two times”, which technically is not wrong, but in my opinion is poor grammar!

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙮 3 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮?

On a personal level, I would like to have one of my great-grandparents and learn about my family at that time.

I would also invite Boudica, it would be fascinating to discuss opposing opinions on the invasion of the Roman Empire. And finally, Boris Johnson, purely for the entertainment value.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥?

During my formative years I dreamt of being a Vet, but I didn’t like the idea of putting down animals, so I swiftly decided I wanted to be a Fireman instead!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐦 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝?

Life 3.0 is a great read about the benefits #Artificialintelligence could bring to the world when used and controlled correctly. I’m also currently enjoying a fascinating book title “Zucked” about the behavioural modification techniques employed by #bigtech companies to encourage increased viewership, and the dangers this presents to society.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬?

I’m a keen amateur photographer, cyclist and avid gamer, although with a 3 year-old daughter, these hobbies have been side lined for a while…

𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰?

When I was 15 years old, I completed an 80 Mile charity row along the river Thames during a single weekend resulting in a lot of blisters! My rowing career also took me across the Atlantic to Boston to compete in the Head of the Charles race, where we narrowly came second to the local Harvard University team.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?

The north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. It has unbelievably fresh food, an amazingly vibrant culture and absolutely stunning scenery.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝟑 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲?

Nikola Tesla, Steve Wozniak & Aldous Huxley, these 3 individuals to me are/were exceptionally forward thinking. I think it would be fascinating to sit down and chat about current technology and where they see the future leading us all to, and how that could affect societal development.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝?

My wife and my daughter, the love and support they both show is more than I could ever ask for.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭?

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