What has been your journey into the data centre industry?
My journey into the data centre industry really stemmed from a lifelong interest in real estate. Since I was very young, I’ve always been drawn to the idea of owning property – something that began as early as primary school. After secondary school, I studied to become a broker and eventually worked in a bank where I handled financing, followed by various roles in real estate management companies, including as an asset manager and portfolio manager.
Despite my success, I felt I wasn’t advancing as I wanted, so I returned to school to complete my post-bachelor and then a master’s degree in real estate. My career pivoted when I joined an event organization for the high-end furniture industry as CEO, which was a blend of real estate and international business that I really enjoyed. However, the real estate crisis hit and it forced some tough decisions.
Wanting to work in a larger, more international context, I discovered a position at Digital Realty. Despite initially doubting whether I could transition from real estate to data centres, I became a property manager and quickly moved up to manage larger areas like the Netherlands and France, and later on, contributed to our efforts in Germany. What this role helped me discover is that I really enjoy the data centre industry. It is highly commercial and highly technical. While it is somewhat of a niche industry, it has a good future outlook. It’s less volatile than other real estate sectors I had worked in.
After several years, I transitioned to Softlayer, now IBM Cloud, which gave me a new perspective from the customer side of operations. Eventually, I joined Microsoft, where I’ve been involved in all the detailed aspects of lease agreements, technical global programs and operations, helping me to see the big picture and strategise effectively for our future needs in the industry.
For anyone entering this field, I’d say it’s important to see beyond the initial roles and understand how vast and interconnected the data centre ecosystem is. From negotiating leases to managing site operations and engaging with global teams, the skills you develop here are extensive and deeply relevant to the ongoing tech-driven transformation of business landscapes worldwide.
If your application is successful, Harlow Council will transfer the grant by BACS. Bank details (account name, number and sort code) will need to be supplied with a summary of accounts.
Funding conditions: If your application is successful, your project must be delivered by 31 December 2026. You will have to return any grant funds if the project is not delivered or the organisation receiving the funding stops operating.
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