Well-known across the data centre industry, Paul Hood joins AVK with extensive experience as managing director and then COO of Yondr Group.

He is now recognised as a significant player within the data centre sector, having previously been global operations director and managing director for the Africa region at Pure Data Centres Group.

To date, Hood’s experience has predominantly focused on systems/control engineering of building services, which has diversified into managing all aspects of building electrical systems more recently. AVK says that his key traits are his sound judgement, common sense and strong initiative, which have all seen him achieve significant success as a safety-conscious leader in a fast-paced sector.

“I am genuinely excited about Paul joining our team,” said AVK CEO, Ben Pritchard. “He has a superb engineering brain, he is a very logical thinker and he has a real passion for working hard. Essentially, he believes in what he does. Paul doesn’t just bring vast global experience to AVK, he is a leader who has done it all.

“With Paul on board, AVK is going to be well placed to play a frontrunning role in the critical infrastructure power space in the UK and Europe.”

Prior to Pure Data Centres Group, Hood worked as head of engineering for Europe at Barclays and head of engineering operations EMEA at JP Morgan, where he ran the entire infrastructure of data centres across the region. He was also responsible for managing an operating budget of US$90 million.

His skills also include carrying out inspections relating to environmental, health and safety and fire and loss prevention. Alongside this, he was also one of the founders of the Universal Technical College (UTC), a network of free-to-attend schools for 14-19 year olds with a STEM focus.

Speaking on his appointment, Hood said: “I’ve known AVK for 30 years and I understand exactly where the company has come from and where it is going in this incredibly competitive industry. I am delighted to be working with some of the most committed infrastructure engineers in the world.

“I told Yondr I would build them a global business that they could be proud of and that’s exactly what I did. I leave that company with fond memories having been there from the start but it’s time to move on and I’m now incredibly excited about what’s in store for me at AVK.”

This appointment comes at a significant time within the data centre industry and AVK is currently advancing its plans to expand its integrated power solutions. Over the coming months, the company is committing to strengthening its full power chain offering, which includes prime power, microgrids and modular energy solutions.

As part of this, Hood will play a critical role in elevating its service and maintenance operations, strengthening client relationships and shaping long-term partnerships. By aligning these areas with our expanding full power chain capabilities, the company says he will help AVK deliver a more seamless and end-to-end experience for customers.

Hood added: “I have a reputation for bringing the whole ‘boots to boardroom’ element of being a COO; I’ve worked as an engineer and I want to be an enabler for our engineers and take their viewpoint to the board. I’m also known for investing in people, getting decisions done and getting things over the line and I’m truly excited about my forthcoming journey at AVK.”

Related stories

How the UK can use its sharp data centre boom to its advantage

Project Kuiper explained: Australia’s bid to improve internet access with Amazon

Most commercial data centres use minimal water, techUK says