Intelligent Data Centres Issue 25 | Page 74

DEEP DIVE

WE ‘ DEEP DIVE ’ WITH JAMES PETTER , VP INTERNATIONAL , PURE STORAGE ,

WHO TELLS US ABOUT LIFE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICE .
Pure Storage is an IT pioneer that delivers Storage-as-a-Service in a multi-cloud world . James Petter , VP International , Pure Storage , talks about his most memorable achievement in the data centre industry and what he believes are the industry ’ s major areas of investment .
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement in the data centre industry ?
I have been blessed to have had several achievements over the course of my 20 + years in the industry . But without a shadow of doubt , the one I am most proud of is building a world-class organisation at Pure Storage .
When I joined Pure Storage about six years ago , as Head of EMEA , it was still a very small organisation ; we were a few dozen people across Europe . My job description included everything from being a leader and a motivator to a friend and counsellor . Over the course of the last six years , we have expanded at an accelerated pace , and today have hundreds of Puritans looking out for our customers in dozens of countries .
What first made you think of a career in technology / data centres ?
I have long held the belief that technology is what makes the world work – it can ’ t be commoditised and just about every business has to be underpinned by robust technology in order to succeed ; something that is self-evident now . So , after an eight-year stint in the military , where I did everything from teach arctic warfare to recruit soldiers , I decided to enter the private sector . Since my background was business , I took a telecommunications course and soon after , got my first industry role with Telstra . The rest , as they say , is history .
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position ?
I have a mantra from my days in military service : ‘ serve to lead ’. The premise is simple – you should never expect someone to do something that you yourself would not do . Be clear about what you stand for and deliver on it . I also don ’ t believe in being a micro-manager . Good leaders will highlight expectations but ensure that they leave it open to others as to how these goals are achieved .
In the context of achieving those goals and maintaining competitive levels of productivity , I believe – and this is something that is arguably more important now than ever before – that leaders should not be afraid to show their own humanity . Strife is more easily faced and overcome by a team that understands that everyone is concerned , everyone knows what is at stake and everyone is there for each other .
What do you think is the current hot talking point within the data centre space ?
I think that something we are going to see a lot of in 2021 is a reassessment of IT infrastructure spend . For those businesses that hadn ’ t already embarked on a Digital Transformation journey , the pandemic forced them to overhaul their IT and at speed . But in the process , many companies over-rotated in their technology choices , opting for infrastructure beyond their needs and choosing expensive solutions with vast capacity .
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