Paul Finch

Chief Technical Officer & Chief Operating Officer at KAO Data Campus

Paul Finch has a diverse work experience in the field of data centres and technology spaces. Paul started their career as a Mechanical Engineer at Flack + Kurtz Consulting Engineers and later joined MEIT Consultants LLP as a Senior Mechanical Engineer. At Maleon, they served as a Senior Mechanical Engineer and led various projects related to corporate real estate services and critical environment projects. Paul then joined ChapmanBDSP as a Principal Project Engineer, where they led a team through a challenging brown-field development project.

Moving forward, Paul joined CB Richard Ellis as an Associate Director and later became the Director of Building Consultancy. At Digital Realty, they held the positions of Senior Director and Technical Director, overseeing major technical real estate digital infrastructure projects in several European and APAC markets.

In 2016, Paul joined Kao Data as the Chief Technical Officer and later took on the additional role of Chief Operating Officer. Paul played a crucial role in the development and operation of advanced data centres, successfully entering the London MTDC market. Paul also took on the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer in 2019 to accomplish specific organizational goals.

Alongside their professional roles, Paul has been actively involved in various industry committees and associations. Paul served as a Voting Committee Member and Sub-Committee Marketing Chair at ASHRAE TC9.9, focusing on data centre design, operations, and energy efficiency. Paul also became a Data Centre Council Board Member at techUK, representing companies and technologies shaping the future. Additionally, Paul has been an Advisory Council Member at Infrastructure Masons, supporting the advancement of the industry and its professionals.

Paul Finch has a diverse education history. In 1999, they attended London South Bank University where they earned a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Building Services Engineering. Paul continued their education at the same university and graduated in 2004 with a BSc (Hons) degree in Building Services Engineering. Following this, Paul pursued a Post-Graduate Diploma in Engineering Management at Brunel University London from 2004 to 2009. In 2015, they attended the Cambridge Judge Business School for an Executive Education program in General Management. In addition to their formal education, Paul has obtained several certifications including Chartered Engineer from the Engineering Council, Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE), Member of the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (MASHRAE), and Uptime Institute - Data Centre Accredited Tier Designer (ATD). The specific months and years of their obtained certifications are not provided.

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Timeline

  • Chief Technical Officer & Chief Operating Officer

    June 1, 2023 - present

  • Chief Executive Officer (Interim) & Chief Operating Officer

    June, 2019

  • Chief Operating Officer

    May, 2016