Verne has appointed Billy Nolan as Chief Development Officer as it continues the expansion of its Nordic data centre operations.
In the newly created role, Nolan will be responsible for progressing all future data centre developments at Verne. His initial focus will be on two projects in the Helsinki region of Finland: a new 70 MW campus in Mäntsälä and a significant expansion at the company's existing campus in Vantaa.
Nolan's remit will also extend to the development of further strategic sites across the Nordics, aligning with Verne's strategy to increase its data centre capacity in response to growing demand for High Performance Computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) workloads.
The appointment brings almost three decades of experience to Verne's leadership team. Much of Nolan's career was spent at Atlantic Projects Company, an engineering, procurement, and construction organisation, where he worked for 19 years, including seven as Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure at APC, Nolan oversaw the delivery of key infrastructure projects worldwide.
In his role at Verne, Nolan will apply his background in strategy development, risk management, project planning, contract negotiation, and project execution. He is tasked with implementing scalable and repeatable processes to ensure data centre projects are completed on schedule, within budget constraints, and adhere to established safety and quality standards.
"Billy's track record of mobilising global teams and delivering complex, large-scale infrastructure projects is second to none. He is a key addition to our executive leadership team and will play a pivotal role in scaling our Nordic data centre platform to meet growing demand for sustainable, high-performance infrastructure," Dominic Ward, Chief Executive Officer at Verne, commented on the appointment.
"I'm thrilled to be joining Verne at such a transformative moment in its growth journey. AI advancements are driving a critical need for new data centre capacity, particularly in the Nordics. My focus will be on turning Verne's bold vision into a reality, ensuring every expansion is executed to the highest standards of excellence and safety," Billy Nolan said, expressing his perspective on joining the company.
Nolan is also involved academically as an industry advisor on the MBA Board at the University of Limerick, where he has also contributed as a guest lecturer at the Centre for Project Management. He holds an MBA from the University of Limerick and is a member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland.
Verne operates four Nordic data centres in Iceland and Finland, each powered by 100% renewable energy and dedicated to supporting high-performance and AI workloads. The company's portfolio also includes a central London data centre designed to provide low latency and robust connectivity for applications with demanding requirements.
