Derek Allen

Derek Allen

Group Director, Operations

Derek joined Global Switch as Group Director, Operations in 2012 with over 30 years' industry experience, the last 24 years of which have been working directly in the data centre industry.

Career

Derek has extensive knowledge operating large scale data centres where he has led the standardisation and introduction of best practice operating procedures and has been responsible for a number of significant data centre build projects. Prior to joining Global Switch, Derek worked for Cable and Wireless Worldwide where he was Head of Data Centre Development. Before this he held several senior roles within the data centre division of UBS over the course of five years including Director of Data Centre Strategy where he was the technical lead for all new sites and design proposals. Derek spent the first 22 years of his career at BT where he built up comprehensive engineering and facilities expertise.

Responsibilities at Global Switch

At Global Switch, Derek is responsible for the operational performance of the data centres to ensure that Global Switch’s Critical Environments Programme is uniformly managed so that the company maintains its best in class operating procedures across its global footprint. He is accountable for continuous improvement, enhanced safety reporting and operating procedure compliance to deliver increased performance efficiency by the site management to all Global Switch data centres and meet business objectives.