AVK appoints Wayne Searle as Chief People Officer for growth
AVK has appointed Wayne Searle as Chief People Officer as the company seeks to accelerate growth in sustainable power solutions for data centres and other critical applications across the UK and Europe.
Wayne Searle brings close to 20 years of international human resources leadership experience to his new position at AVK. His background includes significant roles in the data centre and technology sectors, as well as notable experience in mergers and acquisitions. At Vertiv, Searle served as HR lead for the EMEA region and global M&A activities, most prominently overseeing the GBP £2.8 billion acquisition and integration of E&I Engineering.
His international career has included senior roles at Cable and Wireless in the Asia Pacific, Vodafone, and Abdul Latif Jameel in Saudi Arabia. Searle began his career in financial services following studies in actuarial science, before shifting focus to recruitment and talent management. He spent eight years at Page Group prior to moving into senior HR leadership roles across multiple sectors and geographies.
New focus
The hiring of Searle comes as AVK broadens its operations beyond traditional standby power solutions, following recent launches of Microgrid capabilities and upcoming product introductions to serve changing industry needs.
"Having worked across the data centre supply chain, I'm excited about joining an organisation that wants to address the real sustainability challenges facing the industry rather than simply building more without consideration of environmental impact. The data centre industry is booming, but being part of a supply chain that can help solve the sustainability and environmental challenges is one of the big appeals about joining AVK. Ben's passion for tackling these issues head-on, combined with AVK's aspiration to drive meaningful industry change, makes this an incredibly exciting opportunity," said Wayne Searle, Chief People Officer at AVK.
With this appointment, AVK reaffirms its stated commitment to prioritising talent development and a people-centric growth strategy. The company's approach is to balance technological advancements and innovation with ongoing efforts in sustainability and ethical business practice.
As CPO, Searle will oversee internal communications, talent development, and the creation of clear career progression pathways for AVK staff. He highlighted the importance of the talent pool at AVK, calling it the company's primary resource.
"There's a massive consumer shift coming in the data centre space around sustainability and ethics. It's imperative to have a sustainable and ethical supply chain. Having somebody who's passionate about it, vocal about it, in an organisation that has an aspiration to start to change that industry approach – what's not to like?" Wayne noted.
Leadership perspective
Ben Pritchard, Chief Executive Officer at AVK, welcomed the appointment and emphasised the significance of Searle's experience for the company's future direction.
"Wayne represents the calibre of leadership we need as we enter our next phase of growth. His expertise in talent development, international experience, and understanding of the sustainability challenges facing our industry will be critical as we expand our power solutions offerings and continue to challenge traditional approaches to power in the data centre industry."
Searle's focus on building internal capacity and a culture supporting career growth aligns with AVK's ongoing strategy to strengthen its position in sustainable power provision. The new CPO is expected to implement practices to enhance AVK's internal communications and ensure the company attracts and retains specialist talent capable of supporting its growth targets.
AVK continues to deliver power solutions to data centres and organisational clients across the UK and Europe. The company has recently launched Microgrid capabilities and is preparing to introduce further product solutions, in line with its growth and expansion goals.
