Peter's story

What do you enjoy most about working at Hyphen?

I enjoy the variety of work here, the people I work with and the responsibility I’ve been given. My interest in technology led me to take on responsibility for IT within the company, and also pushed me towards the data centre sector – which has been a big part of my role for the past 15 years.

How has Hyphen supported you in your personal and professional development?

Hyphen has given me opportunities to work on a variety of projects over the years, develop skills, and take on additional responsibilities. I also met my wife at the company and became a father, so it’s been a pivotal part of my life. The people I work with are like a part of my extended family. Becoming a director of the company was a distant goal when I first joined. I hope I can support those following in my footsteps to find a home and develop their own careers at Hyphen.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Over the course of my career at Hyphen, I’ve been fortunate to work on projects across all sectors. My very first project, when I joined as a work experience student during the summer of my second year at university, was drawing tiling elevations for office spaces in Southampton.

​​​​​​​Over the years, I’ve worked on housing projects, hotels, education, and retail, learning from some great mentors. Richard Rogers, one of our directors in Winchester, was a major influence in my early career, especially for projects in the retail sector. I have really enjoyed the variety of projects and learnt something different from each one.

How did you get into the data centre sector?

I first started working on data centres in 2007, when we only had a handful of projects in the sector each year. My first project was developing façade concepts for an extension to a hyperscale data centre in Amsterdam.

In 2010, I started working in London’s Docklands for another leading client in the sector, and I saw that project through from inception to completion in 2013.

Tell us about your role in leading our technology business function…

I’ve always been interested in technology and IT, but it’s entirely self-taught (my maths wasn’t good enough to study IT at school). I accidentally deleted Windows off my first home computer and had to fix it myself. Back then, PC users had to manually configure hardware and resolve clashes, so you had to tinker to get the latest game or sound card running.

When I started at Hyphen, we had a couple of technicians who looked after the IT in the office. When they left, I was the only one who vaguely knew how it all worked, so I took on their role – setting up new machines and purchasing software.

As the company has grown, my IT role has expanded, and I was instrumental in connecting all the offices together onto one network and moving towards cloud systems. Thankfully these days I have support and can focus on IT strategy, rather than day-to-day problem-solving.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

What’s next?

As a director, I’m looking forward to being in the room (or on the call) when important company matters are discussed and being able to contribute positively to decisions made. I plan to visit other offices, introduce new staff to the data centre sector, and spread some of the knowledge I’ve learnt over my career. I will be supporting those who have helped me in these projects to step-up and take more responsibility.

On the technology side, we’re focussed on strengthening our ability to work remotely and flexibly and supporting the business as it continues to grow.

Finally, tell us something else that people at Hyphen might not know about you?

Over my time in Winchester, the office hasn’t moved, but I have sat on every floor of the building (including in a spot that is now a cupboard under the stairs!). We’ve gone through two major office refurbishments, six directors and a re-brand.

I’ve also not paid for a haircut since the pandemic. A £20 set of clippers from Amazon was my best investment.