Emerson Network Power loses MD

Data centre infrastructure vendor Emerson Network Power has parted ways with its managing director, John Simpson, after nearly two years in the job, while also promoting a 20-year veteran to oversee its burgeoning modular data centre division.

Simpson left the company to pursue personal interests, according to the Russell Perry, the company's senior director for marketing and solutions, Asia.

"John's a trooper, he's been around for many years," said Perry. "I would imagine he would be a benefit to any company he chooses to join. We wish him all the very best."

Simpson started with Emerson in 2011 after the company acquired UPS supplier Chloride, where he was general manager for nine years. In March 2012 he stepped into the role of local managing director for Emerson when previous managing director David Scott retired after 38 years with the company.

Perry said it was "business as usual" at Emerson, with vice president for sales in Asia, Gene Hayden, stepping in as interim leader while the company searches for a new managing director.

"He's a veteran of the industry," Perry said. "He's been in our business in Asia for last 15 years. He's very familiar with the Australian market and very familiar with the Australian team and he's met most, if not all, of our key customers in Australia."

Meanwhile, Steve Shelley has been appointed as vice-president for modular solutions.

The 20-year Emerson veteran will head up the new division, which leverages the modular data centres that Emerson built as part of a $100 million contract to supply the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Shelley told CRN that the modular solutions solved a problem of either under- or over-specifying data centres. He said that clients "either build a data centre that is too small for their future requirement due to their capital restrictions or they overcapitalise and it is too big and they have the stress of needing to get people in."

He also revealed that Emerson is in the process of designing a data centre that can be "dropped in", perhaps from the back of a truck for emergency situations.