Leadership Team
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PETER HANNAFORD
Peter received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 Datacloud EMEA Congress in Monaco, acknowledging his exceptional career accomplishments. His journey began with groundbreaking efforts in Nigeria during the 1970s, where he implemented the country’s first online banking system. In the 1980s, he played a pivotal role in developing foreign exchange systems for global banks. Transitioning to the 1990s, he founded one of Europe’s earliest datacenter construction firms.
Peter’s impact continued into the 2000s when he founded a company that pioneered the first water-cooled rack for high-density servers. This innovation was acquired by APC in 2003, catalyzing the development of In-Row cooling and Containment, establishing dominance in the datacenter market. In 2010, he founded the first global recruitment firm exclusively dedicated to the datacenter sector.
His entrepreneurial journey persisted with the establishment of Portman Partners in 2018, where he currently contributes, leveraging his extensive personal network and reputation. Peter focuses on aiding firms in the digital infrastructure space in their quest for leadership talent globally. Recognizing his influential role, he earned a spot on the 2019 Power 200 list, celebrating individuals worldwide leading the datacenter and cloud sectors through innovation, technological breakthroughs, investment acumen, or exceptional entrepreneurial skills.