GIORDANO ALBERTAZZI became Vertiv CEO on January 1, 2023, and immediately confirmed the company’s focus on “operational excellence, profitable growth, high-performance culture, and innovation”.

“I’m honoured to take the helm of Vertiv as CEO. I’m looking forward to working closely with our leadership team and employees around the world to continue to increase the value we create for our customers, further strengthen our financial performance and create long-term value for our shareholders,” Mr Albertazzi said. 

“As I’ve shared with Vertiv employees, we will work to achieve our full potential by focusing on building a high-performance culture of collaboration and innovation; institutionalising operational excellence and execution; and ultimately delivering profitable growth and improved cash flow.”

Mr Albertazzi was also appointed to the board of Vertiv.

Vertiv executive chairman, Dave Cote said, “With more than two decades of operational and business experience at Vertiv and a track record of performance in both Europe and the Americas, Giordano is the right person to drive Vertiv forward.

“He was instrumental in driving significant operational and financial improvements while leading EMEA, and in the ongoing turnaround of the Americas. He understands how to build and maintain a high-performing culture.

“Giordano’s operational expertise and deep understanding of Vertiv’s business and customers will be pivotal in driving continued performance improvement while navigating macroeconomic uncertainty.”

Mr Albertazzi has become CEO at a time of continued strong demand across Vertiv’s data centre end markets. The company reported a record order backlog of $4.7 billion as of the end of the third quarter of 2022.

Vertiv is a leader in providing thermal, power, IT management, and integrated solutions for global data centre operators to meet ongoing consumer demand. 

Vertiv announced its CEO succession plan in October 2022 and since then Mr Albertazzi assumed the role of chief operating officer, working closely with former CEO Rob Johnson to ensure a seamless transition.

In addition to becoming CEO, Mr Albertazzi will also continue in his position as president for Vertiv’s, Americas operations, until a successor is named.

In connection with Albertazzi transitioning out of the COO role, operational oversight will reside with regional Presidents to further focus on regional performance.   

Vertiv (NYSE: VRT) describes its business as bringing together hardware, software, analytics and ongoing services to enable its customers’ vital applications to run continuously, perform optimally and grow with their business needs. Vertiv aims to solve the most important challenges facing today’s data centres, communication networks and commercial and industrial facilities with a portfolio of power, cooling and IT infrastructure solutions and services that extends from the cloud to the edge of the network.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, USA, Vertiv employs about 24,000

people and does business in more than 130 countries – and is growing rapidly in Australia. www.vertiv.com

AUSTRALIAN technology services and solutions provider Data^#3 has chosen Brendan Merry as general manager for Software Solutions.

Reporting to Data^#3 chief customer officer (CCO), John Tan, Mr Merry will be responsible for creating the strategy and operational direction for the company’s Software Solutions division.

“I’m immensely proud to be appointed to this position,” Mr Merry said. “Since I joined Data^#3 almost 15 years ago, we’ve successfully navigated the changing landscape with our vendors to solve customer challenges. 

“I am honoured to lead our significant Software Solutions business through this next era as we continue to evolve our approach to meet our customers’ changing requirements.” 

Mr Merry has extensive experience in the IT industry combined with the business-based education of an International MBA and many certifications including as a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Mr Merry has managed direct and indirect sales channels across Australia, the Pacific Islands, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

“I’m delighted to welcome Brendan to the Data^#3 leadership team,” Mr Tan said . “Brendan brings significant knowledge of our Software Solutions business, along with a background in business to the role.”

Listed on the ASX in 1997, Data^#3 reported revenues of $2.2 billion in the 2022 financial year and has more than 1,200 employees. Headquartered in Brisbane, it has facilities across 12 locations in Australia and Fiji.

Data^#3 has been operating for more than 40 years and is focussed on ‘delivering the digital future’ by leveraging solutions such as the cloud, modern workplace, security, data-analytics and connectivity, combined with Data^#3 services across consulting, project services and managed services.

www.data3.com.au

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THE Financial Services Council (FSC) has appointed Insignia Financial CEO, Renato Mota, and UBS Asset Management country head for Australia and New Zealand, Alison Telfer, as directors to the FSC board.

Mr Mota has more than 20 years experience in financial services and has been responsible for leading Insignia Financial’s transformation strategy, including the acquisition of MLC. He has developed a focus throughout his career on enabling financial wellbeing for Australians through service excellence and technology. 

Prior to Insignia Financial, Mr Mota worked for Rothschild and NAB in corporate finance roles with a focus on mergers and acquisitions.

Ms Telfer has more than 20 years of experience in Australian and global asset management. She has held a range of roles within the industry spanning through product development, strategy and client distribution to legal and government affairs.

Ms Telfer brings these skills in leading UBS Asset Management to partner with clients and industry to create better financial outcomes and positive impact beyond returns.

Prior to UBS Asset Management, Ms Telfer was BlackRock Asset Management’s chief operating officer for Australasia and was executive sponsor for BlackRock’s Philanthropic Committee and Women’s Initiative Australasia.

FSC chairman David Bryant said, “Renato and Alison bring to the board extensive knowledge and experience that further strengthens the FSC’s contribution to the national debate to the benefit of financial services consumers.

“Renato and Alison’s appointment reflects the senior industry leadership the FSC brings to help the government and regulators solve common public policy challenges. 

“Renato and Alison share the FSC’s commitment to a more competitive, efficient, and growing financial services sector that delivers high quality products for Australian consumers.

Mr Mota said, “I am pleased to take on the role as director of the FSC board as we work together to improve the long-term financial wellbeing for all Australians.”

Ms Telfer said, “I look forward to working with the FSC board to support representation of our members and to shape a world class financial services industry that serves all Australians well.”

www.fsc.org.au

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AUSTRALIAN medical virtual reality company, Vantari VR, has signalled its international expansion plans with the appointment of Jay Kahlon in the US as ‘head of product’.

Vantari VR co-founder and co-CEO, Nishanth Krishnananthan said he was “thrilled to have Jay on the team and I look forward to the impact his appointment will have not just on the business, but on the industry more broadly”.

Dr Nishanth said over the past decade, Mr Kahlon had been “masterminding” solutions to counter healthcare worker shortage, standardisation of healthcare and cost of healthcare training.

“Jay has strategically launched 45-plus products ranging from hardware, software, cloud and mixed reality, to the healthcare simulation market in the US that continues to empower educators and trainees across the globe,” Dr Nishanth said. 

The appointment comes on the back of Vantari VR having been found to reduce medical error by an astounding 40 percent, as part of a research program conducted in partnership with the University of Wollongong (UOW).

The research also found the training software had helped student clinicians to improve performance by 32 percent and adherence to safety and hygiene by 39 percent.

Looking ahead, Dr Nishanth said Vantari VR aimed to successfully expand business to the US markets to deliver procedural training to doctors, nurses and medical students, with a mission to eliminate medical error, through standardisation in the delivery of training across the board. Alongside the co-founders and so-CEOs – Dr Nishanth and Dr Vijay Paul – Mr Kahlon said he was looking forward to speaking with healthcare organisations and universities across the US in the coming months and beyond.

Shortly after graduating from the prestigious University of Washington, Mr Kahlon joined the team at Blue Phantom – an early-stage American start-up focusing on ultrasound simulation that was successfully acquired by CAE Healthcare in 2012. Throughout his time at Blue Phantom and CAE Healthcare, Mr Kahlon served in multiple roles ranging in product development, business development, operations and marketing, ultimately scaling Blue Phantom to becoming a world leader in ultrasound simulation and training.

In his new role as Vantari VR head of product, Mr Kahlon will be providing support to the team in areas ranging from product and platform vision and development, roadmapping, identifying and developing strategic and clinical partnerships and business development.

Of his appointment, Mr Kahlon said it was “an exciting opportunity to support Vantari VR” as the business expands into international markets “and continues to lead as early adopters in using virtual reality platforms to overcome barriers of the real world”.

“The vision Vantari has laid out utilising virtual reality to enable access to world-class clinical procedural training, regardless of educator availability, simulation space and self-directed learning has greatly resonated with how I envision our collaboration can disrupt the status quo of access to world-class healthcare training,” Mr Kahlon said.

Driven by his passion for bettering healthcare, Mr Kahlon envisioned technology as the bridge that would enable global equality in healthcare accessibility and affordability. He said he believed he had found the perfect match across international waters with Vantari VR.

“Speaking to the Vantari team, the clinical, technical and educational knowledge that the team encompasses was incredibly impressive,” Mr Kahlon said. “Vantari VR has done a brilliant job with their remarkable technology platform and has shown outstanding efforts in advancing healthcare procedural training across Australia within a very short amount of time.”

Dr Nishanth said, “Jay’s spectacular track record of integrating emerging technologies in the US market to enhance healthcare education speaks volumes to his immaculate capabilities in transcending the healthcare industry alongside Vantari VR.

“His personal mission to democratise access to healthcare training internationally with the transformative technology of virtual reality aligns with our goals for Vantari VR, and we’re excited about what the future holds for us with Jay’s expertise.”

Vantari VR is revolutionising the way doctors receive on-thejjob training through its unique ‘flight simulator’ style technology. Brought to life by a team of doctors inspired to provide better learning outcomes and reduce medical error, Vantari VR was launched in 2017 and is now operating in four hospitals across Australia.

www.vantarivr.com

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