Panattoni expands into data centre development with senior appointments

Panattoni has announced the establishment of a new data centre development initiative spanning Europe, the UK, India, and the Middle East. The move includes the formation of a dedicated data centres team and the appointment of four experienced professionals to senior roles.

The new team will be led by Richard Wellbrock, who has been named Managing Director, Data Centres. Wellbrock has more than 25 years of real estate experience, including nearly two decades focused on data centre development. Previously, he served as Chief Commercial Officer at Colt Data Centre Services (DCS), where he was involved in delivering large-scale data centre campuses across Europe and Asia and contributed to the company’s growth from 100 megawatts to 1 gigawatt of capacity. His tenure included participation in a $1.5 billion joint venture with Mitsui.

Joining Wellbrock are Nick Parker as Head of Capital Deployment, John Belton as Head of Development, and Paul Terry as Infrastructure Director for the data centres business.

Nick Parker was formerly Global Senior Director of Asset Management at Colt DCS, overseeing more than €5 billion in capital deployment strategies and supporting transactions involving approximately 250 megawatts of capacity. He was also involved in structuring joint ventures and investment strategies in regions including India, Japan, and Europe.

John Belton, who brings around 40 years of experience in engineering and data centre development, previously served as Global Senior Director of Development at Colt DCS, managing a global development portfolio with a pipeline capable of delivering over 1 gigawatt of IT load.

Paul Terry, who held the role of Global Director of Development Infrastructure at Colt DCS, was responsible for overseeing infrastructure design and delivery, including utility and technology programs, from land acquisition through to project completion.

All four executives will be based in London and report to Robert Dobrzycki, CEO and co-owner of Panattoni Europe, UK, Middle East, and India.

Robert Dobrzycki commented that the company’s move into data centres represents an important step, noting the role of data centres as critical infrastructure for modern economies. He highlighted the extensive experience that the new team brings to Panattoni’s operations.

Richard Wellbrock said that Panattoni’s experience in large-scale development provides a strong foundation for the new data centre initiative. He expressed plans to expand the business across Europe, the UK, India, and the Middle East, with a focus on serving hyperscale operators, cloud providers, and enterprise customers.

Panattoni’s entry into the data centre sector builds on its experience in delivering over 23 million square metres of industrial and logistics space across Europe.