We caught up with Kerry – Manager of People and Office Operations at Datum – to find out how her role at Datum has evolved, her thoughts on tech, and what she thinks sets Datum apart.
Kerry began her career at Datum as an Executive Assistant in 2024. With a background in this role, and an interest in Datum’s ambitious MCR2 data centre project and its sustainability focus, the decision felt right.
Kerry describes her day-to-day as ‘as varied as it is busy’. Starting with employee requests (think holiday leave), moving to supplier invoices and purchase orders, and then on to projects such as updating company H&S (Health & Safety) policies and ensuring compliance with employment law. Keeping HR policies current, managing audits, and planning the grand opening of MCR2 all feature in her routine.
Kerry’s role has expanded far beyond executive assistance to include HR, H&S management, finance, and general office oversight. “It’s a really varied role, and it is never boring!” Kerry remarks.
Kerry’s key responsibilities:
What makes Datum stand out? According to Kerry, “It’s the people.” Working within a close-knit team with unique personalities makes every day different and rewarding. There’s a collaborative spirit at Datum; everyone pulls together and offers a helping hand when needed.
Kerry describes the work environment as a refreshing “grown up” culture that values trust and autonomy.
What’s the best part of working in the tech sector? “Never having connection problems,” says Kerry, recalling the headaches of previous roles with unreliable internet. The worst? “When Dan talks in tech jargon just to make me go cross-eyed. He does it on purpose, I’m sure!”
Essential tech? “My laptop and phone. Can’t do without them!” And as for the gadgets she could do without, “Probably anything Seb wants to add to the office. They can go to room 101.”
Family is central to Kerry’s life. Whether it’s catching up on the day’s school drama with her teenage daughter or watching superhero films with her son, she treasures time spent with her children.
When asked to describe Datum in just three words, Kerry hesitated – not because of a lack of options, but because she found it difficult to pin down. After some thought, she settled on ‘reliable, organised, sustainable’ as the most accurate reflection of Datum’s identity (although ‘smashing’ almost made the list!).