Piero Gallucci

In an era of exponential data growth, the tech industry faces a looming crisis. Data centres, the backbone of our digital world, are on track to consume a staggering 8% of global electricity by 2030, with this surge in energy consumption not only inflating IT budgets but also raising alarming environmental concerns. 

At a time when companies are drowning in unused data and grappling with soaring IT costs, the answer lies in smarter, more sustainable solutions. Piero Gallucci, Vice President and General Manager, UK & Ireland at NetApp, joined the company in 2022. In this role, he leads UK and Ireland employees, while focusing on NetApp’s transformation as a hybrid cloud leader in the market.

Here, Piero sits down with Technology Magazine to discuss NetApp’s solutions for optimising data management through automation, the cost of unused or unwanted data and the importance of intelligent data infrastructure. 

Tell us about your background and what led you to your current position

“I've been in the industry for more than 25 years, primarily in what I'd term as infrastructure. I started with Fujitsu, then spent some time at Unisys and later at Intel, which was an unexpected move for many. I tend to pursue roles that are a bit off the beaten path, and Intel was a prime example of that. The opportunity was intriguing as it was all about reclaiming the European financial services market, an area where I've spent much of my career.

“After Intel, I spent seven years at HP, which became HP Financial Services. There, I worked with some of the largest banks, and ultimately, I led the relationship with HSBC, which was one of HP's biggest clients – not just in banking, but across all sectors. During this time, I really honed my skills in engaging with customers at the most senior levels, focusing on growing those relationships.

“In 2016, I had a bit of an epiphany while on holiday and decided to venture into the startup world. I joined Docker, which was making waves in the market at the time, and eventually led the European and Asia-Pacific business for them. This was a significant departure from the large, established organisations I was used to. In startups, you learn quickly because you're often building from scratch, which requires a whole new set of skills. I stayed in that space for a few years.

“Later, I had the opportunity to take my startup experiences to VMware, where I ran the European business for Tanzu. I was there for nearly two years before NetApp came knocking. It was an opportunity to be part of a significant transformation at the organisation. This transformation is twofold: first, in terms of how we engage with the market and our customers, and second, in how the organisation itself operates – how we sell, what we sell, and why we sell. Both aspects have been equally challenging and enjoyable.

“I've been at NetApp for about 19 months now, and this is my seventh quarter. We've seen significant changes in how we do business in the UK, how we engage with partners, and how our teams are focused. The messaging and narrative we bring to the market have also evolved. It feels like I've been here much longer but in a good way. However, there's still much to be done, especially as the market becomes increasingly complex. It's no longer enough to have the best or fastest technology; customers are far more informed and expect a mature engagement just to earn a seat at the table.”

How would you describe the current technology landscape?

“I think there have been two fundamental shifts in the last five to 10 years. When I first entered this market with an infrastructure focus, there were key vendors and it was mainly about compute and software. But over time, there has been a significant shift in software, particularly around DevOps and the rise of applications. At the same time, we’ve seen the rise of hyperscalers and the services they offer.

“Nowadays, the technology landscape within any of our customers is a mix of legacy infrastructure, applications, and newer technologies required to support modern architectures and consume services from hyperscalers. Budgets are strained, particularly in traditional areas, and so is people's time as they manage more relationships than ever before. To make the most of the budget and the conversation with a customer, it's no longer enough to just discuss infrastructure. You need to understand the outcomes that the organisation is trying to achieve and how to complement them. If you don't, you'll struggle to become a strategic vendor. In the past, having the best products might have sufficed, but that's no longer the case.

“When I look at our customer engagements, especially those we're engaging with for the future, we're becoming a strategic partner because we understand the outcomes they're trying to achieve, both from a business and technology perspective.”

NetApp's research shows that 41% of data in the UK is unused or unwanted. What are the implications of this?

“It all boils down to cost because that data has to be stored somewhere. Over the last decade, we've seen infrastructure costs, particularly storage, steadily decline, while the cost of people has steadily increased. Many companies have simply solved the problem by buying more infrastructure rather than addressing the underlying issues. But the reality is that they're building increasingly expensive environments to maintain, and the people needed to support them are becoming more costly.

“Looking at some of the large organisations I've worked with, their IT budgets have nearly doubled in the last ten years. This is largely because they've continued to invest in more infrastructure and more people to manage it, rather than addressing the root causes of data growth and management inefficiencies.”

What are the environmental costs of this data waste?

“The statistics are quite stark. By 2030, it's expected that 8% of the world's electricity will be consumed by the IT industry. That's a terrifying figure. Many organisations are looking for technologies with lower power consumption and are upgrading to more efficient solutions, but few are changing the fundamental way they design and deploy their architecture. That's where a big opportunity lies.

“For NetApp, this is a significant differentiator. We approach this by asking how we can use the three components of core data centre technology, software, and hyperscalers to achieve the best balance between cost and sustainability. This is why we're seeing more customers engaging in these conversations. They want to buy less storage, but they're generating more and more data.”

Can you tell us about NetApp's offerings to help businesses manage these challenges?

“I'd break it down into three main areas, but overall, we're providing a true hybrid approach to the market. This means a continuous and consistent experience, regardless of the underlying infrastructure. On the core side, which is the product side of the data centre, we're now delivering market-leading technologies. There's been significant investment from NetApp, and we've expanded our portfolio to the broadest it's ever been in the company's history. Earlier this year, we also made a big move into the SAN market, a space we hadn't competed in before.

“From a hyperscaler perspective, all three major players – AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud – now have a first-party offering with NetApp. Each has its own version of the NetApp proposition. This speaks volumes about the strength of the NetApp brand. If our brand wasn't strong, if it didn't resonate with customers, we wouldn't be in a position where all three hyperscalers are competing to sell a NetApp-branded proposition. We're seeing significant growth in this space, driven not only by us but by the hyperscalers as well. They see NetApp as a solution for running large-scale, critical applications that require high performance and resilience.”

Where do you see things going in terms of managing data estates and policies?

“We've talked about the proliferation of data, technologies, and vendors. I think many large organisations are now looking for simplification. Technology costs have gone down, but people costs have gone up, and that's not sustainable. Many customers are striving to achieve a fully automated, fully orchestrated infrastructure – a "factory floor" of sorts. They're looking to inject more intelligence into their infrastructure and have something consistent and consolidated across all the architectures they provide to their customers.

“That's where the future lies. There's a definite drive towards more automation and greater orchestration. It's about taking responsibility away from expensive and scarce resources and letting them focus on activities that drive the business forward, rather than spending more time managing infrastructure. NetApp's concept of an intelligent data infrastructure is not just a marketing line; it's a consistent drive towards injecting intelligence into the infrastructure, allowing businesses to focus on their growth.”

What are your perspectives on future trends in the tech landscape?

“I think the intelligent data infrastructure piece is crucial. It's a significant differentiator for us because no other technology vendor has that breadth of capability right now. I know we've touched on sustainability, which is a big focus for us. Personally, I have three young boys, and I want to create a world where they can live their best lives. My kids laugh at me because if we're out for a walk, I'll pick up pieces of plastic. It might be an age thing, but I genuinely believe that if everyone did their bit, we could make a big difference.

“This mindset extends to work as well. It feels good to know that we're making a positive impact. There's revenue and profit for the company, but if we're helping customers reduce their environmental footprint by upgrading their technology, that's something to be proud of.

“Lastly, on the topic of AI, we see AI as just another workload. It's not something that should create silos. AI will become business as usual, so it's better to have technologies that can scale and integrate seamlessly into your existing infrastructure. Injecting intelligence into the technology is key to that, and we're taking a broader approach by helping customers avoid expensive, unmanageable silos of data in the future.”

To read the full story in the magazine click HERE

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