British data center developer and operator Kao Data announced on Tuesday that Bruce Claassen will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company starting from October 1, 2026.
Claassen has over 20 years of international financial leadership experience in multinational and multi-industry companies, with more than ten years focused on digital infrastructure and high-growth businesses supported by private equity. Kao Data stated that as the company continues to expand its data center platform in Greater London and Greater Manchester to meet the growing needs of AI and advanced computing workloads, Claassen will join the company.
Kao Data indicates that Claassen will join at a critical stage of the company's growth. At that time, he will work alongside the CEO and the senior management team to assist in expanding the business scale in order to support the company's ambitious plans. He will also closely collaborate with the board of directors and investors to advance new projects located in Stockport, Greater Manchester (Stockport) and West London (Park Royal), as well as continue to progress with the award-winning AI ready park situated in Harlow, Essex (Harlow).
Claassen has extensive experience in capital investment, refinancing, and building high-performing financial teams, having held positions in both listed companies and private equity-backed enterprises. He previously worked at an international data center developer and operator, Global Switch, where he served as the Group Financial Director for four years. More recently, he also served as the acting CFO. In these roles, he was responsible for the group's financial organization in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region and oversaw major refinancing projects that supported the company's continued global expansion.
Claassen indicates that: "The data center industry is undergoing unprecedented changes, and I am delighted to join one of the leading digital infrastructure companies in the UK, as it continues to support the growing demands from AI and the ultra-large-scale cloud sector. I look forward to working closely with the board of directors, investors, and management team to drive the long-term growth strategy of Kao Data, building on the company's solid foundation and reputation in designing and operating data centers for AI and advanced computing workloads."
Kao Data CEO Spencer Lamb stated: " Bruce has extensive experience in fast-paced, high-growth companies supported by private equity, and also possesses deep expertise in capital investment and refinancing. We are delighted to welcome him to Kao Data to take on the role of CFO. As we continue to accelerate our growth ambitions and meet the growing needs of our customers, his combination of experience in digital infrastructure, financial leadership, and private equity makes him an ideal candidate for this position."
According to the information provided, Claassen was born and raised in South Africa. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Witwatersrand, he moved to the United Kingdom. Subsequently, he earned his Chartered Accountant (CA) qualification in London and became a senior member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (FCA, ICAEW). Claassen began his career in several complex, transforming international listed companies and has spent the past decade working mainly in high-growth enterprises supported by private equity. Before joining Kao Data, he held senior financial leadership positions at Towergate, Worldpay, RAC, and Global Switch, where he accumulated extensive experience in capital investment, refinancing, and business transformation.
Claassen will officially assume the role of Chief Financial Officer for Kao Data on October 1, 2026. For more information, please visit the company's website.
About Kao Data
Kao Data leads the industry by being the first to develop and operate data centers for AI and advanced computing in the UK and Europe. The company has planned ultra-large-scale facilities on both sides of London and in northern England, including the largest data center in northern England planned for the Greater Manchester area, providing services for the most demanding computing infrastructure in the technology sector.
The company has received numerous awards, and its data centers, which have passed the NVIDIA DGX - Ready certifications, are designed, engineered, and operated by a highly respected team in the industry. Kao Data states that this provides a secure, scalable, and sustainable computing environment for customers deploying critical AI tasks, as well as enterprise and cloud workloads, and promises 100% up-time.
The data center portfolio of Kao Data includes a load of over 237 megawatts ( MW ) from IT, covering projects that are already in operation, under construction, or in planning, and all are supported by the highest energy efficiency, sustainability, and ESG qualifications.
With the support of leading international investors and boasting several industry-first achievements, Kao Data represents the future of industrial-grade, high-capacity data centers for AI and next-generation computing.
