Apx names three senior hires in European expansion

Apx Data Centre Solutions has appointed Kris Wauters, Stuart Newman and Philippe Torres to senior roles in Europe, expanding its leadership team as it grows its data centre business across the region.

The hires follow the rebrand of LFB Group's data centre division as Apx and add more than 70 years of combined sales and engineering experience across HVAC, IT cooling systems and data centres.

Wauters has joined from Mitsubishi Electric as Enterprise Manager for the Benelux region, covering Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. He has worked with telecoms companies, precision laboratory cooling customers and mid-market data centre operators.

Newman has been appointed Business Development Manager for the UK, Ireland and European markets. He will work with consultants, contractors and end users on reference designs and specifications for data centre projects.

Torres, formerly with FläktGroup and Schneider Electric, has joined as Business Development Director. Drawing on his experience in precision cooling for server rooms, data centres and wider HVAC systems, he will focus on customer relationships in the French market.

The appointments take headcount in the data centre business to 23. Apx aims to expand the dedicated team to 50 across Europe by 2027.

Regional push

The recruitment drive comes as demand for data centre infrastructure rises across Europe, particularly in markets adding more computing equipment and higher-density racks. Cooling systems and heat rejection equipment have become a greater priority for operators seeking to manage reliability and energy use.

Belgium is one of the markets Apx sees as gaining momentum. Wauters' local knowledge and technical background are expected to support growth across the Benelux region.

In the UK, Ireland and wider European market, Newman's role will focus on linking engineering requirements with customer project planning. His remit includes working with consultants and contractors at the specification stage, an important route to winning work on large infrastructure projects.

Torres' appointment strengthens Apx's senior commercial presence in France, one of Europe's larger data centre markets. His work will include long-term customer support across hyperscale, enterprise and colocation facilities.

Company background

Apx is LFB Group's data centre cooling business, with roots in engineering, HVAC and refrigeration. It was formed from the group's dedicated data centre team and operates in the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Spain.

Its manufacturing and research sites are in Lyon and Longvic in France, and Burgos in Spain. These facilities support the design and production of heat rejection systems for mission-critical sites such as data centres.

The company has positioned itself around closer collaboration with customers at the design stage of projects. The aim is to address the technical and operational constraints that can emerge as data centre operators install more powerful computing systems.

Newman commented on the appointments on behalf of the three new hires.

"We're really excited to join the Apx Data Centre Solutions team, not least because it's such a critical moment for the industry, but also because there's a real opportunity here to do something different. For such a long time, the sector has relied on 'cookie-cutter' strategies and specifications, but the pace of AI and rising rack densities means that those old blueprints no longer offer the technical certainty these critical environments need."

"The ethos here at Apx is about working side-by-side with our customers, not as a supplier but a partner, using our experience to develop tailored solutions that design out issues before they arise, and anticipating constraints that others may miss. By combining the experience of myself, Philippe and Kris, alongside the support of Apx's talented team and the LFB Group's state-of-the-art facilities across Europe, we're uniquely positioned to help customers navigate the challenges yet to come," Newman said.

Chief Executive Officer Matt Evans said the appointments reflected a wider effort to build specialist expertise in the business.

"One of my main ambitions for the company, when we set out almost a year and a half ago, was to build a team of real experts-specialists driven by innovation and a drive to do more-to genuinely help our customers across the globe by putting to use backgrounds in mechanical and electrical engineering, design and, most importantly, an experience of how big projects are successfully executed."

"Together, these three names bring just that: years of hands-on experience, deep industry knowledge and a relentless focus on customer needs. Their leadership will continue to drive the division forward, helping us deliver practical, agile solutions that solve real customer challenges. With their experience, I've no doubt they'll help raise the bar across the data centre sector, setting new standards for service, reliability and long-term partnerships that our clients can depend on," Evans said.