Kao Data Taps Spencer Lamb for CEO in Strategic Push for UK AI Dominance

LONDON, UK – May 29, 2026 – Kao Data, a specialist developer of data centres engineered for artificial intelligence, has appointed Spencer Lamb as its new Chief Executive Officer. The move finalises a strategic leadership evolution designed to aggressively scale the company's operations and solidify its position as a cornerstone of the UK's burgeoning AI infrastructure.

Lamb, an industry veteran with over two decades of experience, steps up from his role as Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer, a position he has held since joining the company in January 2020. His appointment creates a powerful dual-leadership structure alongside Founder and Executive Chairman, David Bloom. This model is deliberately engineered for growth, with Lamb driving day-to-day operations and commercial execution while Bloom focuses on long-term strategic priorities, including major financing, capital partnerships, and government engagement.

A Leadership Structure Built for Scale

The appointment is not just a change in title but a formalisation of a strategy to accelerate Kao Data's growth in the high-stakes AI computing market. Under the new structure, Lamb is tasked with leading the operational execution across the company's expanding UK platform. His focus will be on the continued development of its AI-ready data centre capacity and ensuring its design and delivery models remain at the cutting edge of AI's demanding requirements for high-density power and advanced cooling.

This move is a direct reflection of Lamb's successful tenure as CCO, during which he spearheaded the company's go-to-market strategy. He was instrumental in securing major contracts with clients in the cloud, AI, and enterprise sectors, and played a pivotal role in transforming the company's Harlow campus into a premier UK hub for high-performance computing (HPC) and scientific research. His leadership also drove the expansion of Kao Data's portfolio into a multi-site operator with facilities in Slough, Northolt, and a significant new development planned for Greater Manchester.

In a statement, David Bloom praised the internal promotion, calling it a "natural evolution" and describing Lamb as a "'Kao person' through and through and an outstanding leader in this industry." He elaborated on the strategic division of labour: "As CEO, Spencer will drive Kao Data's operations and day-to-day growth strategy, while I remain directly focused on the strategic priorities that will shape our next chapter: major financing, capital partnerships, M&A, and our ongoing engagement with government on the UK's AI infrastructure agenda. This is a leadership structure built deliberately for scale."

Lamb himself highlighted the company's culture as a key factor. "One of the biggest strengths of Kao Data is our 'player-manager' mentality, recruiting from within to develop and grow our people, which is exactly what this role calls for," he said. "I am looking forward to ensuring Kao Data continues to play a strong and defining role in the UK's AI infrastructure story."

Powering Britain's AI Ambitions

Kao Data's strategic restructuring is timed to perfection, aligning seamlessly with the UK government's explicit goal of becoming a global AI superpower. The government has backed this ambition with significant investment, including a £900 million program for a national supercomputer and plans for a 20-fold increase in public computing capacity by 2030. This national push creates immense demand for the specialised, high-density data centres that are Kao Data's specialty.

Lamb has been a vocal and proactive champion for developing this homegrown AI infrastructure. He has spent considerable time engaging with local and central government, advocating for the critical role data centres play in the digital economy. His work has emphasized the need for a parallel strategy that aligns the growth of compute power with the expansion of the UK's national grid and energy infrastructure—a crucial consideration as AI workloads become increasingly power-intensive.

Kao Data's expansion into Greater Manchester with a planned £350 million, 40MW facility is a prime example of this alignment. It not only provides much-needed capacity outside the congested London market but also supports the government's agenda to build regional digital resilience and establish 'AI Growth Zones' across the country. By providing the foundational compute layer, Kao Data is positioning itself as an indispensable partner in achieving the UK's national AI objectives.

The Financial Engine for Expansion

This ambitious growth strategy is underpinned by a robust financial foundation and the backing of major international investors. In October 2023, New Zealand-based infrastructure investor Infratil Limited increased its holding to become the majority shareholder with a 53% stake. It is joined by prominent UK investor Legal & General Capital (32%) and founding investor Goldacre - Noé Group (15%).

This strong shareholder support enabled Kao Data to secure a significant £206 million debt financing package from Deutsche Bank in early 2024. The funding, which includes an accordion facility to extend it to £356 million, is earmarked to fast-track the development of new and existing sites, with a particular focus on supporting GPU-powered computing across the UK and eventually continental Europe.

This capital injection is precisely the kind of strategic financing that Executive Chairman David Bloom will now focus on amplifying. His role will be to secure the long-term capital partnerships and explore M&A opportunities that will fuel the next chapter of growth, ensuring the company has the resources to meet the tidal wave of demand from AI and advanced computing workloads. The combination of Lamb's operational drive and Bloom's strategic financial oversight creates a formidable engine designed to keep Kao Data at the forefront of the industry forseeable future.