Robert Mann is pleased to welcome Kevin Hughes as our Head of Business Development, strengthening our capability across data centres, cooling and complex critical infrastructure environments — and further enhancing our integrated engineering solutions capability across data centre construction, bespoke engineering solutions and critical infrastructure projects.
Kevin brings more than 30 years of international experience across Australia, the UK, Singapore and the wider Asia Pacific region. His career includes senior leadership roles with global organisations including ABB, Schneider Electric and Emerson, where he worked at the forefront of high-performance data centre and critical power systems.
His appointment reflects Robert Mann’s continued investment in senior expertise — elevating technical conversations and supporting clients navigating increasingly complex infrastructure demands.
Infrastructure Expectations Are Changing
As AI accelerates demand on data centres and high-performance buildings, expectations around cooling, energy efficiency and resilience are evolving rapidly.
For organisations planning new facilities or upgrading existing assets, the challenge is no longer simply delivering capacity — it is ensuring systems are designed to perform reliably as workloads, heat loads and energy pressures continue to increase.
Kevin’s global experience means clients gain access to:
- cooling and power strategies already proven in high-density environments
- insight into how leading international operators are managing efficiency and resilience
- practical lessons learned — applied thoughtfully to local conditions
This includes expertise in advanced HVAC solutions, sustainable HVAC systems and data centre thermal management strategies designed for AI-ready and high-density environments.
“As infrastructure demands evolve — particularly with AI-driven workloads — early decisions around cooling and power integration have a lasting impact on performance, cost and reliability,” Kevin says.
What This Means for Your Project
Kevin’s role focuses on strengthening early engagement — helping clients make better-informed decisions before complexity, cost and risk are locked in.
Working alongside Robert Mann’s integrated engineering, construction and service teams, Kevin helps organisations:
- assess infrastructure readiness for emerging workload demands
- design cooling and power systems that scale efficiently
- reduce long-term operational risk and late-stage redesign
- align performance, resilience and lifecycle outcomes from day one
This approach reflects Robert Mann’s belief that the most valuable outcomes are achieved when engineering expertise is embedded early — not introduced once constraints are already in place.
Supporting the Next Phase of Infrastructure Growth
As data centre performance expectations continue to rise, Kevin will also represent Robert Mann across industry forums and discussions, contributing insight on:
- advanced cooling strategies for high-density environments
- energy efficiency under increasing thermal load
- infrastructure planning that supports long-term adaptability
“Kevin brings a rare combination of global perspective and hands-on expertise in data centres, cooling and critical infrastructure — exactly the capability clients need as buildings and energy systems become more complex,” said Sasa Mrkonja, General Manager, Robert Mann.
Start the Conversation Early
If you are planning a new facility, upgrading existing infrastructure, or assessing readiness for increasing performance demands, early engagement can make a measurable difference.
Get in touch to discuss how Kevin and the Robert Mann team can support your next project.