The global data center market is on the rise and Kohler is at the forefront of this rapid growth by ensuring uninterrupted backup power to these facilities. In this edition of our Global Power Partners Employee Spotlight, we shine a light on Marc Oeyen, a key figure in Kohler’s EMEA team, whose contributions have been instrumental in growing the EMEA region. Discover the story behind how an enthusiastic ice hockey player, who was a member of the Belgian National Team and participated in both world and European championships, ended up at Kohler!
Tell us a bit about yourself — your history in the industry, how you came to Kohler, your position and duties.
After I sold my own company in January 2006, I worked in the industry at Schneider Electric as a Key Account Manager. In May 2015, I began my career at Kohler as a Sales Engineer for the Belgian market with a focus on large projects. However, by 2016 the market was becoming saturated, so I expanded the area of focus to include the entire Dutch market. I initially focused on the Netherlands, building up a solid network and eventually expanded the data center market in this area where bigger power and quantities were needed.
Simultaneously, I created a partnership for Kohler with Koninklijke van Twist (KVT) to align with the company and become a main distributor. We were very successful in a short time and KVT is now one of the biggest distributors in Europe.
In 2020, I became part of Kohler's new dedicated data center team. Today, I am a member of the Global Data Center Team and specifically work on large data center projects in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia, and of course the countries where my customers are expanding.
What does it mean to you to be a data center global power partner, and how do you support this commitment in your day-to-day operations?
It is an incredible opportunity to be part of the Kohler data center team and work on the size and scope of projects that we do. We have an incredible team that collaborates on our many different projects. Every day we strive to rise to any challenge and gain a competitive advantage amongst competitors by delivering superior products and services.
What do you see being the biggest trends, considerations or requirements at play in the data center sphere today? How are these requirements currently being met, and what work still needs to be done?
The data center business is growing tremendously and the current trend is ‘more power on a smaller footprint.’ Reducing and eliminating emissions is also a top priority in the industry and Kohler is doing an excellent job of bringing forward viable options to the industry that address environmental sensitivities, while still understanding that more cloud applications means more data and more data means larger data centers that need reliable backup power solutions.
Are there any customer success stories you’ve been a part of that you’d like to highlight?
Overarching, just to be at the place I am at in my career and the trust I receive from my team is a great honor. However, more specifically, some of the success stories that I am most proud of include a project with a global data center in Amsterdam that will be installing 76 x KD3100E CPU with another 120 in the pipeline, 210 in the pipeline for Frankfurt and in Dublin, 48 x KD3100 are also upcoming. This is a big deal for the entire team - we all celebrate it together.
What do you find compelling about working in the data center sphere?
In my opinion, it is a privilege to work in the data center industry and be a part of the types of large scale projects that make a large impact. It’s a small world, everybody knows everybody, and to be part of this professional family is an incredibly fulfilling and motivating feeling.
Outside of your Kohler work, what do you like to do? Help us get to know you better.
I’m trying to relax more these days, but truth be told, I am available 24/7 for my customers, even during holidays. When I do find the time to disconnect, I enjoy skiing, driving my car, officiating at tennis tournaments. Traveling is also an interest.