A coffee with…David Newcombe, head of enterprise businesses in EMEA, Seagate

David Newcombe, head of enterprise businesses EMEA at Seagate, traces his unconventional path into tech, from a hearing aid telemarketing job to navigating the channel through roles in networking, storage, and a short-lived stint in digital marketing.

After gaining deep experience at companies like Avnet and Ingram Micro, David joined US data storage firm Seagate in 2013 and has since risen through the ranks to lead the enterprise and surveillance business across EMEA. He shares insights into leadership, the critical role of data storage in the AI era, and why integrity and innovation must go hand in hand in today’s data-driven world.

Where did your interest in tech first spark?

In telemarketing. I worked in the hearing aids division for a subsidiary of Siemens, and my role was to set appointments over the phone for follow-up consultations.

Talking over the phone to the hard-of-hearing isn’t without its challenges and difficulties. But the somewhat unusual role taught me a lot. Not only did I love working with tech, but I also loved the human interactions and connections.

Did you have any professional setbacks or challenges, and how did you overcome them?

I joined a digital marketing start-up for a short amount of time, my experience there was a bit of a setback. Although I was given a fancy job title and promises of fortune, glory and shares, it didn’t take too long to realise the company wasn’t able to deliver. And ultimately, it wasn’t a good fit for me.

I actually clashed with the owner as I wasn’t willing to compromise on my integrity, so things didn’t work out. But I’m glad I took advantage of the opportunity. I’m a firm believer that it’s better to try than always wonder what could have been.

What impact has AI had on storage and what advice do you give to data leaders on how to navigate this?

The AI age is presenting unprecedented challenges for the data storage industry. The scale of data growth is difficult to grasp. In 2028, as many as 400 zettabytes will be generated. To put that into context, that’s a number four followed by a whopping fourteen zeroes. Or four hundred trillion gigabytes for scale.

Not only are we creating more data in the AI age, but we’re also creating richer content, which is being both replicated and retained more so than ever before. Whether you’re storing this data locally or in a data centre, it must be stored somewhere. Evidently, the AI-fuelled data growth will disrupt the global storage supply and demand equilibrium. Businesses need to be able to store more data, in less space, sustainably.

What needs to change to accelerate AI?

The global perception of storage in the AI equation. It is a crucial cog in a huge AI machine.

As AI use transitions from experimental to an everyday business reality, attention will shift to the question of trust.

AI can only be trusted if the data behind it is trustworthy. Whether it’s from capturing training checkpoints to saving source data sets, the more data we retain during the entire process, the more we can validate AI as trustworthy.

How has working in the data storage industry shaped the way you see the world?

I’m very aware of how surrounded we are by hard drives. While most people might not give it a second thought, I do often find myself thinking about the sheer scale of data storage.

Whether it’s the drive in your set-top TV box that you record Eastenders onto, or the CCTV systems in shopping centres and airports that are hooked into a data storage system, data – and data storage – really is everywhere.

Scale this up to the enterprise level, and we know that 90% of exabytes held in data centres are stored on hard disk drives. And then, when you work for a company like Seagate, you realise the integral and often silent role this technology plays in keeping our everyday lives chugging along.

But a challenge that the data centre industry must overcome as a whole is the sustainability challenge. Energy usage is a top concern for over half of business leaders, and the solutions that can be used to overcome them. So managing AI’s growth sustainably is definitely an aspect that must be improved moving forward.

Can you share an experience that shaped your leadership philosophy?

I’ve been very fortunate to learn from many great leaders throughout my career so far. However, it can often be the, let’s say, less great leaders and difficult situations that you ultimately end up learning more from in the long term.

Early in my career, I found myself in a difficult spot. I’d recently started a new role, and the company had forced me to give a quarterly forecast I didn’t believe in. Quite frankly, our pipeline said one thing, but the forecast I had to present told quite a different story.

Regrettably, a mixture of not having long started my role and internal pressures led to taking the “easy route” and giving the overly optimistic forecast.

Well, not too long down the line, and I had to change that forecast to match reality anyway. And it reinforced to me that never again will I feel forced to act in this way and support something I don’t believe in.

So, my leadership style is defined by transparency and honesty. That’s how we can address obstacles and challenges head-on and achieve a successful outcome. Integrity really is everything.

When you need to relax, how do you unwind?

On a sunny afternoon walking along the canals and through the Buckinghamshire countryside with my English bulldog, Bruno is where you will find me. That’s how I like to escape the madness at home and work to get away from it all for a while.

Usually, I’ll pop a podcast on as well. Depending on the day, it could be an episode of Diary of a CEO or something to make me laugh like Parenting Hell.

What’s your go-to coffee order?

Possibly controversial, as a proud Englishman my go to is a cup of Yorkshire tea – milk and one sugar please.

But, in a nod to my wife’s Italian roots, I also enjoy a double espresso. Ideally, enjoyed somewhere in southern Italy!