Interviewing nice guys is hard work. They tend to be smart, ambitious, organized, and calculated, therefore they tend to be too prepared and too careful with disclosure, maintaining that shiny veneer. They qualify for big jobs for a reason. It’s easy to get them to talk business. The challenge is getting them to reach around and pat themselves on the back.
I was introduced to Patrick Lynch by Greg Pettine, currently with Schneider Electric’s design build initiative. Pat and Greg reside in metro Denver and are both healthy examples for the rest of us to emulate. While the majority of us are regretting that last adult beverage at the conference hotel bar as our ambitious 7 a.m. breakfast becomes a reality, Pat and Greg are returning from their morning 10K. Yep, those guys. Greg introduced me to Pat when he was the vice president of Data Center Real Estate at Coresite, then CRG West, when they needed a vice president of critical infrastructure. Pat came to CRG West from Level3 Communications where he was head of global real estate during a time of incredible growth in the telecommunications industry. Today, legacy Level3 executives sprinkle the C-Suites in the data center market and Pat worked with them all.