Critical Building

Étienne is a Senior Data Center Project Manager at Critical Building, where he has been working since 2014. He supports both French and international clients on a variety of projects, including site selection, certification, technical design, and construction supervision.

His extensive experience enables him to manage all aspects of a complex industrial building, coordinating specialists efficiently without needing to be an expert in every field. He enjoys the diversity of projects, the varying timelines, and the strong relationships built with clients and partners.

The international scope of his work provides opportunities for English-language collaboration and occasional travel. He also values the flexibility and people-focused management at Critical Building, which contribute to his professional growth and fulfillment.

Vincent has been a Project Engineer at Critical Building since 2020, specializing in Due Diligence and carbon accounting. He works across the entire data center lifecycle, from site selection to construction, refurbishment, and technical audits.

His responsibilities include project management, commissioning, project support, and feasibility studies related to audits. In Due Diligence, he assesses risks, geotechnical factors, pollution, and biodiversity to evaluate constraints and acquisition costs.

He values the variety of projects, autonomy, flat management, and collaboration with technical experts. Passionate about energy efficiency and carbon accounting, he finds these areas to be a real professional driving force.

Jean-Marc, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Critical Building, is passionate about his work. Founded in 2006, the company specializes in critical and sensitive data center infrastructure, where uninterrupted service is essential.

Critical Building stands out for its high technical expertise, independence, and human-centered values, all within a close-knit, human-sized organization. With extensive experience, the company shares its know-how in an industry that offers no formal training path.

Amid the digital growth, Jean-Marc highlights the challenges ahead: meeting global demand, innovating in energy performance, and attracting new talent that is rigorous, curious, English-speaking, committed, and environmentally conscious.

Christophe is a Civil Engineer specialized in Building Engineering. After starting his career as a Project Manager in residential and commercial construction, he shifted at the end of 2006 to focus on data centers. Today, as a Project Director at Critical Building, he primarily provides project management support across a variety of projects.

Christophe values the diversity of assignments, the enriching interactions with clients, and the opportunity to contribute from the definition of requirements through to operations.

Passionate about technical developments and industry challenges, he combines expertise, a global vision, and a strong sense of teamwork.

Christophe is also highly committed to supporting young talent, fostering their skill development and autonomy in a supportive and positive environment.

Nadim, 26, holds a degree in Architecture and Climate Engineering. He joined Critical Building at the end of 2024 and works in Project Management Support, handling both the early stages of projects (feasibility studies, due diligence, etc.) and the final phases of construction.

From the start, he discovered the world of data centers on-site, before gaining autonomy by leading his own assignments with the support of experienced experts. Curious and motivated, he aims to further develop his skills in this rapidly growing sector, manage his own projects, and contribute to the onboarding of new team members within a dynamic and supportive environment.

Damien has been a Senior Project Manager at Critical Building since 2022, bringing over 20 years of experience in data centers.

He chose Critical Building for its family-like spirit and close relationship with the founders, valuing the team’s solidarity and mutual support.

The company benefits from strong technical expertise and active industry monitoring, allowing him to focus on the reliability, resilience, and energy efficiency of critical infrastructures.

For Damien, optimizing this efficiency is essential, as good design can reduce energy consumption by up to 50%, a major challenge in the face of rising costs and the integration of renewable energy sources.

Grégoire, a Civil Engineer specialized in Climate Engineering, is passionate about construction and technical innovation.

As a Project Director at Critical Building, he has been managing complex project management assignments since 2008, leading multidisciplinary teams and coordinating external experts with precision.

Grégoire values the diversity of projects and clients, with each assignment bringing its own challenges and innovations, ranging from a high-performance energy-efficient underground data center to one integrated into a commercial building.

Committed to knowledge transfer, he also mentors junior team members and develops educational tools to facilitate collaboration and strengthen collective expertise.

Renaud is a Project Officer at Critical Building. He conducts feasibility studies, designs and refurbishes data centers, supports clients during construction and project handover, and performs audits. With nearly 20 years of experience at Orange, spanning operations and engineering, he has a comprehensive understanding of the sector.

Joining Critical Building in 2024, he aims to share his expertise while expanding his scope of action. Passionate about this evolving field, he offers efficient, impartial, and tailored solutions, while ensuring minimal energy impact.

At Critical Building, Renaud values dynamism, innovation, and intergenerational knowledge sharing.

Mélissa has been an Engineer at Critical Building since 2020. Hired straight out of school through a work-study program, she primarily provides project management support for the construction of one of France’s largest data centers for an international client.

She also works on project management assignments and feasibility studies in renovation, focusing on energy efficiency and redundancy.

Mélissa values the trust of her clients, the international scope of projects, and collaborative teamwork.

She has taken on responsibilities such as managing an apprentice and is deepening her knowledge of environmental challenges and regulations.

Her involvement in the early stages of projects allows her to influence technical choices toward responsible and efficient solutions.

Pierre has been a Commissioning Project Engineer at Critical Building since 2023. A generalist engineer, he quickly developed a passion for data centers. He oversees the commissioning and proper functioning of critical installations, particularly power supply and cooling systems, through thorough testing, including simulated power outages.

His role requires a comprehensive understanding of equipment and strong foresight, with frequent travel across France and internationally.

Pierre values the variety of assignments, the advanced technologies, and the international context.

Having progressed from Commissioning Agent to Commissioning Manager, he now manages tests, script writing, teams, and client relations within an agile and dynamic company.