James Dornor

James Dornor is a multi-award-winning systems engineer, and the CEO & Founder of Driven By Us, whilst serving as Principal Systems Engineer at Leonardo. He works at the intersection of high-performance engineering and inclusion, bringing a unique perspective shaped by over 15 years across elite motorsport and advanced systems engineering.

James built his career across some of the most demanding environments in high-performance sport, holding roles as Trackside Systems Engineer for Haas F1 Team (supporting Kevin Magnussen), Systems Support Engineer for McLaren Racing, and Electronics Support Engineer for Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, working closely with drivers including Sir Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris. He now applies that same precision at Leonardo, integrating hardware and software for advanced surveillance radar technology used in search and rescue operations.

Alongside his engineering career, James founded Driven By Us, a social enterprise connecting talented individuals from ethnically diverse backgrounds with mentoring, career development, and access to major motorsport events and leading employers the first ethnically-led organisation to be recognised as a club by Motorsport UK.

In July 2023, James was personally recognised by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with a Points of Light Award, and was invited to 10 Downing Street to discuss the future of equity, diversity and inclusion in motorsport. His work has since been featured in The Hamilton Commission, and has led to further recognition at Buckingham Palace and in partnerships with Sir Lewis Hamilton's Mission 44 and EngineeringUK. He has spoken nationally on BBC News, BBC Radio 5 Live, Sky Sports News and with the FIA, delivered keynote addresses at events including the Institution of Civil Engineers, and hosted engineering panels bringing together underrepresented voices shaping the future of the industry.

His recent honours include being named to the Top 100 Future Leader Role Models list by INvolve Empower for three years (2022, 2023, 2026), Highly Commended in STEM by both Evenfields’ Black Talent Awards (2022) and Potential Unlocked (2025), inclusion in Universities UK’s “1 of 100 Faces” campaign (2024), and the Unite Union’s Unity Over Division Hero award (2023). Most recently, Driven By Us was named Most Inspiring Campaign at the 2026 Race Media Awards for its work accelerating inclusion into the industry through STEM.

As a keynote speaker, James speaks on inclusion, culture and high performance, exploring how engineering, data and systems thinking can build stronger, more diverse teams and organisations. Drawing on a career built at the highest levels of motorsport and a personal story of turning adversity into purpose, he offers audiences a rare, credible bridge between technical excellence and cultural change. James Dornor is available to hire for keynotes, panels and workshops.