Geoffrey Willis

Geoffrey Willis is an engineer and technology leader recognised for his influence on modern motorsport engineering and high-performance innovation. Serving as Chief Technical Director of INEOS Britannia, Geoffrey has built a career at the pinnacle of elite competition, contributing to championship-winning programmes in Formula One and helping guide Britain to the America’s Cup Final for the first time since 1964.

Geoffrey developed an early fascination with engineering through sailing on the Solent and building model aircraft and car kits. These early interests sparked a curiosity about aerodynamics and fluid motion that would later define his career. Geoffrey went on to study engineering at the University of Cambridge, specialising in mathematics, thermodynamics and fluid dynamics. After graduating, he joined the National Physical Laboratory, where he worked on advanced hydrodynamics research in Oxfordshire. During this period he later completed a PhD in Engineering Science at the University of Exeter, focusing on fluid behaviour and its engineering applications. Geoffrey’s expertise soon led him to the British America’s Cup Blue Arrow design project, where he worked on hull and keel development using emerging computational modelling techniques.

Geoffrey entered Formula One in 1990 when he joined Leyton House Racing, becoming one of the first engineers to apply computational fluid dynamics to racing car aerodynamics. This pioneering approach quickly attracted attention and led to his move to Williams Formula One Team, where he worked alongside Adrian Newey before rising to Chief Aerodynamicist. During this era the team secured five Constructors’ Championships throughout the 1990s, cementing Williams as one of the most dominant teams in the sport’s history. In 2001 Geoffrey became Technical Director at British American Racing, leading the team through its transformation into Honda’s factory operation and guiding the engineering programme that achieved second place in the 2004 Formula One Constructors’ Championship. He later served as Technical Director at Red Bull Racing, contributing to the development structure that would soon deliver championship success. In 2011 Geoffrey joined Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team as Technology Director, playing a key role in the engineering leadership that delivered eight consecutive Formula One Constructors’ Championships and multiple Drivers’ Championships during one of the most dominant periods in motorsport.

Today Geoffrey brings decades of elite engineering leadership to the global stage as a keynote speaker. Drawing on his experience across Formula One, advanced simulation and America’s Cup sailing, he shares insights into innovation, decision-making under pressure and building high-performance teams. His talks connect the principles behind championship success with real-world business challenges, demonstrating how technology, leadership and culture combine to produce results at the highest level. For audiences seeking inspiration from the world of elite engineering and performance, Geoffrey provides a rare perspective from inside some of the most successful technical programmes in modern sport.