James Dornor has made strides in championing diversity & inclusion in the motorsport world – exemplified by his acceptance of the Point of Light Award from the Prime Minister of UK, Rishi Sunak. James, Founder & CEO of Driven By Us, empowers aspiring leaders from ethnic minorities and underrepresented communities in the realm of motorsports. As a seasoned keynote speaker, he speaks on subjects like diversity, innovation, leadership and team management.
James’ career in Formula 1 has seen him work with several teams in the sport. He has been a Trackside Systems Engineer for the Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen, a Systems Support Engineer for McLaren Racing and the Electronics Support Engineer for Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team. Owing to his impressive 13-year long career in the automotive and motorsport industry, James has led his career with a sense of leadership and supreme team management skills. This is apparent in his role at Driven By Us and as Principal Systems Engineer for Leonardo.
James strives to support ethnic minorities and female groups in STEM, automotive and motor sports, therefore he serves as an Executive Board Member of the Association for the Black & Minority Ethnic Engineers. In 2023, he has the opportunity to sit down with the Prime Minister of UK, Rishi Sunak, to discuss the future of equity, diversity & inclusion in motorsports. For his tireless efforts in this space, James has also won the Point of Light Award from the Prime Minister, in addition to being recognised during the Black History Month Reception at 10 Downing Street.
Having worked closely with F1 stars like Sir Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Kevin Magnussen, James has led a magnificent career. He was also featured in The Hamilton Commission Report, which aims to improve representation of Black people in UK motorsport. A prolific speaker, James has delivered several powerful keynote addresses at numerous events, including delivering the closing keynote at the Institute of Civil Engineers. James Dornor is now available to hire for a wide range of events, using his platform to speak candidly about the need for diversity, equity and inclusion in the world of motorsport and outside it. Hire him today for your next event!
How to hire James Dornor
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring James Dornor for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do not accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
- 2024 – Delivered the Closing Keynote at the Institute of Civil Engineers
- 2024 – Invited as a panellist at the Autosport International
- 2024 – Invited to speak on the Inside Silverstone Podcast
- 2023 – Was recognised by the PM of UK at the 10 Downing Street Black History Month Reception
- 2023 – Met with the Prime Minister of UK to discus EDI in the automotive industry
- 2023 – Recipient of the Point of Light award from the UK Prime Minister
- 2023 – Founder & CEO, Driven By Us
- 2023 – Included on the Empower Top 100 Future Leader Role Models list by INvolve
- 2023 – Principal Systems Engineer, Leonardo
- 2022 – Executive Board Member, Association for Black & Minority Ethnic Engineers
- 2022 – Included on the Empower Top 100 Future Leader Role Models list by Involve
- 2021 – Featured in The Hamilton Commission Report
- 2020 – Electronics Support Engineer, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team
- 2018 – Systems Support Engineer, McLaren Racing
- 2017 – Trackside Systems Engineer for Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team
- 2012 – GT Customer Support Engineer, McLaren GT
- 2011 – Vehicle Engineer, McLaren Automotive
