Keynote SpeakersGeoff Willis is a leading F1 keynote speaker, a Formula 1 Technical Director and a high-performance engineering leader. Geoff has decades of experience shaping championship-winning teams, advanced engineering programmes and cutting-edge technology innovation.
Across an extraordinary career in Formula 1 engineering, Geoff has played a central role in the success of leading teams including Williams, BAR Honda, Red Bull Racing and Mercedes-AMG Petronas.
His work has helped deliver multiple Constructors’ Championships, while advancing the use of aerodynamics, digital simulation, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and data-driven engineering design in elite motorsport.
Beyond Formula 1, Geoff Willis has led pioneering initiatives that apply high-performance engineering, simulation technology and systems thinking to industries including automotive, marine engineering and elite sport.
Through leadership roles with Mercedes Applied Science and INEOS Britannia’s America’s Cup campaign, he has demonstrated how Formula 1 technology and performance culture can drive innovation far beyond the racetrack.
Renowned for combining deep technical expertise with strategic leadership, Geoff shares powerful insights into innovation under pressure, building world-class engineering teams and sustaining high performance in complex, fast-moving environments.
Engineering & Championship Innovation:
Educated at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, Geoff Willis specialised in fluid dynamics and thermodynamics before completing a PhD in Engineering Science at the University of Exeter.
He joined Williams Formula 1 in 1990 after demonstrating the potential of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for racing car aerodynamics. As Chief Aerodynamicist, working closely with legendary designer Adrian Newey, he helped develop the aerodynamic tools and simulation capabilities that underpinned Williams’ dominance during the 1990s, contributing to five Formula 1 Constructors’ Championships.
Technical Leadership in Formula 1
In 2001, Geoff Willis was appointed Technical Director at British American Racing (BAR), guiding the team through its transition into Honda Racing and helping deliver second place in the 2004 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship.
He reunited with Adrian Newey in 2007 at Red Bull Technology, helping establish the technical foundations that led to four consecutive Formula 1 World Championships.
Further senior leadership roles followed at Hispania Racing and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
As Technology Director at Mercedes, Geoff oversaw programmes across aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, simulation and dyno testing, contributing to the team’s unprecedented era of eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships.
Mercedes Applied Science & Technology Transfer
In 2020, Geoff Willis became Technical Director of Mercedes Applied Science, where he led the transfer of F1 technology, engineering methods and simulation capabilities into other sectors, including automotive engineering, cycling performance and marine innovation.
This work demonstrated how high-performance engineering methodologies, digital simulation and integrated systems design can deliver competitive advantage across multiple industries beyond motorsport.
INEOS Britannia & The America’s Cup
Through a collaboration between Mercedes and INEOS, Geoff Willis led the technical partnership supporting INEOS Britannia’s America’s Cup challenge.
As Technical Director, he built and led a multidisciplinary team combining Formula 1 engineers, simulation specialists and marine designers. Their work culminated in the launch of RB3 Britannia in 2024 and victory in the Louis Vuitton Cup, securing the UK’s first America’s Cup final appearance since 1964.
Geoffrey Willis Keynote Speaker Topics:
Leadership, Culture & Capability Building:
How leadership behaviours, organisational culture and long-term capability development create sustained success in high-performance teams and engineering organisations.
Innovation Under Pressure:
How world-class teams drive innovation, design evolution and technical breakthroughs in fast-moving, highly competitive environments like Formula 1 and elite sport.
Strategic Thinking in Fast-Paced Environments:
Lessons from motorsport on decision-making, managing complexity and leading teams under extreme performance pressure.
