Speakers

Dawn is the CEO of nLighten operating a pan-European network of edge data centres and also a Non-Executive Director of Pure Data Centres Group building and operating hyperscale data centres globally. Before joining the Data Centre Industry she led a multi-billion transformation programme for National Grid across both the gas and electricity transmission businesses. This followed several senior engineering appointments as: the Group Engineering Director for Merlin Entertainments with responsibility for engineering delivery and standards across the worldwide portfolio of theme parks; and the Head of Engineering at Gatwick Airport. She joined Gatwick after 23 years as an Engineering Officer in the Royal Air Force.

She is a Trustee of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Chairs the Audit & Risk Committee and a Trustee of the Air League. She was the longest serving President of the Women’s Engineering Society, turning it around over a 5 year tenure, and is currently the Co-Chair of the iMasons People Committee.

She was honoured with a Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering in October 2020 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the engineering profession and was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) for services to engineering in the King’s New Years Honours 2023.