Studio

Collaborating from our design studio in the United Kingdom and working on projects across the globe, at Driven we all love what we do.

About Driven

Our personable team offers a blend of experienced and qualified design directors, creative designers, project managers, architects, engineers, visualisers, technicians and consultants. 

We combine our expertise and passion to deliver fresh thinking approaches to motorsport, automotive and sports venue design projects.

Jobs

We’re always looking out for great people to join the Driven team. Please check back here and on our LinkedIn page for future job listings.

Meet the Team

Find out more about our staff and what motivates us to deliver your projects.

Ben Willshire

MANAGING DIRECTOR

BIOGRAPHY

Ben Willshire is the founder and Managing Director of Driven International.

With 18 years of international design experience on major sports construction projects, Ben’s core strengths lie in client liaison, business modelling and setting initial design concepts for the Driven team to implement from concept to operation.

Over his professional career, he has held roles as designer, manager, consultant and company director at privately owned companies and public sector research establishments, exposing him to a variety of projects internationally and working in over 50 countries. Ben’s focus at Driven is setting and implementing the strategic direction of the company and aiming to ensure our clients continue to receive a personable service with unique design ideas.

He graduated from the University of Hertfordshire with a BSc (Hons) Motorsport Technology and Management degree, and has since gone on to build his career in the niche industry of developing motorsport venues around the globe, eventually leading to founding Driven International in 2015 and since growing to become an award-winning, innovative and experienced team.

Ben has lead various international motorsport and leisure development projects over his career with one of his proudest achievements being leading the redesign of Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi which has been used for Formula 1 since 2021. Alongside this, he also lists the design of Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia and the re-engineering of Buddh International Circuit as key moments, both going onto host successful MotoGP events, the former hosting the inaugural Indian Grand Prix.

Other smaller projects that sit pride of place in his career include local sports planning, redevelopments and sustainability projects around the United Kingdom.

Away from his desk, Ben is a keen racing driver and sports enthusiast. He won 4 national super kart titles from 2011-2012, and today continues to enjoy racing in the BMW 116 Trophy with DTO Motorsport. When not working or racing, he will be spending time with his family or finding new places to travel to and experience.

Alan Selby

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

BIOGRAPHY

Alan brings over 30 years of international business experience to the Driven team​.

After building and operating successful IT and property businesses across his career, Alan advises the Driven team on the strategic growth of the business, implementing sound commercial structures and providing access to new markets through his extensive business contacts.

Ramzi Darghouth

PROJECTS DIRECTOR

BIOGRAPHY

Ramzi is the Projects Director at Driven and brings 17 years of experience in design and management of motorsport, automotive and industrial system integration projects.

He joined Driven in 2016 as the first recruit to the team, bringing innovative solutions and pragmatic oversight to both technical and management related challenges within the business. Ramzi oversees the planning and programming of Driven’s project portfolio and all technical outputs from our studio.

Ramzi graduated with a Masters’ degree in Automotive Engineering before spending over 15 years working in both motorsport and the industrial design sectors, acting as a designer, senior engineer, project manager and company director. He is a dedicated and approachable director with a passion for problem solving and innovation, and responsible for maintaining Driven’s business management systems.

With experience in health and safety management under CDM 2007 and 2015, and a technical background in engineering, simulations and mathematical modelling, Ramzi has also developed several aspects of the business in relation to safety planning such as through track simulations, risk management, and venue safety assessments, which are all central to Driven’s design approach.

Ramzi is also passionate about the environment and has worked with several clients in the motorsport sector to widen awareness of sustainability and best practice in the sector. He is also experienced in commercial feasibility planning, cost estimates and P&L / cash flow modelling for new and emerging projects and businesses.

Scot Elkins

USA REPRESENTATIVE

BIOGRAPHY

Scot Elkins brings a wide range of expertise to Driven, with over 25 years of experience in the motorsport and automotive industries.

​He is currently the Race Director of the FIA Formula E Championship and Extreme E Championship, and has previously served as the Deputy Race Director of the FIA Formula 1, 2 and 3 Championships, and as Race Director for the DTM Championship. Scot is also an FIA Platinum Grade Circuit Inspector.

Scot provides operational, engineering, safety and logistical support with a wealth of experience from across his career, and as Driven’s USA Representative he plays a key role in helping us expand our reach across North America. He graduated from Indiana State University with a degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology and now lives in Los Angeles.

Previously, Scot was Vice President of Competition for IMSA, where he directed and managed the competitive and technical facets of the merger between Grand-Am Road Racing and American Le Mans Series. Before his career at IMSA, he was Technical Director for the Champ Car World Series, where he oversaw the introduction and design of the Panoz DP-01, the new chassis for the 2007 season. He has also worked as a race engineer in NASCAR, IndyCar, the Atlantic Championship Series, SCCA, the Skip Barber Race Series, and with UK-based Cosworth Electronics.

Previously, Scot served as IMSA Vice President of Competition, Champ Car Technical Director, and worked as a race engineer in NASCAR, IndyCar, ASC, SCCA, and the Skip Barber Race Series. He is also the COO of the Motorsport Safety Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving safety standards in motorsport.

Baba-Jallah Epega

AFRICA REPRESENTATIVE

BIOGRAPHY

With over 25 years experience in events management, brand marketing and public relations, Baba-Jallah Epega brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Driven, serving as our Africa Representative.

Baba attended the Queen Mary University in London, studying Economics (Mathematics and Statistics) and Spanish, and went onto work as a mathematician and banker at Bloomberg TV and Barclays Capital.

Drawing on the skills he acquired during his time there, Baba founded EMC3 in 2000, providing expertise in areas including client entertainment concierge packages, the booking and co-ordination of corporate functions, brand marketing, events and experiences. Their London head office is supported by partner offices in Africa, the Middle East, mainland Europe and the United States.

Baba’s experience, expertise and creativity brings a unique perspective to Driven’s process, using a detailed approach to realise bespoke answers that cater to the particular needs of each project.

Karun Chandhok

RACE DRIVER CONSULTANT

BIOGRAPHY

With his wide-ranging experience in motorsport, Karun Chandhok is integral to the design of our new projects, serving as our Race Driver Consultant.

​He has driven an array of cars on nearly 100 of the world’s most famous race tracks, and with that he provides a unique perspective on the creation of new race tracks, upgrades to existing tracks, as well as automotive driving centres.

His experience of working as an advisor to the Buddh International Circuit on the operations of the F1 Indian Grand Prix, working at the Silverstone Race School and being an advisor to the Madras Motor Race Track is particularly useful when looking at the masterplan layout and operational models for new circuits.

Karun is part of an exclusive club of only two Indian Formula 1 drivers, having raced for Hispania and Lotus in 2010 and 2011 respectively. He has been a member of the FIA Drivers’ Commission since 2013, sitting alongside racing legends including Nigel Mansell, Emerson Fittipaldi and Tom Kristensen, representing the views and rights of drivers around the world.

During his time racing in the FIA Formula E Championship, he was also elected by the other drivers as the Driver Representative to work with the Formula E and FIA authorities on a wide variety of subjects including safety, promotional activities, sporting regulations and its future structure.

Karun is a familiar face to motorsport fans, working as a Formula 1 expert analyst and commentator for Sky Sports, and previously for the BBC and Channel 4. He has also appeared on an array of other motoring programs and continues to indulge in his passion for historic machinery by serving as Williams’ Heritage Driver and participating in events such as Goodwood Revival and Festival of Speed.

He also conducts an annual charity event, ‘Karun’s Karting Carnival’ in the UK to raise funds for the education of underprivileged children in India through his family run Vishnu Devananda Charitable Trust.

Steve Dellow

CIVIL ENGINEERING REPRESENTATIVE

BIOGRAPHY

Steve is an experienced director with a background in civil engineering, with a wealth of expertise in operational and people management, as well as business development skills spanning both the public and private sectors.

He brings over 35 years of experience of managing teams of engineers and technicians, overseeing a variety of complex projects using his strong organisational skills coupled with a pragmatic approach.

As a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Stevehas a comprehensive understanding of aligning strategy and sales with effective business plans, being able to engage people and ensure successful project delivery.

Steve’s expertise extends into the land development sector, where he has served as a Project Manager for the master planning of significant residential developments, and his international experience includes working in the Middle East including Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, accumulating over 5 years of residential expertise in region. Additionally, he has made meaningful contributions through his work in India, and his passion for civil engineering is complemented by a love for international travel.

Graham Nicholls

PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT

BIOGRAPHY

Graham is a RIBA qualified architect and urban designer, working as our in-house Principal Architect and playing an integral part in the design of our site masterplans.

With a Diploma in Architecture from Oxford Brookes and a Master’s in Urban Design from the University of Westminster, Graham has over 12 years of industry experience working as an architect for top international design firms, such as Broadway Malyan and KSS. In 2016, Graham established himself as an architectural and urban planning consultant to provide high end residential architectural services to a number of private clients in and around London.

After delivering several successful projects, Graham joined Driven in 2017 bringing a skillset that enables us to offer architectural designs and site plans from concept, through detailed design and construction phases. Graham also heads up our virtual reality and augmented reality design work.

Chris White

PRINCIPAL CIVIL ENGINEER

BIOGRAPHY

Chris is Driven’s Principal Civil Engineer and leads our civil engineering planning and design work.

​He has been working in engineering consultancy since graduating university in 2015 where he obtained a MEng in Civil Engineering. After spending almost 5 years with a large engineering consultancy working across a wide range of sectors, he joined Driven International in 2020 to enhance our multi-disciplinary offerings.

Chris has provided advice on civil engineering projects from concept through to construction and has experience from small highway improvements up to nationally significant infrastructure projects.

He has experience in a wide range of engineering sectors, with his core skills focusing around highways, drainage and earthworks. He also maintains a good working knowledge of industry standard modelling software and standards for use on Driven projects.

Jack Kerry

VISUALISATION LEAD

BIOGRAPHY

Jack is the Visualisation Lead at Driven, responsible for continually pushing the capabilities of our virtual models, renders, animations and videos to new heights.

When he joined Driven in 2016, Jack came from studying Games Development at college, completing a Level 3 Extended Diploma. With this, he has developed a set of bespoke tools to enable track designers to load designs into our driving simulator to test layouts with quick turnaround times.

Jack also led the build of Driven’s in-house simulator itself, used for developing our new projects to help get a sense of driver feeling and to identify any possible issues before construction begins, also enabling clients to test their tracks from an early stage in the design process.

Alongside his role in leading our visualisation team, he also assists our designers, engineers and architects in creating technical drawing outputs for projects and is proficient in SideFX Houdini, Blender, 3DS Max, Adobe Substance Suite, AutoCAD, Microstation and OpenRoads.

Dan Selby

TRACK DESIGN LEAD

BIOGRAPHY

Dan is responsible for ensuring that our track designs and layouts meet the required technical and safety standards, using our in-house CAD and track simulation software.

He started his passion for track design and motor racing through online gaming and worked for many years as a freelance graphic designer, before joining Driven in 2017.

Dan is responsible for the design of race tracks and driving courses from concept level through to schematic design as well as assisting the team in the final detailed design phases. He has also taken his online racing into the real world, holding an ARDS License (Association of Race Driver Schools) which allows him to compete in race events and continually expand on his track knowledge, bringing that back to the design team and applying his creative flair on our projects, whilst meeting the requirements of governing bodies such as the FIM, FIM and CIK.

Matt Birkett

COMMUNICATIONS LEAD

BIOGRAPHY

Matt is our Communications Lead, playing a key role in the initial stages of projects in producing design concepts and presentations as well as maintaining Driven’s marketing content.

​He joined the company in 2018 with a degree in BA (Hons) Visual Communication from Arts University Bournemouth, and in his role Matt combines his graphic design prowess with a lifelong passion for motor racing and track design.

Matt’s expertise in editorial design, typography and visual communication sees him working alongside some of our clients to design additional graphics and marketing material for projects, such as bespoke brochures, coffee-table style books and presentations, all produced to an exceptionally high level of attention to detail.

Alongside his project responsibilities, Matt also maintains Driven’s company brand including the website, brochure, video content and social media. He also works closely with the directors in client liaison and business development, frequently attending industry networking events and conferences representing Driven.

Gary Dearn

COMMERCIAL MANAGER

BIOGRAPHY

Gary brings a range of expertise to his role as Commercial Manager, from 40+ years working in the motorsport and automotive industries.

He has worked at a number of race tracks across his career, including Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom as Track Operations Manager, and Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi as Circuit Manager during its initial opening. More recently, Gary has worked in Saudi Arabia as Senior Manager of Automotive and Motorsports Safety and Risk, developing circuit operations and safety plans for an upcoming FIA Grade 1 circuit to be used for Formula 1.

Gary has a proven track record of managing, motivating, and supporting staff to build and maintain successful teams, with a talent for strategic planning, managing budgets and making decisions based on careful analysis. He is experienced in improving procedures to enhance operational efficiency and company best practices to ensure continued excellence.

With excellent communication skills, Gary builds and maintains good working relationships with stakeholders, partners, customers, and colleagues across all levels of personnel within a project, listening to their needs and advising them on matters raised in a professional manner, contributing ideas and suggesting ways of improving the smooth running of operations.

Gary is skilled in the pricing and delivery of bespoke products, being able to meet targets by setting and prioritizing tasks and objectives, with a keen eye for forecasting and controlling P&L accounts while identifying areas of new growth. Overall, he is a dedicated, determined and committed to delivering excellence in all situations, promoting a positive and professional attitude in all circumstances.

Helen Cotton

PROJECTS COORDINATOR

BIOGRAPHY

Helen plays an essential role at Driven coordinating our projects and providing operational support, with a proven track record of leading people, processes, projects and programmes.

She is a strong operational manager, decision maker and communicator, essential to our project management team and liaising with clients regarding invoicing, contracts and bids. As a qualified PRINCE 2 and MSP Practitioner, Helen is experienced in leading teams and applying these methodologies to a variety of projects.

Before joining Driven, Helen acted as Group Manager, Engineering and Technology at Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), responsible for their business stream of 40+ active projects, and delivering public and privately funded projects on CAV technology. She was also Interim Director of the division for 1 year, responsible for leading their strategic planning along with the other members of the executive leadership team.

Helen has also previously worked as a Project Manager at Transport for London, managing the delivery of an investment programme aimed at improving congestion through optimising traffic signals and modernising assets.

Amye Acres

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

BIOGRAPHY

Amye is Driven’s Executive Assistant, having started with the company in 2022.

In her role, Amye combines her excellent client liaison and team management skills to assist our team across all aspects of the business, bringing 12 years of international experience.

She graduated from the University in Sussex in the United Kingdom before moving to Canada and working as a Personal Assistant for two Managing Directors of a Real Estate team, and as Office Manager. She then moved back to the United Kingdom and worked in Belgravia, London as a Lettings Operations Co-Ordinator, working with high-net-worth clients.

Amye plays a key role in the day-to-day running of Driven, ensuring our team are organised with appropriate international travel visas and coordinating visits with clients and external teams, as well as providing administrative support at the office.

Dimitrios Gravanis

CIVIL ENGINEER

BIOGRAPHY

Dimitrios has been working in engineering since 2017 and is experienced in producing high quality deliverables for our clients.

​He graduated with an MSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Birmingham and worked at a research consultancy for 2 years in pavement lab testing, becoming familiar with asphalt properties itself, before joining a large engineering consultancy firm in 2019, and then Driven in 2021.

Dimitrios has worked in a wide range of sectors from small scheme upgrades in the highway network to highly important infrastructure, developing his CAD and 3D software skills along the way. This combined with his background in pavements and highways means Dimitrios plays a key role in preparing full engineering packages following relevant guidelines and specifications.

Sangam Kodandarama

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER

BIOGRAPHY

With his background in architecture and industrial design, and a lifelong passion for motorsports, Sangam joined Driven in 2022 as an Architectural Designer.

​After completing his Masters in 2019 at Coventry University, Sangam moved back to his native India to work as a full-time architect for a new race track project. During this period, Sangam worked alongside an FIA Circuits Commission member where he acquired a breadth of knowledge about race track design and safety, whilst progressing his architectural design and visualisation skills.

Sangam now works at Driven as an Architectural Designer, working alongside our Principal Architect and the visualisation team on concept designs, developing visualisations, sketches, masterplans, FIA track design and schematics.

Fred Stokes

VISUALISATION TECHNICIAN

BIOGRAPHY

Fred has been working at Driven since 2020 as a Visualisation Technician, helping to create increasingly more detailed and immersive models for our clients.

He works closely alongside our designers, engineers and architects to create 3D simulation models of our projects, for both internal testing by Driven and also for use by clients and wider audiences. Fred is proficient in Blender, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Substance Painter and the wider Adobe suite, allowing him to produce virtual models from scratch along with sets of still renders and videos generated from the models.

Since joining Driven, Fred has helped to push the visualisation capabilities of the company to new heights, drawing upon his background in games development and CGI to produce comprehensive models covering everything from the main entrance roads to a site, to the buildings, track details and wider surrounding environments.

David Woolridge

TRACK AND SIMULATION ENGINEER

BIOGRAPHY

David joined Driven in 2022 and is our Track and Simulation Engineer, with superb knowledge and experience from working trackside with race teams and now helping to design new tracks and driving courses.

He studied Automotive Engineering at the University of Windsor in his native Canada, also working for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (now Stellantis) in the vehicle dynamics driving simulator lab alongside his studies. David then furthered his education in motorsports engineering by completing his MSc in Advanced Motorsport Engineering at Cranfield University in the UK.

At Driven, David plays a key role in race circuit design and he has an excellent understanding of what features make a circuit great for racing, overtaking, general driving satisfaction, and how to make safety improvements using our in-house CAD and safety simulation software. He also continues to work part-time as a race engineer, allowing him to continue strengthening his knowledge and industry experience by working with race teams.

Keegan Rhodes

CIVIL ENGINEER

BIOGRAPHY

Keegan works alongside our engineering team to provide assistance with engineering designs, utilising his background in highways and drainage.

​After graduating in 2018 from Loughborough University with a MEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering, Keegan started his career working for an engineering consultancy, spending 4 years working in a multi-disciplinary team using his core skills in highways, drainage and earthworks to lead residential development projects from concept to construction. In that time he developed his knowledge of national standards and legislation, as well as honing his skills in CAD and 3D modelling software, and in 2022 he joined Driven to enhance our civil engineering offerings.

Anthony Khoueiry

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER

BIOGRAPHY

Anthony works alongside our architecture team to develop motorsport and leisure building sketches, visualisations, drawings and masterplans.

Developing his skills in computational and parametric design, Anthony’s passion for organic shapes and fluidity in architecture brings a fresh approach not typically seen in many motorsport buildings. He earned his Masters degree in Sustainable Building Design from Solent University, following his undergraduate studies in Lebanon at the Holy Spirit of Kaslik where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture.

Anthony joined Driven in 2022, and with his background in sustainability in architecture he is passionate about redefining the landscape of motorsport buildings in the industry, pushing the boundaries of computational and parametric design technologies to bring innovative approaches to Driven’s work.

Jake Wright

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

BIOGRAPHY

Jake is working with the team at Driven alongside his studies in becoming a fully qualified architect.

He currently assists our architecture team on projects, producing concepts and presentations for projects, as well as providing technical support across the company. Working at Driven combines his passion for architecture, design and technology with his other passion for motorsport. Jake is currently studying BA Architecture at the University of Westminster in London.

CONTACT US

WE WILL BE IN TOUCH

Get in touch to discuss how Driven International can help your project.

ADDRESS

Driven International Ltd
Landmark House,
Station Road
Hook, Hampshire
RG27 9HA, UK

PHONE

UK: +44 (0) 1256 767766
USA: +1 (0) 706 870 3743

ADDRESS

Driven International Ltd
Landmark House,
Station Road
Hook, Hampshire
RG27 9HA, UK

EMAIL

PHONE

UK: +44 (0) 1256 767766
USA: +1 (0) 706 870 3743