James Mitchell is head of project management for DSD’s U.K. office, responsible for leading successful project delivery and spearheading some of DSD’s largest programs. In his 12 years spent at DSD, he has served as a coach and mentor and drives business systems, tools and processes used by the company.

With more than 20 years of powertrain consulting experience, James has honed his ability to understand the needs of the business as well as DSD’s customers and team, while fostering the philosophy, tools, processes and training needed to best serve them. Prior to joining DSD, he worked at Romax Technology in the U.K., specializing in transmission NVH analysis and leading training programs delivered around the globe.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering from Loughborough University in England and is PRINCE2 qualified.

In his free time, he enjoys working on various car, bike and DIY projects. He is also a keen photographer, cook and musician, and enjoys driving experiences and traveling with his family.

Rob Smith is head of Development and Test for DSD’s U.K. operations, with nearly 15 years of experience in powertrain system development and testing. In his role, Rob leads a team of highly skilled engineers and technicians in developing the next generation of driveline systems.

Throughout his career, Rob has worked on various powertrain development programs spanning small combustion engines, complex automotive transmissions, electrified drive systems and more. Most recently, he led the physical test and validation of a hybridized dual clutch transmission for high-performance sports car applications, taking the product from a clean sheet to volume production. Additionally, Rob has experience working in various development and test environments in the U.K. and Germany, covering prototype assembly, driveline and transmission system test, and vehicle testing.

Rob earned a master’s degree in automotive engineering from Loughborough University in England.

Gordon Jackson joined the growing DSD team in January 2024, bringing nearly 17 years of experience in drivetrain design and development to his role as head of Mechanical Engineering for the company’s U.K. office.

Prior to joining DSD, Gordon worked at Ricardo in both engineering and management roles for its Driveline and Transmission Systems department after first launching his drivetrain career with Eaton Transmissions. With a passion for innovative clean sheet design and a can-do attitude, he has enjoyed delivering numerous clean sheet driveline products to the passenger car, defense, off-highway and high-performance sectors.

Gordon earned a master’s degree in Automotive Engineering from Loughborough University in England. Outside of work, although Gordon has ‘hung his boots up’ having played rugby for over 30 years and represented Loughborough University’s Rugby League first team, he now coaches his son’s local rugby team as well as working on home garden improvement projects when time allows.

James McGeachie is the head of function – electrified powertrain for DSD, responsible for overseeing the U.K. team’s activity in relation to motor and power electronics design, analysis and simulation.

Most recently, McGeachie served as technical director at TAE Power Solutions, focusing on battery and power management technologies. Prior to that, he was a technical and program director at Zemo Partnership, analyzing the road to net zero. He also previously spent 12 years at Prodrive, working his way up to engineering director, and spending a large portion of his time on the electrification of all types of vehicles. He first entered the automotive industry by working for an engineering consultancy within Jaguar Land Rover.

McGeachie earned a master’s degree in engineering and manufacturing management from Coventry University in the U.K. In his spare time, he is a personal taxi driver for his teenage children and enjoys working on his Volkswagen Beetle, attending shows, playing football and running.

Jason Allen brings nearly 20 years of experience in drivetrain design and development to his role as managing director of DSD in the U.K. During his time at DSD, he has managed some of the largest programs undertaken by the company, including the development of a next-generation, best-in-class efficiency rear axle for a global Tier 1 supplier. He also spearheaded the development of a high-performance, hybrid rear axle, integrating the conventional ICE drive train with a 2-speed electric drive and eLSD. Since joining DSD in 2012, he has held numerous roles, including senior engineer, engineering manager and more.

Prior to joining DSD, Jason worked at Hewland Engineering designing and developing motorsport transmissions, including the development and calibration of the transmission and pneumatic shift system for the Ferrari 458 GT2, which went on to win 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Jason started his career in engineering as an apprentice and earned a BTEC higher national certificate in mechanical engineering from the University of West London.

Amie Freemantle brings more than 20 years of experience in the human resources (HR) field to her role as Head of HR. She first joined DSD in 2017, and currently is a member of the U.K. and U.S. Operation Board, and is responsible for HR, health and safety, facilities, compliance and quality.

Prior to joining DSD, Amie worked for a variety of small and medium enterprises in government, construction, consultancy and logistics settings.

Amie is chartered institute of personnel development (CIPD) qualified. She is a married, mom of three, who enjoys black coffee and, in her spare time, is an avid crime and psychological thriller book reader. As part of her bucket list, she hopes to one day take a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey.

Pedro Zabala has served as head of control systems at DSD since 2017, with a focus on growing and developing the team and delivering value to some of the top automotive, defense, marine, off-highway and agricultural vehicle companies in the world. Since joining DSD in 2010, he has also held positions as senior engineer and principal engineer, gaining extensive expertise in control systems development.

Prior to joining DSD, Pedro worked at Ricardo as a project engineer focused on structural analysis and optimization, dynamic modeling and simulation, and transmission control systems. In this position, Pedro worked on a variety of vehicles, from supercars like the Bugatti Veyron to race cars to passenger cars and even military vehicles.

Pedro earned a master’s degree in automotive product engineering from Cranfield University in Bedfordshire, England. In his spare time, he enjoys watching sports, spending time with his family and working on engineering projects. He also is a big fan of his birthplace, Argentina.