Technology Consultant of the Year
Francesca Downey is a technology consultant whose career is defined by one clear conviction: geospatial technology is not a support function but a strategic industry asset. Across some of the UK’s most complex infrastructure programmes, she has built a reputation for transforming fragmented, underused data into capability that reshapes how organisations and entire sectors make decisions.
Her work on the M25 with Connect Plus Services set the tone for her consulting approach:
- deeply listening
- challenging assumptions
- and reframing GIS from “a map” to a decision‑making engine
At Sizewell C, one of Europe’s most complex nuclear megaprojects, she established an enterprise GIS that now supports over 1,500 users and has become the programme’s trusted source of spatial truth. Her ability to restore confidence under pressure was demonstrated at Hinkley Point C, where she rapidly reset an underperforming GIS function, introducing targeted automation and governance delivering immediate, high‑value impact.
Francesca’s influence extends beyond individual programmes. At Northumberland County Council, she rebuilt a struggling GIS service into a council‑wide asset saving 25,000 staff hours annually. With The Crown Estate, she shaped the Offshore Wind Evidence and Knowledge Hub, a sector‑shifting digital platform recognised internationally. This work exemplifies her ambition: to create technology that convenes industries, not just organisations.
Alongside project delivery, Francesca leads a 70‑strong national geospatial team and the global AtkinsRéalis GIS network, championing best practice, nurturing talent,
and influencing how emerging technology shapes the future of infrastructure.
Francesca is not only delivering technology, she is redefining its impact at industry scale.
View the profile in the MCA Members Directory.