Lionel Diers

Lionel is an accomplished engineer with over 20 years of experience in I&C, including more than a decade in the nuclear sector. His career spans automotive industry, pharmaceutical, building management systems, infrastructure, and security technologies, cyber-security OT governance, before focusing on nuclear projects such as EDF Generation fleet in France and new build Hinkley Point C.

Since relocating to the UK in 2020, Lionel has played a central role in major programmes such as the commissioning preparation of HPC, leading teams and overseeing strategic I&C work packages for early commissioning activities. He has built and managed high-performing groups of engineers, from graduates to principal specialists, and has successfully delivered projects across France, Europe and the UK.

His expertise covers SCADA, automation, cyber-security OT, and complex turnkey contracts, alongside business management and P&L responsibility. Lionel’s leadership style is hands-on and collaborative, ensuring technical excellence while supporting organisational growth.

Beyond delivery, Lionel is committed to capability development and innovation.

At Acuity Engineering, Lionel enhances the company’s strategic I&C offering, helping clients from front-end engineering design to commissioning acceleration, improving system performance, and strengthen organisational capability in complex nuclear environments.

Instrumentation & Control (I&C): 20+ years’ expertise across SCADA, process control, automation, and complex I&C systems.

Team Building & Management: Proven ability to recruit, train, and lead high-performing teams across Europe. P&L, budgets, KPIs, and risk management for multimillion-euro contracts.

Commissioning & Delivery: Leadership of commissioning activities including temporary control rooms, safety I&C systems, and network/security integration.

Cyber-Security & Governance: Technical and organisational expertise in audits, governance frameworks, and secure industrial network environments.

Security Systems: Design and commissioning of complex video-surveillance and access-control systems.

R&D & Innovation: Led R&D initiatives with universities and industry partners, embedding students in live projects.

International Experience: Career spanning France, Spain, Slovakia, Belgium, Finland, the UK, and major European projects including CERN’s LHC accelerator in Switzerland.

Strategic Advisory: Supports senior leadership on I&C strategy, risk, workforce planning, and organisational readiness.

Likes: Strong coffee in the morning (non-negotiable), my Wednesday night football game — the best stress relief of the week, working with motivated teams who want to get better every day, enjoying a good glass of Pomerol — and yes, the French accent makes it taste better

Dislikes: missing my lunch due to back-to-back meetings, projects where no one knows who owns what, losing my Wednesday football match because we really should have scored that last goal, the moment my electric car tells me I don’t have enough battery to get home

LinkedIn: View Profile