Jo Da Silva Dbe
About Jo Da Silva Dbe
Jo Da Silva is the Global Sustainable Development Director at Arup, with a background in engineering and extensive experience in sustainable development and humanitarian work.
Title
Jo Da Silva Dbe holds the position of Global Sustainable Development Director at Arup since 2019. Her extensive career includes roles that focus on sustainable development, resilience, and humanitarian engineering.
Experience at Arup
Jo Da Silva began her career at Arup in 2002, serving as Associate Director for five years in London. She then founded and led Arup International Development from 2007 to 2019, emphasizing the improvement of human development outcomes in the global south. In 2019, she took on the role of Global Sustainable Development Director at Arup.
Education and Expertise
Jo Da Silva graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in Engineering, completing her studies in 1988. She has furthered her impact through her expertise in sustainable development and humanitarian engineering, recognized by an honorary doctorate from Coventry University.
The Resilience Shift Involvement
In 2016, Jo Da Silva co-founded The Resilience Shift to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure worldwide. She served as Technical Director in 2017 and Acting Director from 2018 to 2020, contributing significantly to the organization’s mission.
Humanitarian Contributions
Jo Da Silva has a notable history in humanitarian work, including her role as Senior Shelter Co-ordinator for the UNHCR in Sri Lanka in 2005. She has dedicated much of her career to disaster response and recovery, as well as promoting social equity through sustainable infrastructure projects.
Awards and Recognition
Jo Da Silva was awarded the Gold Medal by the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2017. She has been honored with the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her contributions to engineering and humanitarian efforts. She is also acknowledged for her scholarly contributions, having authored numerous papers on sustainable development.