Drax appoints Deidra L. Jackson as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for North America

Drax Group, a global leader in renewable energy and carbon removals, has appointed Deidra L. Jackson as Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs North America, effective August 4.

Drax Group, a global leader in renewable energy and carbon removals, has appointed Deidra L. Jackson as Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs North America, effective August 4. Jackson will be responsible for leading the corporate affairs strategy and stakeholder engagement across the region, including government relations, media, industry partnerships, and community outreach.

A seasoned executive with over two decades of experience, Jackson brings a distinctive blend of expertise in public affairs, corporate communications, and policy advocacy, honed through leadership roles at global consulting firms and major energy and chemical companies. Most recently, she served as Chief External Affairs Officer at Ridgeline Advocacy Group and Senior Advisor at FTI Consulting where she advised Fortune 500 clients on complex communications challenges, ESG strategy, and regulatory engagement.

Jackson has also held senior roles at BASF, ICF Consulting, Shell Oil Products US, and PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she led initiatives spanning stakeholder activism, crisis management, corporate philanthropy, and workforce development. Her ability to navigate the intersection of business, policy, and reputation has earned her recognition as a trusted advisor to corporate leaders and policymakers alike.

Based in Washington, D.C., Jackson is known for building high-impact partnerships across government, industry, and civil society. She has led multimillion-dollar public affairs campaigns, managed stakeholder coalitions in highly regulated sectors, and helped companies successfully position themselves within emerging markets such as clean energy, sustainable manufacturing, and carbon capture.

Deidra will report into Drax Group’s Chief Sustainability Officer Miguel Veiga-Pestana, who welcomed the appointment: “Deidra brings a fantastic wealth of skills and experience to the company, and I’m looking forward to her joining the team. We have a great story to tell about how we are supporting local communities, economies and energy security and she will be instrumental in leading our work in this area.”

“I’m honored to join Drax at such a critical moment in the global energy transition. I look forward to working with our partners across North America to build a cleaner, more secure energy future, one that delivers real value for communities, customers, and the planet,” said Deidra L. Jackson.