Fountainhead Control Rooms Launches Mission-Critical Performance Group Led by David Lee
Fountainhead Control Rooms has launched its Mission Critical Performance Group, led by David Lee, to bring human systems engineering expertise to complex control room projects.
October 7, 2026
New group helps organizations plan how operators, procedures and technology will work together, before the room is built.
October 7, 2026 | Norcross, GA
Fountainhead Control Rooms (FCR) has launched the Mission-Critical Performance Group (MCPG), a new human systems engineering service for complex control rooms. MCPG expands our turnkey approach beyond consoles, technical furniture and AV integration, helping clients plan how their people, procedures and technology will perform together, not just how the room will be built.
The group is led by David Lee, CEng, FIChemE, who has joined Fountainhead as Principal Consultant. David brings 40 years of industry experience and roughly 35 years of work in automation standards bodies.
Why Fountainhead Created the Mission Critical Performance Group
Some of the costliest control room issues are set before the first console is installed: an alarm philosophy carried over from an old system, decision authority that was never mapped, or training that ends the day the room goes live. MCPG addresses these early, when they are easier and less expensive to fix.
"A control room can meet every dimension on the drawing and still let operators down," said David. "Alarm floods, cluttered screens, unclear roles and fatigue are what cause trouble on a bad night. Our job is to work through those issues while there is still time to design around them."
Expanding Fountainhead’s Control Room Advisory Capabilities
MCPG adds a human performance advisory layer to Fountainhead’s existing design and integration capabilities. Its work can begin during early planning, with an assessment of an existing operation, or alongside a larger control room design project.
The group brings expertise in areas including operator performance, alarm and HMI strategy, human factors, organizational design and industry standards. Detailed information about MCPG services and engagement options is available on the Mission Critical Performance Group page.
Clients can start with an educational workshop or a gap analysis of an existing facility, then move into standards development and detailed design. Because MCPG is part of Fountainhead, its recommendations carry straight through to delivery, including consoles, technical furniture, full AV integration and raised access flooring.
"Our customers count on us to build rooms that hold up under pressure," said [NAME, TITLE]. "With David leading MCPG, we can help them get the operational side right as well, from alarm philosophy to shift structure."
David Lee Joins Fountainhead to Lead MCPG
David is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). He spent 22 years in specialty chemicals, mainly in automation engineering and management, followed by 20 years consulting on operator performance. He has delivered projects in about 40 countries across chemicals, oil and gas, mining, power, pipelines and other sectors.
He serves on the Executive Board of the International Society of Automation (ISA) and is slated to become ISA President in 2028. He is a member of several ISA standards committees, including ISA-18.2, ISA-101 and ISA-106.
Learn More About Mission Critical Performance Group
Planning a new control room, upgrading an existing one, or working through alarm, HMI or staffing challenges? Contact David Lee at david.lee@fountainheadcontrolrooms.com or 678-506-7335.