GHD appoints Kelly Crawford as general counsel for Asia Pacific

Global professional services company GHD has strengthened its in-house legal team with Kelly Crawford, who has been appointed general counsel for the Asia Pacific region. 

Recently listed among Australasian Lawyer’s In-house Leaders for 2022, Crawford joins from Arup, were she worked close to a decade within the firm’s legal department. Earlier, she spent two years with law firm Ashurst. 

“Welcoming someone with Kelly’s experience and skills is a significant boost for our legal team. We look forward to seeing Kelly’s positive impact and contribution to GHD’s legal practices,” said chief legal counsel Denise Obst.

Based in Sydney, Crawford will help GHD further professionalise the legal side of its commercial and corporate matters. She also brings considerable experience in tackling litigation. 

Globally, GHD has over 10,000 practitioners working from offices worldwide. Crawford oversees the legal operations of its 5+ offices in Asia Pacific, including in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and Singapore. 

“I’m delighted to have joined GHD at such an exciting time of growth and expansion for the enterprise globally. As a trusted advisor with substantial experience in stakeholder engagement and delivering solution-focused strategic outcomes, I look forward to making a significant impact not only across the APAC region, but more broadly across GHD,” Crawford said. 

Late 2021, GHD appointed Coralee Fitzgibbon as its APAC leader for inclusion & diversity.