GHD appoints company veteran Jill Hannaford to newly created top role
Global engineering and advisory group GHD has appointed company veteran Jill Hannaford to the newly created role of Executive General Manager for Technical Services.
Having joined the Sydney-headquartered group in 1989, Hannaford has grown into one of the firm’s most senior and longstanding members. Most recently, she was the Global Future Communities Lead and Leader of the Technical Services portfolio for Asia Pacific and Australia.
In her new role, Hannaford will focus on accelerating technical innovation in response to growing global client needs, especially in water, energy and urbanisation. She oversees GHD’s technical offerings across more than 48 service lines, ensuring excellence in delivery, collaboration, and innovation.
“When I first joined GHD, it was a predominantly engineering business and I was one of a small cohort of women, said Hannaford. “Today, we offer more than 48 service lines to our clients across the entire lifecycle of projects, delivered by much more diverse teams.”
“What excites me about this role is the opportunity to continue to combine the forces of collaboration, technical excellence and the further integration of our Advisory and Digital businesses to bring lasting community benefit for future generations. That's what it’s all about in the end.”
Ian Fraser, Chief Executive Officer for Asia Pacific at GHD, said: “Jill’s leadership skills and life experiences are exactly what we need to maintain our relentless focus on growth and technical authority that align so well with what our clients and communities need for sustainable livelihoods.”
Hannaford is a proud advocate for diversity and is committed to the inclusion of First Nations peoples’ knowledge and cultural values into GHD’s culture. For six years, she was the Executive Sponsor for Reconciliation and Indigenous Services, and externally, she has served on the Advisory Board of CareerTrackers, which links Indigenous university students with private sector employers.
In addition to her work at GHD, Hannaford is on the University of Sydney’s advisory committees for the Halloran Research Trust and the Warren Centre Humanitarian Engineering Hub. She is also a non-executive director at Bridge Housing and RedR Australia.
