GHD names Jim Giannopoulos as new global CEO

Global professional services company, GHD, has appointed Jim Giannopoulos as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Ashley Wright and effective 2 April 2024. The planned transition process, announced to shareholders and employees in December, continues the employee-owned company’s history of succession from within its operations.

Giannopoulos was most recently CEO - Americas, having led the Canadian and then all operations for GHD’s Americas region including Canada, USA and Chile over the past four years. Having joined the company as a graduate chemical engineer over 30 years ago, he has held various leadership and project roles in Australia, Asia, Canada and the United States.

Giannopoulos is a Chartered Professional Engineer, a Fellow of Engineers Australia and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He will be based in Melbourne, Australia.

“As I step into this role, I am excited by the opportunities for GHD’s global growth and am passionate about partnering and collaborating to deliver positive outcomes for our clients, communities and our people by continuing to provide innovative solutions to some of the biggest water, energy and community challenges. It’s an honour to lead such a strong, talented and collaborative team, offering many diverse services in different countries, united by our values and a common purpose of creating lasting community benefit,” Giannopoulos said.

GHD Chair Rob Knott paid tribute to Ashley Wright, who has been CEO since 2016, “We thank Ashley for his strong leadership and service in consistently building a diversified global business and brand, focused on making water, energy and communities sustainable for generations to come.”

Under Wright’s leadership, GHD has grown from annual revenue of AUD 1.67 billion to 2.68 billion in 2023 with an 81% increase in earnings to AUD 161 million, Wright’s leadership also enabled the expansion of GHD’s Digital and Advisory businesses, and the implementation of a client-focussed, sustainability-driven strategy. The company has also achieved carbon neutrality for its Scope 1 and 2 emissions and is now developing science-based net zero targets, to further reduce Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.

Wright comments, “I joined GHD 20 years ago because I believed it was one of the best professional services companies in the world. It’s been an immense honour to contribute to its growth and help shape the next generation of leaders. I’m particularly proud of our ability to grow and develop our leadership in the business and will leave GHD knowing it is in very capable hands.”

About GHD

GHD is a leading professional services company operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Committed to a vision to make water, energy, and communities sustainable for generations to come, GHD delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction solutions to public and private sector clients. Established in 1928 and privately owned by its people, GHD’s network of 11,000+ professionals are connected across more than 160 offices located on five continents.