Sydney became the world’s infrastructure capital in 2014 with the establishment of the Global Infrastructure Hub by the G20. On 4 August, the Lowy Institute hosted Global Infrastructure Hub CEO Chris Heathcote in conversation with G20 Studies Centre Project Director Tristram Sainsbury. Heathcote and Sainsbury discussed the Hub’s work to unlock an additional $2 trillion in global infrastructure capacity to 2030.

Chris Heathcote was appointed CEO of the Global Infrastructure Hub in June 2015. He has extensive international experience with large infrastructure projects. Previously, Chris was a Director of Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets in the United Kingdom. His additional, recent, private sector experience includes positions held with WestLB AG and Lloyds Banking Group. During his time with these companies, Chris was involved in infrastructure projects in the United States, Europe, Turkey, China, the Ivory Coast and Australia.

Chris also served as head of project finance at Partnerships UK (a joint UK Treasury and privately-owned company, which promoted the Private Finance Initiative and Public Private Partnerships (PPP)), with a focus on major infrastructure projects including the Wembley National Stadium and London Underground. He has also advised the Brazilian Government on preparing and executing a PPP program, and co-authored of the UK Government White Paper “Meeting the Investment Challenge” while working in the UK Treasury. Chris also structured major road projects in Israel and South Africa.

Chris was also a founding partner of Hyder Infrastructure Investors in the mid-1990s, one of the early infrastructure equity funds. The fund was involved in financing of projects including Melbourne City Link, the Asian Infrastructure Fund and many United Kingdom public infrastructure projects funded with private capital.