The driving force of GIIA
GIIA is the membership body for the world's leading institutional investors. On their behalf, we work with governments and other stakeholders to boost the role of private investment in providing infrastructure that improves national, regional and local economies.
Leadership Team
Jon Phillips
Chief Executive Officer
Jon was appointed CEO in June 2023 having joined GIIA in 2016 to lead on communications strategy, public affairs and membership growth as Corporate Affairs Director and Deputy CEO. Between 2005 and 2016 he was Communications Director for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, a UK government agency established to run the £3bn a year nuclear clean-up programme. Prior to that, Jon spent 12 years at airport operator BAA Heathrow, where he led the communications campaign for the £4.2bn T5 project.
Simon Montague
Director of Corporate Affairs
Prior to joining GIIA, Simon was Director of Communications at National Highways, the government company that manages England’s strategic road network. He has a breadth of international experience, having directed communications for the Foreign Office in Spain, worked for a leading Spanish communications agency, served as Director of Communications for the French-Anglo-Belgian train operator Eurostar, and been Transport Correspondent for BBC TV and Radio News. He holds a degree in civil engineering.
Christopher Frost
Chairman
Christopher was appointed Chair of GIIA in July 2017. He is a senior executive with over 27 years of international experience investing in and managing infrastructure assets and funds. Christopher was a member of the pioneering team at Macquarie Asset Management (MAM), leading the development of the specialized infrastructure funds business and MAM's Real Assets platform, focused on investments in sustainable businesses providing essential services to our communities.
Harvey Chandler
Director of Policy & Public Affairs
Harvey leads GIIA’s global policy and public affairs, engaging governments and shaping policy to boost private infrastructure investment worldwide. He previously led GIIA’s European Union activity, shaping key initiatives including the Fit for 55 package and the Green Deal Industrial Plan, and is a member of the European Commission’s Investors Dialogue on Energy.
Before joining GIIA, Harvey worked in consultancy advising clients in financial services, energy sectors and M&A, and gained experience in programme risk with the World Health Organization.
Executive Team
Sophie Tambini
Executive Assistant to Chief Executive and Office Manager
Prior to GIIA, Sophie built a long-term career working with leading retailers across the globe. Having worked in London and Sydney, Sophie brings a wealth of experience across Operations, Account Management, Recruitment and Training.
Rosie Hartley
Executive Assistant to Chief Executive and Office Manager
Rosie is a highly experienced Executive Assistant with over a decade of supporting senior executives in complex, varied environments across the property, media and hospitality sectors. She brings broad expertise in business administration and has also supported HR and finance teams during her career, alongside a strong understanding of global business operations.
Claire McWatt
Head of Communications
Claire leads all external communications functions at GIIA.
She is originally from Canada, where she got her start in municipal politics. Working at Toronto City Hall, she led policy advocacy and Councillor communications. She brings a decade of winning political campaign experience at all three levels of Canadian government, as well as the United States.
Having lived in the UK since 2019, Claire joined GIIA following five years in corporate communications at a local authority in London.
Alex Hagemann
Senior Policy & Public Affairs Manager
Alex is an experienced public policy professional with a background in tax and energy policy. He has worked extensively with Members of Parliament on a range of legislative initiatives and now works with GIIA’s policy and public affairs team, helping shape the association’s voice across key regulatory and political landscapes.
Vlad Benn
Senior Policy & Research Manager
Vlad joined GIIA in 2021, now leading research and sustainability workstreams, building evidence on the socioeconomic benefits of private capital, and supporting policy engagement across key markets. He works closely with members and external experts to keep them ahead of ESG standards and industry developments.
Vlad also serves on the board of the Investment Research in Infrastructure Society, shaping research priorities and convening experts to advance understanding of the infrastructure asset class.
Alessandro Pecorari
Policy & Public Affairs Manager
Alessandro has a background in human rights advocacy, having worked for an international NGO in Brussels for three years. Prior to joining GIIA, he worked with H/Advisors Cicero supporting clients in the financial services, energy, and transport sectors.
Alessandro holds a Master’s degree in Global History from The University of Edinburgh and is fluent in French and Spanish alongside his native English and Italian.
Sabrina Ahmed
Policy & Public Affairs Manager
Sabrina is a strategic policy and public affairs professional with more than eight years of experience working across a range of sectors, including clean energy, transport and agriculture. In her current role, Sabrina works across the US and UK markets, engaging stakeholders and influencing policy on key sectoral issues.
Sabrina has contributed to high-profile discussions on climate, transport and infrastructure, presenting at UN Climate Change Conferences (COP), UK political party conferences and industry forums.
Bryony Ford-Jones
Global Events Manager
Bryony is an experienced event management professional specialising in corporate events, with a strong background in delivering large scale conferences, meetings and high-profile global forums. For the past few years she has been working at event agencies leading various projects across multiple industries and countries allowing her to travel and gain global experience.
Gillian Rawling
Communications Officer
Originally from Wisconsin, USA, Gillian has experience across broadcast news with NBC, digital marketing with a wellness technology firm in Germany, and EU and UK digital policy with her Master’s degree at the London School of Economics. Through her experiences, she brings a global perspective to audience-driven communications campaigns.
At GIIA, Gillian works in digital communications to promote the importance of private infrastructure investment to a range of industry audiences and stakeholders.