Meet Jon Gowdy: Leading major health infrastructure across Sydney Local Health District

With the NSW/ACT Professional Development Day and Harbour Cruise bringing engineers, project teams and clinicians together, we are profiling presenters who will frame the conversations and share practical lessons for healthcare infrastructure.

Meet Jon Gowdy

Jon Gowdy is the Executive Director of Capital Infrastructure and Engineering at Sydney Local Health District, where he oversees one of the largest and most complex health infrastructure portfolios in New South Wales. With more than 30 years of experience across healthcare engineering, facilities management and capital delivery, he has led the planning and delivery of major hospital redevelopments, sustainability initiatives and critical infrastructure upgrades across the District. His leadership focuses on creating modern, resilient healthcare environments that balance operational performance, innovation and patient care.

Jon and IHEA

Jon is a Past President of the Institute of Healthcare Engineering Australia, having served multiple terms on the NSW/ACT Branch Committee and National Council. He has been a strong advocate for professional development, technical excellence and the central role of engineers in delivering safe, sustainable healthcare services. His long involvement with IHEA reflects a commitment to lifting standards and capability across the healthcare engineering community.

What Jon will cover

Session: Panel Discussion – Delivering Major Infrastructure and Smart Surgery Spaces

Jon will facilitate a panel discussion on the delivery of major infrastructure and smart surgery spaces within live hospital environments. Drawing on real project experience, the panel will explore how engineering, design and operations can be better aligned in large capital programs, and what it takes to maintain clinical continuity and compliance while works are underway.

The conversation will consider lessons learned from recent projects, the importance of clear governance and decision making, and the strategies that help clinical, engineering and project teams work together more effectively. Jon’s perspective is informed by tools and frameworks such as the NSW Health Infrastructure Framework, IHEA standards and professional development pathways, and current sustainability and resilience frameworks used in health capital works.

Why Jon’s perspective matters

Jon’s contribution to the day is relevant to all attendees, particularly those involved in hospital engineering and facility management, major hospital developments and project governance. His recent experience leading complex infrastructure programs across Sydney Local Health District has reinforced the value of early collaboration between engineering, clinical and project teams, with proactive communication and strong governance as key themes.

Jon at the NSW/ACT PD Day and Harbour Cruise

As Executive Director of Capital Infrastructure and Engineering and a Past President of IHEA, Jon brings both a District wide and national perspective to the NSW/ACT Professional Development Day at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the harbour cruise program. His focus on leadership, strategy and integration in major health infrastructure projects provides important context for the technical sessions that follow and for anyone working to deliver safe, sustainable healthcare environments.

Connect With Jon