Simon Page: Driving regional growth through rail and infrastructure innovation
At a glance
With more than 26 years in infrastructure and project management, including 20 years with GHD, Simon Page has built a career defined by leadership, adaptability and a commitment to community-focused outcomes. Today, Simon serves as Regional General Manager for Northern NSW, overseeing a region of approximately 300 people and markets spanning transport, water, property, environment, energy and resources. His role includes driving client experience, business strategy and sustainable growth while fostering collaboration across teams and communities.High Speed Rail: Faster journeys, connected communities
Forging his own path in infrastructure
Simon’s journey into leadership didn’t start by following a predetermined path. “It’s always been about finding ways to add value to the business and doing it in an engaging way for myself and others.”
A formative chapter in his leadership journey was early in his career with small project management and logistics firm HK Logistics, managing infrastructure projects across the Pacific for AusAid. “We’d design projects in Australia, procure materials, ship them in containers and then build with local labour,” Simon explains. “I got to visit countries such as the Solomon Islands, Nauru, Kiribati and Vanuatu, and experience the real aspects of those communities.”
This global perspective deepened during a five-year tenure in Canada with GHD, where Simon honed his skills in asset management, business integration and strategic leadership. This experience included overseeing operations, managing mergers and acquisitions, and contributing to major integrations such as the Canada Revenue Agency merger.
Simon eventually came back to Australia and took on leadership roles as Business Group Leader for rail and project management in Northern NSW, later stepping into operations management and ultimately the RGM role. Along the way, he credits mentors like Tasos Katapodis, Donna Querengesser and Phil Pigram for advocating and guiding him through pivotal transitions.
Leading large-scale infrastructure projects
Simon’s leadership philosophy is grounded in empowerment and collaboration. “Those who rise lift as they go,” he says. “You’re only as good as the people around you.”
Simon’s approach focuses on connecting with team members, creating space for growth, and fostering a culture of continuous learning. Participation in GHD’s Global Executive Leader Program (GELP) has reinforced these principles, encouraging vulnerability, active listening and constructive feedback.
Balancing visionary projects with operational realities is a constant challenge. “It’s a real polarity,” Simon notes. “I work with my team to keep day-to-day operations under control so I can focus on positioning for long-term opportunities like high speed rail.”
Community engagement, he stresses, is central to successful infrastructure delivery. “Transport infrastructure exists because of the community,” Simon explains. “If it wasn’t for the community, these projects wouldn’t exist. Giving them a voice in the process and solution is critical.” This ethos aligns with GHD’s commitment to creating lasting community benefits, which Simon takes pride in seeing across local and national projects.
High speed rail: a catalyst for regional growth
Few projects capture Simon’s imagination like high speed rail. “An improved connection between Newcastle and Sydney has been talked about ever since I was a boy,” he says. “Connecting these regions more effectively will open up opportunities in both directions, bringing more people into the Central Coast and Hunter and creating lasting benefits for communities.”
The Hunter region, he points out, is at the heart of Australia’s energy transition. “Having an effective transport network to bring the right people into the Hunter and empower those already here is a game changer,” Simon explains. Beyond business and energy, tourism stands to gain significantly from improved connectivity, strengthening the case for investment.
Positioning Newcastle and the Hunter for success requires proactive engagement. “The shift in the region over the last five to ten years has been a step change,” Simon observes. “High speed rail will accelerate that transformation exponentially.”
Simon also makes it clear that global lessons are vital but need to be adapted for local circumstances. “It’s folly to think no one’s done this before,” Simon cautions. “We need to learn from places like Japan with the Shinkansen and from Europe and North America. Our role is to bring those lessons to Newcastle, the Central Coast and Sydney so that the transportation management solutions are appropriate for our communities.”
Innovation and the future of regional infrastructure
Innovation is not just a technical upgrade; it is the bridge between regional aspirations and global opportunities. For Simon, high speed rail infrastructure is an enabler of change. “The way we work is shifting week by week,” he says. “Technology on new infrastructure should allow people to work closer to home while accessing distant locations more easily.
Digital transformation and AI will accelerate this shift, continuing to bring global thinking into regions like the Hunter. “Innovation will open up opportunities across transport, energy and industry transitions,” Simon explains. “It’s about connecting regional communities to national and global networks.”
That connection matters. “Regions are critical to a thriving country,” Simon adds. “If everyone’s just living in capital cities, that’s not a very diverse way of thinking and living.” For Simon, the future of infrastructure lies with local roots being strengthened by global perspectives, technology empowering communities and projects creating lasting benefits.