FIDIC announces speaker lineup for its Global Infrastructure Conference which takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 21-23 September 2025.
International engineering federation FIDIC (International Federation of Consulting Engineers) has assembled a suitably global array of speakers and panellists for its annual Global Infrastructure Conference which is set to attract hundreds of industry leaders to Cape Town next month.
The conference organised under the theme Smart Infrastructure: Equality, Resilience and Innovation for a Sustainable World will host a number of timely discussions on the future of infrastructure and how it will be delivered in a changing world. The event will bring together a high-profile line-up of expert speakers, global influencers, industry experts and sector leaders together in one place for three days of discussion, debate, and networking.
The speaker lineup includes representatives from a wide range of global organisations including governments, consulting engineering companies, the financial services sector, construction business associations, water companies, infrastructure and engineering advisors, NGOs, construction software providers, data platform providers, management consultancy firms, multilateral development banks and risk management experts.
Speakers have been drawn from around the world, fitting as the conference is also FIDIC’s annual gathering for its international member associations, with Cape Town expected to welcome FIDIC members from 100 countries. It’s also appropriate that the 2025 conference is hosted in Cape Town, as the G20 presidency is handed over to South Africa, with a theme for the year around fostering solidarity, equality and sustainable development.
The international lineup of expert speakers includes the following:
- Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape.
- Trevor Manuel, Chairman, Old Mutual Limited.
- Nazir Alli, Past President, PIARC-World Road Association.
- Michael Botse-Baidoo, Chief Manager, Ghana Water Limited.
- Lidia Cardoso, Managing Director, Vedor.
- Benoit Clocheret, CEO, Artelia.
- Teddy Daka, CEO, Zutari.
- Linda Darr, President and CEO, American Council of Engineering Companies.
- Inés Ferguson, President, EFCA.
- Alfredo Ingletti, FIDIC President Elect.
- Catherine Karakatsanis, FIDIC President and Senior Vice President, Stantec.
- Penny Kneebone, CEO, Tonkin + Taylor.
- Rajiv Lall, Chairman, The Infrastructure Transparency Initiative.
- Maria Manidaki, Director – Climate Change, Asset Management, Mott MacDonald.
- Nathan Marsh, Regional Executive for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Bentley Systems.
- Nicolas Miravalls, CEO, ORIS.
- Carla Moonen, President, Royal Dutch Association of Engineering Companies.
- Jonathan Morris, Director, Programme Advisory, Turner & Townsend.
- Alaleh Motamedi, Head of Procurement, European Investment Bank.
- Sachin Pant, Managing Director and CEO, IQT.
- Mark Peterson, Managing Director, AON.
- Rizwan Qadri, President, FIDIC Africa.
- John Rathke, Chair, American Council of Engineering Companies.
- Susan Reisbord, Chief Operating Officer, Stantec.
- Mike Salawou, Director, Urban, Cities and Infrastructure Department, African Development Bank Group.
- Jens-Peter Saul, Group CEO, Rambøll Group.
- Philip Todd, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, AtkinsRéalis.
- Guofu Wang, Director of Meteorological Disaster Risk Management Division, National Climate Centre of the China Meteorological Administration.
- Wencong Xu, Project Manager, Beijing Engineering Consulting.
- Susanna Zammataro, CEO, FIDIC.
Speaking ahead of the conference which gets underway in a little over a months’ time, FIDIC president Catherine Karakatsanis said: “There really could be no better time or place for the infrastructure sector to meet and show its excellence, integrity and significance in shaping a better tomorrow for all and we are delighted to be bringing our crucial industry to Cape Town, South Africa, for this important event.
“This landmark industry conference is set to host the cream of the world’s engineering, construction and infrastructure businesses and it is not to be missed. The eyes and ears of the engineering world will certainly be trained on Cape Town this September.”
