Infrastructure Sustainability Council appoints Toby Kent as next CEO

The Infrastructure Sustainability Council (IS Council) has appointed sustainability leader Toby Kent as its next Chief Executive Officer.

Kent joins the IS Council from PwC Australia, where he served as a Partner in the Energy Transition team for the past two years. He brings extensive experience in sustainability, resilience and environmental, social and governance delivery to the role.

IS Council Chair Deb Spring says Kent has steered game-changing sustainability initiatives for both public and private organisations and has exceptional stakeholder governance and operational management skills.

“A collaborative, values-driven leader, Toby is the ideal person to progress IS Council’s ambitious agenda,” she says.

Kent’s experience includes over five years as chief resilience officer for metropolitan Melbourne, as part of the Rockefeller Foundation’s ground-breaking 100 Resilient Cities program, and two years as global head of sustainable development at ANZ bank.

He previously held senior roles in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, driving sustainability and climate change initiatives for PwC globally.

He also co-founded and managed ResilientCo Consulting, has been an active board member of the Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia for four years, and was Chair of the Future Business Council for three years.

Kent is excited about the opportunity to drive sustainable infrastructure development on both sides of the Tasman.

“The IS Council has had a transformational impact on the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand infrastructure sectors,” he says.

“We have $300 billion in assets under rating and our members, who collectively turn over more than $50 billion annually, are championing sustainable practices that resonate globally.

“I am passionate about harnessing our collective expertise to drive meaningful change, promote strategies of shared value, and collaborate closely with industry, policymakers and the community to ensure infrastructure achieves optimal social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits.”

Kent will commence in late August and succeeds Ainsley Simpson, who departed the IS Council in February 2024 to become the CEO of circular fashion association Seamless.