Gordon is a civil and structural engineer with international experience in the design and programme management of civil engineering infrastructure. He was appointed to the Chair of Future Infrastructure at the University of Edinburgh in September 2015 and founded the Centre for Future Infrastructure within the Edinburgh Futures Institute. He is Deputy Convener of the UK Collaboratorium for Research in Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC).
He is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh, the Open University and Imperial College, London, and has honorary doctorates from Glasgow Caledonian University and Heriot Watt University.
Gordon was, until his first retirement in early 2015, a Vice President of Jacobs, a $10bn professional services company having been a Director of Babtie Group, Glasgow. He specialised in bridges and major projects and advising government clients in transport and defence projects. He was President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) (2005-06). His “President’s Apprentice” concept, in which Gordon worked with several young graduate engineers through his year in office, is still thriving and has been adopted by other organisations. In 2008 he was awarded an OBE for services to civil engineering.
Gordon is a Trustee of the MacRobert Trust, and of the Society of Friends of Paisley Abbey. He is a Deputy Lieutenant of Renfrewshire. Gordon has appeared on the History Channel’s “Life After People”, speculating on how long it would take our infrastructure to disintegrate if there were no people left to maintain it. Fortunately, none of his predictions are likely to be put to the test, and if they are no-one’s going to be around to blame him.