Meet the CEOs & Directors
Peter Simpson
Chief Executive, Anglian Water Group
Peter has been Chief Executive of Anglian Water Group since October 2013; his previous roles include Managing Director of Anglian Water from January 2010 and Chief Operating Officer from 2004. After completing an MSc in Analytical Chemistry at the University of East Anglia, Peter joined Anglian Water as one of its first graduate management trainees. Since then he has remained with the company, with spells working in America, Europe and Asia.
Peter has championed business action on climate change over many years and is a founding member, and now co-chair, of the Corporate Leaders Group (CLG UK), run by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. CLG UK provides a strong voice to support UK leadership nationally and internationally on the transition to a climate-neutral, resource-efficient, socially inclusive economy by 2050. He is also an active supporter of Business in the Community (BiTC), which focuses on the positive difference business can make to communities. He currently Chairs BiTC’s East of England Leadership Team and is a Trustee of the international water charity WaterAid. He is a Past President of the Institute of Water and a former Chair of Water UK.
Peter holds an MBA from Warwick Business School and is a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager, a Chartered Scientist and a Chartered Environmentalist. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Society of the Environment and an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management.
“Collectively we have a profound responsibility to move the dial on climate adaptation, nature recovery and water security. This is not just about mitigating our impact; it’s about innovating and collaborating on a global scale to make sure we build a resilient and ecologically sound future, safeguarding the health, wellbeing and prosperity of generations to come.
In Toronto, we have an opportunity to really move that dial – to continue the great work already happening through the IWA and on the back of COPs. There is no time to waste. We must grasp the nettle with both hands and use our time here to make a real difference.”
In January 2022, Robin returned to Anglian Water as Director of Quality and Environment, providing leadership of the company quality, scientific and environmental strategy and delivery, together with public affairs and regional engagement.
Over his career, Robin has spent over 20 years at Anglian Water, including eight years as Head of Water Quality, before, in 2018, becoming Managing Director of Water Resources East (WRE) – the organisation co-creating a multi-sector regional water resources plan for Eastern England with over 250 stakeholders.
A Chartered Scientist, Robin is a Fellow of the Institute of Water (IoW) and held the role of Vice President Science on the IoW Board for nine years until 2022. He is an active supporter of the charity WaterAid, and is currently the strategic water resources lead within the Anglian Water Beacon Project team working in southeast Nepal. Robin has a degree in Biological Sciences and a PhD in advanced water treatment from the University of Birmingham.
Robin Price
Director of Quality and Environment, Anglian Water
“Our commitment to climate adaptation, nature recovery, and ensuring access to clean water is not just a moral imperative, but a fundamental necessity for the health and prosperity of our communities and ecosystems. By prioritising these interconnected goals, we safeguard our planet’s resilience and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.
I’m humbled and excited to be involved with IWA and be part of building global solutions – sharing knowledge and learning from the best minds in the world. Because working together, I believe we really can make great things happen and create a prosperous future for people and planet together.”
Louise Beardmore
Chief Executive, United Utilities
Louise is a board member of United Utilities Plc and became CEO of United Utilities on 3 April 2023. Louise was previously Customer and People Director holding a number of senior positions across water, electric and gas utilities as part of the United Utilities Group with roles in business transformation, operations, customer service and people capabilities both in the UK and internationally.
Louise has also run services for a number of international well-known utility and retail brands in the USA, Canada and Asia. Louise is an advocate of the power of inclusion and employee engagement to drive superior business performance and is a Non-Executive Director of Engage for Success, Vice President of the Institute of Customer Service and a Chartered Fellow of CIPD. Louise is also a board member of Water UK and WaterPlus Limited. Louise is also on the Northern Power Women ‘Power List’, and is a member of the 30% Club.
Alex Plant
Chief Executive, Scottish Water
Alex became Chief Executive of Scottish Water on 1 June, joining from Anglian Water, where he was Director of Strategy & Regulation.
Previously he worked as Director of Regulation at Royal Mail, Executive Director for Economy, Transport & Environment at Cambridgeshire County Council, and Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Horizons. Earlier in his career he worked at HM Treasury on productivity, competition and regulation policy, and at the Civil Aviation Authority as Head of Economic Policy & International Aviation.
Alex has served as the Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Chair of the Regional Productivity Forum for East Anglia, Independent Chair of the Uniform Network Code Committee for the GB Gas industry. He has non-executive experience with NHS Cambridgeshire, Cambridge Regional College, Anglia Ruskin University and with the UK urban policy thinktank, the Centre for Cities.
“I am delighted to be representing Scottish Water at this year’s World Water Congress in Toronto, and we are excited to be picking up the baton for the next Congress in Glasgow. Working together to address the twin challenges of climate change and the nature crisis, our sector can be at the forefront of innovation and collaborative approaches to steer us to a more resilient future, safeguarding the interests customers and the environment now and in the future. I look forward to meeting you all there!”
Chief Executive, British Water
Lila Thompson
Lila is the Chief Executive of British Water, a dynamic organisation with a varied membership. Through its UK, Technical and International forums, British Water represents the interests of UK water and wastewater supply chain companies together with wider stakeholders across the sector. The fourth forum, the Water Industry Forum, provides challenge-led, independent thought leadership, to tackle the challenges facing the sector. Lila has over 20 years of international experience supporting business growth, innovation, policy development and stakeholder engagement in a variety of industry sectors.
““British Water is delighted to be supporting IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition. We see this as an opportunity to connect with international water practitioners, share knowledge and expertise on smart cities and showcase the latest technologies and solutions from the UK.””
Simon Ayley
Director, Water Research Centre (WRc)
Simon is a chemical engineer, leading international strategy at WRc, strengthening existing technical and commercial partnerships and developing new ones. His passion for linking WRc knowledge, experience and innovative ideas with international stakeholders from multiple sectors ensures WRc and its partners are able to deliver ambitious plans aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
In a career spanning 27 years, mostly in the utilities sector, underpinned by establishing trust based on technical competence, integrity, and commercial awareness, Simon has delivered all aspects of engineering design and construction project lifecycles, from detailed design and design management to on-site construction and project management, to the highest of safety standards.
He has held Director positions for the last 12 years within consultancy and OEM product development, and is a Fellow and Past President of the Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers (IGEM).
“The world of water will meet in Toronto this summer, on a mission to learn, collaborate, and innovate to create a more resilient future. A future that will see our water systems exposed to new threats and tested to extents never experienced before.
We all know that these challenges are significant, but thankfully the IWA World Water Congress facilitates a global in-person knowledge network from which we can develop and construct solutions to such threats, and I’m delighted to be able to attend and represent WRc.”
Director of Environment, Planning and Assurance, Scottish Water
Simon Parsons
Simon is currently the Director of Environment, Planning and Assurance at Scottish Water, the national water utility for Scotland. We supply water and wastewater service to 2.5 million households and 153 thousand business customers. As part of the executive leadership team, Simon leads teams in regulation, water and wastewater service planning, investment, science, innovation and net zero.
He also led the 2021 – 2027 Strategic Review of Charges (SR21) along with the organisation’s environmental and asset management transformation programme. Simon chairs the board of Scottish Water Horizons – a commercially sustainable, stand-alone business which is delivering an ambitious renewable technologies programme and supporting the transforming of water utilities at home and abroad. Prior to joining Scottish Water, he was an academic at Cranfield University where he was Head of the Cranfield Water Science Institute and led research and teaching across water and wastewater treatment processes.
“I am really looking forward to joining the IWA Congress – it is a real opportunity for us all to meet global colleagues, make new contacts and be inspired by the amazing work that goes on across the world. I am very much looking forward to contributing to the discussion around climate change adaptation and mitigation, the move towards circularity and with colleagues from the UK, who will be joining us on the UK Pavilion, showcasing some of the exciting work across the water sector.”
Colin Skellett
Chief Executive, Wessex Water
Colin Skellett is a scientist and engineer by training and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He has worked largely in the water industry and was appointed Chief Executive of Wessex Water in 1988. Colin is currently Chief Executive of the YTL UK Group that includes Brabazon new town and Arena Complex at Filton, Wessex Water, YTL’s UK Hotels, GENeco and a number of retail businesses. He became Chair of Business West in April 2022.
He has had non-executive roles in rail, travel and international infrastructure businesses, served on the Board of the South West Regional Development Agency and is involved with a number of charities. Colin was also Chair of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership from 2011 until the beginning of 2016.
Colin was awarded an OBE for services to business and WaterAid in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours and has Honorary Doctorates in Engineering from the Universities of the West of England and Bristol.
Wessex Water is delighted to be part of the IWA World Water Congress. The overarching challenges of climate change affect all nations, so we are pleased to share what we are doing and to learn from others. A really great opportunity.
Director of Natural Resources, South West Water
Carolyn Cadman
Carolyn joined South West Water as director of Natural Resources in May 2022. Carolyn leads on the company’s biodiversity strategy, peatland restoration and nature recovery programme. In collaboration with local delivery partners, Carolyn’s team supports farmers and landowners through the “Upstream Thinking” programme to manage land in ways which improve water quality and supply, as well as benefitting wildlife and the business’ bottom line.
Prior to joining South West Water, Carolyn was Chief Executive of Cornwall Wildlife Trust, and also worked in national roles for Natural England and the Marine Management Organisation, and in the South West region for Cornwall Council.
Dr Mark Fletcher
Global Water Business, Arup
Mark leads the Global Water Business of Arup. He has been with Arup for 36 years. He is an international thought leader on sustainable water management, nature-based solutions and water resilience and has worked around the world. He is on the Organising Committee for Singapore International Water Week and has led the initiative to include Young Water Professionals at Stockholm World Water Week for the last 7 years.
He is an Arup Fellow and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Society for the Environment and Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and received an Honorary Doctorate from Bradford University for his work on sustainable water management. He was a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in Engineering Design for Sustainable Development since 2003. He is also currently Chair of British Water and former Chair of the Water Industry Forum.
Chief Executive Officer, RSE Group of Companies
Stephen Slessor
Stephen is the Chief Executive Officer of RSE Group of Companies, having taken on the role in January 2024. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Stephen leads the full spectrum of operations and strategic initiatives aimed at advancing RSE’s position as a leader in water technology solutions. His leadership is driven by a commitment to innovation and excellence across the sector. In addition to his role at RSE, Stephen serves as a Non-Executive Director at British Water. Here, he contributes to shaping the future of the UK’s water and wastewater industry by fostering strategic alliances and promoting sustainable practices across UK and international platforms. His career has been distinguished by strategic leadership in various capacities, including significant roles at Scottish Futures Trust, President of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors and as Divisional Managing Director at Galliford Try, where he was pivotal in driving multi million-pound investment programmes of work across AMP7.
Liv Garfield
Chief Executive, Severn Trent
Liv took up the reins as Chief Executive of Severn Trent, the Midlands-based water and waste company responsible for providing clean water and taking away waste water to around 8m people in the Midlands and north Wales, in 2014. Severn Trent is one of the three largest water companies in the UK, and is a member of the FTSE100.
Before this, Liv worked at BT for 12 years. Her last role was as Chief Executive of Openreach, the engineering division of BT. In this role, Liv was responsible for the delivery of one of the fastest and most ambitious deployments of fibre broadband in the world.
Before joining BT, Liv worked for Accenture, the management consultancy, where she spent five years in the retail and high-tech practices.
In October 2020, Liv was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the water industry.
Liv, 48, is originally from Harrogate in Yorkshire, and is married, with two boys. She is a lifelong Everton fan.
Head of Innovation, Northumbrian Water
Dr Angela McOscar
Dr. Angela MacOscar, Head of Innovation at Northumbrian Water, is a visionary leader with a PhD in physical chemistry and a boundless passion for innovation. With a knack for fostering innovation cultures and streamlining processes, she drives purpose-driven innovation strategies. Extensive cross-sector experience, Angela has spearheaded transformative product and commercial innovations across several sectors, including managing billion-dollar FMCG franchise pipelines. Renowned for her strategic mindset and out-of-the-box thinking, Angela is a collaborative force, adept at maximizing ideas and simplifying complexity.
Martin Crawford
Group Client Partner, UK Water Sector, Capgemini
Martin joined Capgemini in February 2007 and now runs the UK water sector business as a Client Partner focusing on the management of long-term business relationships and strategic services across the sector.
In his time at Capgemini, Martin has built long-standing advisor-based relationships with a strong network of utilities and public sector individuals whilst also leading the creation of a range of complex digital solutions. Martin’s successes have been developed through his detailed understanding of utilities and Government sector procurement processes and business issues, combined with his ability to leverage and exploit capabilities and intellectual capital from across Capgemini’s full range of delivery units.
Key to Martin’s success has been the way he has built client and partner trust and confidence, in addition to Capgemini’s internal commitment to support the creation of a variety of value-based technology-enabled capabilities which have been developed in a way that has added value to both our clients and Capgemini.
Chief Executive, Morrison Construction and Galliford Try
Bill Hocking
Bill Hocking was appointed to Galliford Try’s Board as Chief Executive on 3 January 2020 following the sale of the Group’s housing businesses. Prior to that, Bill was Chief Executive of the Construction and Investments division from 1 August 2016, having joined Galliford Try, the parent company for Morrison Construction, as Managing Director of Construction in September 2015 from Skanska UK plc. Bill was born and raised in Zimbabwe, and comes from an engineering background, with a personal awareness of water scarcity and a long history in the water sector, having originally moved to the UK in 1990 to join the then Trafalgar House business.
Galliford Try is one of the leading contractors within the water sector, with places on 59 frameworks covering 13 of the UK water and sewerage companies. These range from large revenue design and build frameworks through to planned and reactive maintenance and product supply and installation frameworks. This, combined with our highly skilled teams, our network of regional offices, depots and manufacturing facilities, means that we are in a unique position to help our clients meet their challenges to deliver the UK’s water needs, improve asset resilience, increase asset efficiency through optimisation and decarbonise activities – all of which underpin our Sustainable Growth Strategy.
“We are excited to be supporting this year’s IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition and making a real difference to building a resilient future for the water industry. Water is vital for the health and prosperity of people and planet, with access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene being the most basic human need for health and well-being, and a declared human right.
In order to achieve genuine change, all voices and perspectives are needed, and we believe that the IWA Congress will be a fundamental aspect of driving transformations to ensure a water-secure sustainable future for people and planet alike”
Kapil Singhal
Chief Executive, Vyntelligence
Kapil co-founded Vyntelligence, an AI-powered short video intelligence platform that is transforming Customer Experience and accelerating Field Installations for 80% of the top UK & European utilities, green energy infrastructure and telcos including Openreach, EDP, Engie, UKPN, Cadent Gas, SSE, Suez, United Utilities and Northumbrian Water.
Previously, he grew European business for a technology software business from zero to £250m, subsequently sold to KKR. Kapil is passionate about building a sustainable society centred around innovation and through Vyntelligence, he is building a community of game changers that share his vision for a sustainable future. He holds multiple US patents in multimedia data capture, annotation and recommendations, an Executive MBA from London Business School, and a degree in Electrical Engineering & CS from IIT Delhi.
Senior Vice President IWA
Dr Marie Whaley
With over 25 years’ experience in water Utilities, including a strong network in the UK and international water sector, Marie's experience lies in strategy and regulation. Her focus is to bridge gaps in the water sector through knowledge sharing, partnerships and cooperation between private industry, utilities and universities. She is a passionate advocate of making space for all voices and different experiences. Throughout her career Marie has championed young professionals, driving the growth of the YWP conference in the UK and supporting personal development.
Currently Senior Vice President elected in 2022, she was Treasurer from 2016 to 2022, a member of the Strategic Council and the Chair of the UK Governing Member since 2010.
Marie graduated as a Civil Engineer from Grandes Écoles, Paris. She holds a PhD in Fluid Mechanics and a Master’s in Resilience from MIT, Boston.
Nicola Shaw
Cheif Executive, Yorkshire Water
Nicola Shaw joined Yorkshire Water in 2022 as Chief Executive Officer. She has previously held roles as the Executive Officer at National Grid, Chief Executive at High Speed 1 and Director of FirstGroup. She has also been a Non-executive Director of the International Airlines Group since 2018.
She attended Croydon High School and The King’s School in Canterbury, she studied History and Economics at Lincoln College, and in 1995 completed a Master of Science in Transportation degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In the 2015 Summer Budget, Nicola was tasked to write a report on how to fix Network Rail, she published the Shaw Report in 2016 which made several recommendations for the future of British Transport.
In 2016 she received a CBE for services to transport in the Queen’s New Year Honours.
Global Market Director - Water, Atkins Realis
Richard Whale
Civil Engineer with over 30 years experience on the Water Industry, 23 of which with AtkinsRéalis. I have had the privilege of working on a wide variety of projects covering the water cycle, including project director roles on large diameter transmission pipelines, catchment modelling and SUDS programmes.
I have led the UK Water Market since 2018, growing it from c. $120m CAD to $200m CAD to date. I am responsible for our global market growth strategy and look forward to working with our market leaders and technical communities to reinforce our global market position.
