In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Callan Paske, the new General Manager for Customer and Community at TasWater, about what breakthrough performance means and why it matters. Callan outlines TasWater’s context as a utility formed from 29 councils, managing many assets across rural and regional Tasmania, and explains the shift from incremental improvement to bold, purposeful change. He describes ambitious targets, reduced fear of failure, and measurable gains in customer trust, staff engagement, and service and regulatory metrics, supported by clearer, more transparent communication. Callan shares a key example involving a trade waste incident affecting the River Derwent, where TasWater openly explained the cause, actions, and shared accountability, and offers advice to other utilities focused on senior leadership alignment and proactive decision making.

00:00 Welcome to Exec Exchange

00:35 Callan’s Career Journey

01:56 What TasWater Does

02:36 Defining Breakthrough Performance

04:36 Metrics That Prove Change

06:58 Cadbury Trade Waste Crisis

09:56 How to Start the Journey

11:52 What He Owes His Parents

12:50 Wrap Up and Thanks

All information is correct as of the recording in April 2026.

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Anselmo Collins, Chief Operating Officer for water at LADWP, about Los Angeles’ water resource challenges and the utility’s shift toward local supply. Anselmo explains LADWP serves about 4 million customers across 473 square miles, delivering roughly 450 million gallons per day while importing about 90% of its water via aqueducts vulnerable to climate “whiplash” and seismic risk near the San Andreas fault. He outlines major initiatives including over US$600 million investment for groundwater remediation, expanded stormwater capture and infiltration projects in parks, and recycled water via indirect and direct potable reuse. Key programs include the Stormwater Capture Parks project, the recycled water project producing 25 million gallons per day by 2027, and the $26 billion, multi-decade Pure Water Los Angeles plan targeting up to 210 million gallons per day.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:30 Anselmo Career Journey
01:13 LADWP Scale and Supply
02:15 Drought and Seismic Risks
04:43 Groundwater Cleanup Plan
05:52 Source Control and Monitoring
07:28 Recharge and Stormwater Capture
08:59 Stormwater Quality Treatment
09:28 Recycled Water and Pure Water LA
12:34 Jobs and Community Benefits
13:06 Career Advice and Wrap Up

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Brendan Windmeyer, General Manager for Operations at TasWater, about the operational transformation underway at Tasmania’s statewide water utility. Brendan outlines his path from safety and contracting roles into operations leadership, then describes TasWater’s scale and challenges, including dispersed assets and legacy performance issues tied to its history. He shares progress on employee engagement, safety performance improvements, increased diversity in operations, better customer KPIs, and reduced water quality complaints, alongside strengthening regulator trust. The conversation also covers ongoing priorities such as aging plants, long-term consolidation via master planning, and delivering efficiencies amid cost pressures. 

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:41 Brendan’s Career Path

01:30 What TasWater Does

02:26 Joining Amid Challenges

03:13 Safety and Engagement Turnaround

03:55 Culture Shift and Diversity

05:35 Customer KPIs and Regulators

06:38 Why TasWater Was Fragmented

07:48 Next Operational Challenges

08:50 Small Plants and Consolidation

10:11 Bringing Private Sector Efficiency

11:32 Future Targets and Cost Pressures

12:47 Time Machine Career Advice

13:30 Wrap Up and Thanks

All information is correct as of the recording in March 2026.

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Kim Skibsted, CEO of the Grundfos Foundation, about Project Flow and its role in improving water access in refugee settlements and communities. Kim shares his unconventional path from studying Scandinavian literature and serving briefly in the Danish Parliament to leading the foundation that owns Grundfos, the world’s largest pump manufacturer. He explains the foundation’s purpose, scale, and philanthropic work, and describes how Project Flow was inspired by high water costs and failing pump systems in camps. Developed with UNHCR, the initiative installs suitable technologies such as solar-powered water systems to replace diesel generation and reduce costly water trucking, reinvesting savings to fund systems in additional locations. With 26 systems in six countries, the project aims to scale by attracting more funders to reach far more people by 2030.

00:00 Welcome to Exec Exchange

00:22 Meet Kim Skibsted

01:35 Grundfos Foundation Origins

03:47 Scale and Funding

04:55 Project Flow Explained

05:05 Refugee Water Reality

07:24 The Flow Fund Model

10:43 Politics and Local Buy In

12:31 Scaling to Version 2

13:43 Advice and Closing

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Matthew Parr, Deputy CEO at Tideway, about London’s 16 mile Thames Tideway Tunnel super sewer, designed to intercept sewage overflows into the River Thames and connect to the Lee Tunnel and sewage treatment works. Matthew shares his 30 year career and how he joined Tideway in 2011. The conversation explains why Sir Joseph Bazalgette’s system no longer has capacity for a population now over 8 million, and how the project helps address combined sewer overflows. Matthew outlines the project’s planning and novel delivery model, including government support for low probability risks, a £4.6 billion cost, activation in 2025, and over 19 million tons of sewage intercepted.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:31 Matthew Parr Career Path
01:56 What Is 'Thames Tideway Tunnel'
03:11 Why London Needed a Super Sewer
06:07 Funding and Novel Delivery Model
08:02 Progress Results and Costs
10:39 Legacy Vision and Commitments
12:08 COVID Construction Challenge
13:14 Wrap Up

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Matt Wheeldon, Infrastructure Development Director at Wessex Water, about reframing storm overflow challenges as a rainwater quantity problem best solved through source control. Matt outlines Wessex Water’s service area and explains how high groundwater and prolonged rain can drive inflows to sewers, while summers bring scarcity. He promotes the simple narrative “manage rain better where it lands,” emphasizing rain as a resource to capture and reuse, and to return water to the environment close to where it falls, rather than relying on centralized end-of-pipe solutions. The conversation covers the need for systemic change in legislation, regulation, metrics, and incentives, ongoing UKWIR research, and plans for a rainwater management forum at the World Water Congress in Glasgow.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:21 Matt’s Career Journey
01:26 Meet Wessex Water
02:07 Chalk Aquifer - Blessing and Curse
03:08 Storm Overflow Root Cause
05:51 Manage Rain Where It Lands
08:03 Building Momentum and Allies
10:04 Policy Reform and Metrics
10:46 Research and Glasgow Forum
12:07 Advice and Wrap Up

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Ernie Lau, Chief Engineer and Managing Director of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply in Hawaii, for an update on the US Navy’s Red Hill underground fuel storage facility and its impacts on Oahu’s sole-source aquifer. Ernie recounts major jet fuel releases in 2014 and 2021, explaining how the 2021 spill contaminated the Navy’s separate drinking water system serving nearly 100,000 people, and notes the subsequent shutdown and defueling of the facility, removing 114 million gallons of fuel. He also describes a separate 2022 spill of 1,300 gallons of PFAS-containing AFFF concentrate, ongoing PFAS detections, and estimated remediation costs approaching $2 billion, while calling for stronger regulatory pressure and greater transparency to protect Hawaii’s public trust water resources for future generations.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:44 Ernie Lau Background
01:11 Red Hill Facility Overview
01:56 Spills and Community Impact
03:47 Defueling and Cleanup Progress
04:36 Lingering Contamination Risks
06:02 Costs and Treatment Plans
07:07 PFAS Spill and Findings
08:36 Cultural Stakes and Emotions
09:52 Accountability and Transparency
11:28 Advice for Future Generations
12:50 Wrap Up and Closing

In this episode of Exec Exchange, Piers Clark welcomes Martin Jackson, the new Chief Information Officer at Northumbrian Water in the UK. Martin shares his career journey, transitioning from the automotive sector to utilities, and the various roles he's undertaken within Northumbrian Water. He discusses the importance of apprenticeships and the value of diversity in driving innovation. Martin elaborates on Northumbrian Water's operations, their efforts in digital transformation, AI implementation in smart sewer systems, and the significance of open data collaboration within the UK water industry. The conversation delves into the challenges and opportunities in the sector, emphasizing the need for ethical AI practices. Martin also offers personal advice on overcoming imposter syndrome and reflects on the importance of continuous learning and small steps in career progression.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:27 Martin Jackson's Career Journey
02:39 Northumbrian Water Overview
03:36 Challenges and Innovations in the Water Sector
05:34 Smart Sewer Project and Its Impact
08:56 Collaboration and Open Data Initiatives
10:50 National Underground Asset Register (NUAR)
12:07 Future of AI in the Water Industry
13:26 Advice to the Younger Generation
14:22 Conclusion and Farewell

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Nigel Watson, former CIO of Northumbrian Water, about executive-level succession and the transition to his successor. Nigel reflects on his 40+ year career across multiple sectors and explains how early planning with CEO Heidi Mottram and internal succession preparation with Martin Jackson supported continuity. He emphasizes the CIO’s broader director responsibilities, shared business objectives, and coaching on executive decision-making. Nigel also highlights his legacy of major transformation programs and discusses the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), detailing how Northumbrian Water's Innovation Festival sprints helped overcome data-sharing barriers and catalyzed government-backed delivery of a common underground map with significant annual benefits.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:51 Nigel’s Career Journey
01:38 About Northumbrian Water
02:09 Planning the Exec Handover
03:23 Succession and Director Mindset
05:32 Handover Lessons and Support
06:13 Legacy Beyond the Headlines
07:50 NUAR Explained
09:03 Innovation Festival Origins
10:18 NUAR Sprint to National Rollout
12:49 Impact and Leadership Credit
13:48 Wrap Up and Closing

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Darren Cleary, the new Managing Director of Sydney Water, about leadership at the largest water utility in Australia. Darren outlines Sydney Water’s role serving around 5.5 million customers across 13,000 square kilometers, providing water, wastewater, recycled water, and some stormwater services, operating within an economically regulated, state-owned corporation model. He describes key challenges including rapid greenfield growth, asset renewal and digital expectations, a $32 billion 10-year capital need amid affordability pressures, emerging PFAS concerns, unexpected oil and grease impacts from a major ocean outfall facility, and rising water demand from data centers, emphasizing transparent community engagement, appropriate pricing frameworks, and a high-trust, no-blame learning culture.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

00:37 Darren’s Career Journey

01:26 Sydney Water Overview

02:31 First Impressions

04:01 Five Year Priorities

04:44 Big Challenges Ahead

06:28 Data Centers and Demand

08:44 FOG Problem

09:36 Trust and Community Engagement

10:49 Leadership Style and Culture

12:10 Wrap Up