The Executive Exchange

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Beverley Stinson, Chief Executive for AECOM’s global water business, about shifting trends and delivery models in water and broader infrastructure. Beverley shares her career journey from the UK to the US, rising through AECOM to lead the global water business. She outlines major pressures including urbanization, population growth, aging assets, climate impacts, constrained investment, and workforce shortages, alongside the growing need for AI and digital tools. The discussion emphasizes moving from transactional contracts to integrated, collaborative partnership models, with Scottish Water’s delivery enterprise and Project 13 cited as examples with shared risk and reward. Beverley also highlights rising private and government investment in industrial water, data centers, mining, and defense, and closes with advice to keep learning and embrace new challenges.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:44 Beverley’s Career Journey
02:30 What AECOM Does
03:58 Why Infrastructure Must Change
06:18 Collaboration and New Delivery Models
07:15 Scottish Water Delivery Enterprise
08:24 Project13 and Sharing Risk
09:41 Private Investment Water Boom
12:36 Advice to Younger Self
13:33 Wrap Up and Thanks

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Melvin Tan, Chief Operating Officer at Manila Water, about his journey from economics graduate and cadetship trainee to COO in Manila Water. Melvin describes Manila Water’s growth and performance since the 1997 Metro Manila privatization, improving 24/7 supply from 26% to universal coverage, reducing non-revenue water from 63% to about 14%, alongside recognition as 2022 Global Water Awards Water Company of the Year. He explains how non-engineers add value through collaboration, financial rigor, and asking questions, and he advises future leaders that impactful water careers need diverse skills, curiosity, learning, and authenticity.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:24 Melvin’s Career Journey
02:00 What Manila Water Does
02:34 Privatization and Turnaround
04:58 Non Engineer Leading Engineers
07:41 Collaboration Leadership Style
08:51 Advice for Non Technical Careers
09:47 A Community Impact Story
10:54 Advice to Younger Self
12:31 Closing and Thanks

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Scott McClelland, General Manager of Encina Wastewater Authority, about achieving a 100% renewably-powered wastewater treatment plant at scale. The discussion focuses on the wastewater energy challenge and Encina’s Cogeneration Low-Emission Augmentation and Retrofit (CLEAR) project, driven by air emissions requirements and built around cogeneration, linear generators, batteries, microgrid controls, and gas conditioning. Scott explains how increasing biogas production through co-digestion with FOG and beer waste, combined with improved efficiency and required gas scrubbing, supports energy independence, with potential surplus energy used to offset purified water production costs.

00:00 Introductions
00:31 Scott’s Career Path
01:31 About Encina
02:12 Wastewater Energy Challenge
03:55 CLEAR Project Explained
05:36 Boosting Biogas Supply
07:12 Biosolids and Fertilizer
08:52 Higher Efficiency Power
10:03 Cleaning Gas and Emissions
11:00 Using Surplus Energy
12:22 Advice to Younger Self
13:15 Wrap Up and Thanks

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Nerina Di Lorenzo, Managing Director of Melbourne Water, about “partnerships with purpose” and why collaboration is essential for modern utilities facing climate impacts, population growth, and ageing assets. Nerina shares her career journey before becoming Managing Director in 2021. She highlights three key partnerships: work with Traditional Owners through the Yarra Strategic Plan and annual yarning circles, The Accord with regional utilities guided by “best overall community outcome prevails,” and the NetZero Partnership with international utilities to address emissions including nitrous oxide. 

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:38 Nerina Career Journey
01:52 Values and Net Zero Shift
02:34 What Melbourne Water Does
03:36 Why Partnerships Matter
05:04 First Peoples Yarra Plan
06:32 Yarning Circle
07:29 The Accord for Water Security
10:04 NetZero Global Partnership
12:38 Making Partnerships Work
14:03 Advice to Younger Self
14:44 Closing and Thanks

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark interviews Chris McIntire, newly joining Oldcastle Infrastructure (CRH) after leading private equity backed Axius Water, about succeeding through repeated acquisition cycles in the fragmented, conservative wastewater market. McIntire recounts his path from building Nova Analytics (acquired by Xylem), helping launch Xylem, then assembling Axius via founder led acquisitions before its sale to Oldcastle. He argues that in water, reputation, application expertise, and long installation histories often beat size, making people and field know how the most valuable assets to preserve in transactions. He advises sellers to align early on expectations and structure, and urges buyers not to disrupt what made acquired businesses successful, shifting from private equity time horizons to a long-term mindset.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:32 Chris Career Journey
02:36 Oldcastle Water Overview
03:40 Supplier Value and Expertise
04:22 Fragmented Market and Reputation
06:21 People First Leadership Model
07:27 Innovation for Conservative Utilities
09:16 Making Acquisitions Work
12:21 Advice for Corporate Buyers
13:25 Legacy and Closing Thoughts

In this 100th episode of Exec Exchange, host Piers Clark speaks with WaterAid’s Helen Puri-Starr and Erik Harvey about Project Blueprint, a 5-year initiative designed to accelerate progress on the water and sanitation crisis by scaling proven approaches. Building on WaterAid’s 40 plus years in Nepal and the Beacon Project with Anglian Water in Madhesh Province, the plan aims to reach 500,000 people with clean water, toilets, and hygiene by working with local utilities, expanding beyond Lahan to nine other utilities, and convening wider actors. The project also includes a global taskforce to consolidate decades of sector learning into a replicable model for other contexts. WaterAid seeks £16.4 million over five years, starting with £4 million in seed funding from change makers giving £250,000 or more.

00:00 Welcome and Guests
00:36 Meet Helen Puri-Starr
01:27 Meet Erik Harvey
02:22 What WaterAid Does
03:26 Why Equity Matters
03:50 Project Blueprint Explained
05:24 Why Nepal and Madhesh
07:06 Beacon Project with Anglian
08:24 Scaling Across Utilities
10:04 Funding and Seed Backers
12:16 How to Get Involved
13:15 Future Vision and Wrap-Up

In this episode of the Exec Exchange and 3rd of a 3-part series of 'Women in Water',  host Piers Clark speaks with Emily Timmins, Director of Water Recycling at Anglian Water, about her journey from frontline sewage treatment operations to executive leadership. Emily describes learning leadership without female role models, rejecting fear-based management, and defining leadership as purpose, inspiration, and “ruthless care.” The conversation explores why women remain underrepresented in operations, including visibility, recruitment, culture, and working patterns, and highlights Anglian Water’s redesigned operational leader role that attracted more women. Emily also discusses menopause impacts and workplace support.

00:00 Welcome to Exec Exchange
00:47 Emily’s Early Life
01:02 First Days on Site
02:21 Leading in Operations
03:31 Leadership vs Management
04:49 Joining Anglian Water
06:16 Women in Water Today
07:36 Fixing the Pipeline
09:34 Why Diversity Matters
10:47 Menopause at Work
12:39 Compassionate Leadership
13:45 Advice to Younger Self

In this episode of the Exec Exchange and 2nd of a 3-part series of 'Women in Water', host Piers Clark speaks with Dr. Sarah McMath, CEO at MOSL (Market Operator Services Limited), about her career path from Thames Water as Head of Asset Management to becoming CEO of the market operator for England’s non-household retail water market. The conversation focuses on women in water, including her shift from disengagement to championing women’s networks (Women's Utilities Network), and how experiences as a working mother and during menopause shaped her views. She describes evolving from performative leadership to an authentic, inclusive style, argues inclusive culture drives diversity without targets, and advises leaders to demand diverse recruitment shortlists and genuinely listen to others.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:24 Sarah’s Career Journey
03:53 What MOSL Does
05:07 Why Women’s Networks Matter
07:52 Leadership Style Evolution
10:33 Building Inclusive Culture
11:41 Leading Diverse Teams
12:48 Practical Inclusion Advice
14:04 Closing Career Advice

In this episode of the Exec Exchange and 1st of a 3-part series of 'Women in Water', host Piers Clark speaks with Joanne Kay, General Manager for Wastewater Operations at Scottish Water, about gender diversity and DEI as a strategy for sustaining the water workforce. Joanne shares her career path to taking her general manager post during COVID and explains Scottish Water’s national role serving around 6 million people across urban, rural, and island communities with challenges from transient populations. She outlines current gender imbalances in operations, and discusses barriers such as STEM pipelines, shift patterns, and caregiving expectations. Joanne also shares a close personal story tied to the importance of the representation and visibility of role models in the sector. The conversation also covers menopause impacts at peak career stages and the need for employers to adapt working environments. Joanne argues that flexible operations and inclusive practices can help address looming retirements and meet changing expectations from Millennials and Gen Z.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:28 Joanne Career Journey

01:38 About Scottish Water

02:48 Gender Diversity Stats

04:03 Why the Gap Exists

05:17 Career Tradeoffs and Bias

07:26 A Defining Inclusion Moment

09:59 Menopause at Work

12:36 DEI as Workforce Strategy

14:53 Closing Question and Wrap

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Doeke Schippers, Leading Professional of Vitens, the Netherlands’ largest drinking water company serving 6 million people with chlorine-free water. Doeke recounts his career from chemical engineering in wastewater to leadership roles in the drinking water sector. The conversation focuses on the Dutch “water transition” as climate change brings heat waves, summer drought, low river flows, and increasing salinity alongside winter floods. In response, Vitens is developing groundwater recharge and nature-based infiltration “water batteries,” exploring mixed sources including surface water and treated wastewater through "strategic hearts" while addressing contaminants like PFAS, and working with regulators.

00:00 Welcome and Guest
00:26 Career Journey
01:10 Why Drinking Water
01:34 About Vitens
01:58 Chlorine Free Water
02:46 Water Transition Challenges
04:53 Water Batteries Strategy
06:19 Reuse and PFAS
07:14 Rivers and Desalination
08:39 Regulators
09:25 Public Awareness Gap
11:34 Personal Advice and Wrap