WWEM 2024 - Digital Water Conference Programme

Product Consultant for EAM Environmental Inc., a Pennsylvania manufacturing firm focused on production of spill control materials for hazardous waste cleanup. Holds his BA in Management and an MBA in Finance & Investment. Has written white papers regarding medical waste disposal, bloodborne pathogen handling and the recycling of mercury bearing wastes that have been published in various publications. I’ve presented white papers at the likes of Sites & Spills Expo, Toronto, Canada; Interspill2012, London, UK; Global Waste Symposium, Phoenix, Arizona, United States & International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and the Nigerian Oil Spill Conference in Ghana for 2013. Co holds US patents for aerated foamed recycled cellulose fibers particularly as a replacement for clay cat litter and alternative daily landfill cover. Mark has over 30 years of experience in manufacturing spill control materials along with consulting clients on their waste management issues.

32 years with one of the leading instrumentation companies in the UK, Part of the Management Board of the recently converted EOT iteration of ABLE. Experienced Technical Sales and Marketing Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the process and analytical/research industries. Skilled in process control across the petrochemical, chemical, pharmaceutical, food, power and utilities sectors. Strong business development professional with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) focused in Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology from Queen Elizabeth College.

With a strong background in global sales and export, Phil Tomlinson is an experienced commercial director with a strong background in the Water and Wastewater industry. Phil’s career in the industry spans over 10 years with responsibility for the management and development of a team of Sales Managers in the UK and partners within regional areas of focus such as the UK, Europe, Americas, Middle East and South East Asia achieving organic year on year double digit growth through major domestic contract wins. In his spare time, Phil is not only a keen sportsman, but is also passionate about helping to promote and improve mental and emotional wellbeing in young people and sits on the board of directors for a charity working with young people.

Current position: Healthcare Sales EMEA
Background:
LiveScience sensor manager during 5 years at Linxens
Ph.D. in material science at CEMEF-PSL
10 years of experience in chemistry, formulation, and material in different fields (automotive, building, electronic and medical)

Roberto Marcos Perchin, MSc, MBA, is the principal consultant and managing director of 360LabOperationsConsultants, a consultancy company aimed at working with laboratory instrumentation companies in all their operations. After finishing his Master's degree in Physical Chemistry at Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain, he started working with different companies in the scientific industry, mainly with analytical instrumentation manufacturers. During his fifteen years in the UK, he coursed his studies in business administration, at University of Northampton, where he obtained his MBA, majoring in Operations Management. He has developed his career in different laboratory instrumentation and solutions companies, both in scientific and managerial positions, with a special passion for improving analytical processes and consulting for different laboratories, focusing on delivering best suited solutions for all qualified circumstances.

Kayleigh Smith is an In-Situ Sales Manager for the UK and Scotland and has worked in the industry for more than 16 years, selling, using and supporting equipment for groundwater and surface water monitoring and sampling. Her no-nonsense approach and expert advice have led to working relationships with some of the environmental sector’s biggest names. Kayleigh trained at the Nielsen Environmental Field School in New Mexico where she became a Groundwater Monitoring Specialist. She is a member of IAH and has presented at WWEM, Contamination Expo, SWIG and CIRIA. She has also appeared on BBC News as an Independent Water Monitoring expert and is the curator/host of Thursday Focus Group, a bi weekly focus group on leading environmental topics.

Kayleigh Smith is an In-Situ Sales Manager for the UK and Scotland and has worked in the industry for more than 16 years, selling, using and supporting equipment for groundwater and surface water monitoring and sampling. Her no-nonsense approach and expert advice have led to working relationships with some of the environmental sector’s biggest names. Kayleigh trained at the Nielsen Environmental Field School in New Mexico where she became a Groundwater Monitoring Specialist. She is a member of IAH and has presented at WWEM, Contamination Expo, SWIG and CIRIA. She has also appeared on BBC News as an Independent Water Monitoring expert and is the curator/host of Thursday Focus Group, a bi weekly focus group on leading environmental topics.

Onyedikachi Ubani, I hold a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry, an MSc, and a Ph.D. degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of South Africa (UNISA), and I am the corresponding author of this article. Postdoctoral Research fellow at the Department of Biotechnology and Chemistry, Vaal University of Technology. Specialization and research interests are in Environmental/Air/water pollution, impact assessment and control, Environmental management, and remediation, with a particular focus on Environmental management, bioremediation and impact assessment, Wastewater Treatment, Composting, Ecology, Nanotechnology and Biotechnology.

Martin Duff is Atmos International’s Business Development Director, responsible for the water sector. Since graduating in BSc Geography & Environmental Management in 2007, Martin has spent most of his career in the water industry both in the UK and internationally, taking a number of different technologies to market. Martin has focused on a variety of applications including surface water management, industrial and municipal water treatment, pump efficiency and leak detection, using his business development experience to create resilient supply chains that allow the water sector to tackle major challenges such as regulatory compliance, climate change, Net Zero and the energy crisis.

Jonathan Lacey is the Laboratory and Service manager for ECH Scientific, the UK-based Global Service and Sales centre for ECH Elektrochemie Halle GmbH. ECH are a developing and manufacturing company who specialise in scientific devices for laboratory analysis, especially in the petroleum and environmental monitoring industry. Jonathan has a strong analytical mind, geared towards understanding and problem solving in both scientific and instrumentational fields which has been built upon a bachelors in Forensics Science and across multiple jobs and responsibilities in the scientific industry. Jonathan works closely with distributors and customers across the world, on an array of laboratory equipment ranging from Karl Fischer to H2S analysers, to aid and support with the everyday use and technical queries that may arise. He has an excellent working knowledge, across a variety of sample types, on the detection of H2S using the amperometric sensor-based systems that ECH produce

I achieved my degree in Chemistry at Milano but, being recipient of a scholarship granted by the Erasmus program, I performed my research activity in environmental chemistry at Leiden, The Netherlands. In the beginning of my career, I had the opportunity of working for more than a decade in ISRIM, a private research and services centre, characterized by unusual multidisciplinarity. This allowed me to achieve a transversal technical-scientific culture with expertise ranging from microbiology and toxicology to analytical and environmental chemistry. My inclination to convert research disclosures into commercial products naturally brought me to my actual working destination of Scientific Coordinator by Systea SPA, an extremely dynamic SME. In the last 13 years, I have been actively working in the field of environmental chemistry. The mission of the company is to provide automated solutions for laboratory, on-line or in situ environmental control of different chemical parameters. Starting from international standards like ISO, EPA, ASTM, GB and BIS, and, sometimes, scientific papers, Systea developed and tested hundreds of automated methods for water, soil, wine, extract analysis on robotic instruments that were sold all over the world.

James Chapman joined Xylem in February 2023 to lead Xylem’s efforts to support Utilities complying with the Environment Act 2021, Section 82 river water quality monitoring. James has over 14 years of experience in the industrial, municipal wastewater, and environmental monitoring industries. At Xylem, James is the project lead for the Section 82 YSI EXO Sonde & HydroRIG telemetry monitoring trials for the water companies & their partners. He offers internal & external engagement Lunch & Learn sessions for universities, charity groups, stakeholders & water companies on river water quality monitoring, with collaboration being a key part to his work. He also collaborates with the wider Xylem brand portfolios, plus Engineering and R&D teams on advancements to their technologies and cloud-based platforms, following voice of customer feedback. He also works with Marketing on social media campaigns & case study articles, plus serving as technical support in the field. You can often find him presenting at tradeshows and conferences too.
James has a BSc in Environmental Management & Physical Geography from the University of Worcester, where he wrote his thesis on the impact of sewage effluent on a receiving watercourse.

Business Development Manager - Environmental Solutions, Xylem Water Solutions UK James Chapman joined Xylem in February 2023 to lead Xylem’s efforts to support Utilities complying with the Environment Act 2021, Section 82 river water quality monitoring. James has over 14 years of experience in the industrial, municipal wastewater, and environmental monitoring industries. At Xylem, James is the project lead for the Section 82 YSI EXO Sonde monitoring trials for the water companies & their partners. He offers internal & external engagement Lunch & Learn sessions for universities, charity groups, stakeholders & water companies on river water quality monitoring, with collaboration being a key part to his work. He also collaborates with the wider Xylem brand portfolios, plus Engineering and R&D teams on advancements to their technologies and cloud-based platforms, following feedback from customers. He also works with Marketing on social media campaigns & case study articles, plus serving as technical support in the field. You can often find him at trade shows and conferences too. James has a BSc in Environmental Management & Physical Geography from the University of Worcester, where he wrote his thesis on the impact of sewage effluent on a receiving watercourse.

Geraint is Technical Director at ALS and Global Practice Lead on PFAS. He has 25 years’ experience in the contaminated land industry. Geraint is one of the co-authors of the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) good practice guidance on PFAS in soil and water environments. Geraint is the chair of the Network for Industrially Co-ordinated Sustainable Land Management in Europe, (NICOLE’s), PFAS lab working group. He also chairs the Association of Geotechnical & Geo-environmental Specialists (AGS) contaminated land working group. He previously served two terms on the Society of Brownfield Risk Assessment's (SoBRA) executive committee, led the Technical Panel and has been involved in several sub-groups including vapour intrusion.

A Chartered Engineer (CEng MIEE) and proven leader, with 20+ years’ experience across several diverse manufacturing sectors. For the past 12 years I have been working with utility owners and contractors to implement cutting edge technology and software. A proven background in project, production, operations, commercial and sales management and leadership of highly skilled teams. I am Passionate about transformation through innovation and technology implementation, focused on supporting businesses small and large to deliver growth through clearly promoting the 'why' and increasing agility.

Ipek Temizel Water and Wastewater Industry Manager in E+H UK. She has 5.5 years of experience in marketing, industry and business development, along with 15 years in the water industry. She has played a role in shaping strategies for the WWW Industry at Endress Hauser. Her experience in the water market includes collaborating with various stakeholders to deliver innovative solutions, products and services. Prior to her role in the UK, she worked on similar projects in Turkey. One of her main focuses is supporting business growth by providing strategic approaches that enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Matt Stevenson's passion resulted in the invention of a groundbreaking aquarium filtration patent followed by a successful global enterprise in aquarium sales. Sensing the need for improved affordable water monitoring, Matt pioneered Seneye optical sensors, revolutionising IoT aquarium water quality monitoring. Seneye has recently developed it's Gen2 sensor for commercial applications and marks substantial leap forward, optically monitoring multiple parameters simultaneously and safeguarding fish world wide.

Oliver Hofmann is the CEO of SouthWestSensor and has 25 years' experience in sensor and company development in the medical field before joining SouthWestSensor in 2018. He is an analytical chemist by trade and has a PhD in microfluidics.

Oliver Hofmann is the CEO of SouthWestSensor and has 25 years' experience in sensor and company development in the medical field before joining SouthWestSensor in 2018. He is an analytical chemist by trade and has a PhD in microfluidics.

JD is a Market Development Manager specialised in food and environmental analysis. With a strong background in Chemistry over 15 years, JD possesses a unique blend of technical expertise and market insights. In his previous roles, as a senior applications chemist at Waters and a team leader at a reputed food research organisation, he excelled the opportunities in method development and troubleshooting with applications such as pesticides, mycotoxins, process contaminants, and persistent organic pollutants. In his current role, JD is driven by his passion for influencing positive change and making a tangible impact in the analytical science industry.

JD is a Market Development Manager specialised in food and environmental analysis. With strong background in Chemistry over 15 years, JD possesses a unique blend of technical expertise and market insights. In his previous roles, as a senior applications chemist at Waters and a team leader at a reputed food research organisation, he excelled the opportunities in method development and troubleshooting with applications such as pesticides, mycotoxins, process contaminants and persistence organic pollutants. In his current role, JD is driven by his passion for influencing positive change and making a tangible impact in the analytical science industry.

Rebeka has been working as Client Manager at SouthWestSensor since graduating with her Bsc in environmental science. She has previously worked in water quality and pollution in Guernsey and has conducted surveys of the health of streams.

JD is a Market Development Manager specialised in food and environmental analysis. With strong background in Chemistry over 15 years, JD possesses a unique blend of technical expertise and market insights. In his previous roles, as a senior applications chemist at Waters and a team leader at a reputed food research organisation, he excelled the opportunities in method development and troubleshooting with applications such as pesticides, mycotoxins, process contaminants and persistence organic pollutants. In his current role, JD is driven by his passion for influencing positive change and making a tangible impact in the analytical science industry.

JD is a Market Development Manager specialised in food and environmental analysis. With strong background in Chemistry over 15 years, JD possesses a unique blend of technical expertise and market insights. In his previous roles, as a senior applications chemist at Waters and a team leader at a reputed food research organisation, he excelled the opportunities in method development and troubleshooting with applications such as pesticides, mycotoxins, process contaminants and persistence organic pollutants. In his current role, JD is driven by his passion for influencing positive change and making a tangible impact in the analytical science industry.

Matt James is a Senior Research Scientist at Avantor Sciences. Matt gained his PhD at University of Bristol and over the last 11 years, he has worked within the Technical Support, Applications and R&D teams within Hichrom, now part of Avantor. Recent focuses have been HPLC/UHPLC method transfer and translation, the use of solid core phases, development of next generation LC stationary phases and the development of LC methods for key applications, such as the analysis of nitrosamines and PFAS by LC-MS/MS.

Dr. Kharel is an application scientist in LCTech. He completed his PhD in micropollutants removal from waste water in European project in Denmark. He continued his research in Aarhus University after his PhD before joining LCTech. He has an advanced knowledge in anaytical chemistry for sample preparation and analysis of environmental pollutants (since last 12 years).

John has worked in industry for over 35 years developing optically based analytical instrumentation and sensors. After gaining his PhD in Optical Sensing at Imperial College in 1986, he joined the Biosensors Group at Unilever’s Central Research Laboratories to develop novel optical waveguide biosensing techniques. In 1987 he joined Serono Diagnostics to commercialize both optical biosensors and fully automated medical diagnostics systems. In 1992 he co-founded a small consultancy company with the aim of exploiting expertise in analytical instrumentation before joining Chelsea Technologies (Chelsea) in 1997. At Chelsea he has managed a range of system developments including low-cost photometers for the Point of Care diagnostics market, sophisticated real-time PCR instrumentation for molecular diagnostics and a portable microarray processor for security applications. As Technical Director he is responsible for the development and support of Chelsea’s own range of oceanographic and environmental sensors and systems; leading the development of novel visible and UV fluorometers for algal, aromatic hydrocarbon and heterocyclic compound monitoring for water quality, industrial and maritime applications.

Jorge Vidal, is a Spanish electronics, automation and industrial engineer with a background from Carlos III University of Madrid and the University of Florida. Jorge has vast expertise in unmanned, autonomous vehicles and automation. Jorge brings a passion for robotics and process optimisation to Taurob, the Austrian manufacture of the gas finding robot. Jorge joined the team in the second half of 2023, contributing great expertise in his field.

Ian Kelsall is the Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE) Business Development Manager for Draeger Safety UK Ltd. With 16 years’ experience in the Safety Industry, Ian has focused on Application and Business Development. He has played an integral role in many new powered air, supplied air and other RPE development projects, contributing from concept creation through to user development testing. Working across most sectors Ian has extensive experience in supporting industry with RPE specification, training and end-user trials. Ian has also contributed technical expertise to RPE Product Approval and Standardisation Committees.

Anna Whittaker is in charge of bNovate’s channel partners and key accounts in Northern Europe. With an MSc in environmental molecular biology from Stockholm University she has spent the last 20 years in the water, industrial process and environmental industries, with focus on analytical equipment. She has a special interest in water quality and novel approaches to microbial monitoring.

JD is a Market Development Manager specialised in food and environmental analysis. With strong background in Chemistry over 15 years, JD possesses a unique blend of technical expertise and market insights. In his previous roles, as a senior applications chemist at Waters and a team leader at a reputed food research organisation, he excelled the opportunities in method development and troubleshooting with applications such as pesticides, mycotoxins, process contaminants and persistence organic pollutants. In his current role, JD is driven by his passion for influencing positive change and making a tangible impact in the analytical science industry.

Justin Dunning is a Senior Sales Manager within Chelsea Technologies Ltd, a manufacturer of in-situ sensors and systems serving the Ocean Science, Underwater Defence, Green Shipping, Aquaculture and Operational Oceanography sectors. He originally worked within the engineering department at Chelsea as a Mechanical Engineer and Marine Systems Manager. He has a depth of experience in applying sensor technology to a wide range of markets (Oceanographic Research, Underwater Defence. Environmental Monitoring, Maritime, Process Engineering, Life Science), and provides the ability of translating user requirements to robust fit-for-purpose sensor solutions.

Tom is a Chemical Engineer and Biotechnologist who has spent most of his +25yrs water industry career focused on water quality with Enebio Ltd and Orica Watercare, as well as establishing a global presence for various SME products. He has spent most of the last decade working on drinking water systems all across the United States where he has been an active part of the Partnership for Safe Water. Through a long association with British Water, Tom has led the Real Time Monitoring Group, Extractive Industries Group and has been an International Business Mentor for the USA for more than a decade. In the past Tom led British Water visits to China and reported back to All Party Parlimentary Groups. Tom is also the Vice Chair of the UK IWA Committee. When he is not working, you will find Tom restoring his ancient woodland in Whaley Bridge, or taking part in expeditions across the globe, which in the past have included West Africa, Borneo and Central America.

Process Insights AG / 2023 - present Manger Sales EMEA Process Insights AG / 2021 - 2023 Territory Manager Lab/Gas/Semiconductor WS eco GmbH / 2021 Lead Territory Sales Manager Valmet GmbH / 2017 - 2021 Sales Manager Waste Water Industry - Automation Business Line GE Water & Process Technologies / 2014 - 2017 Sales Engineer Germany Process Insights AG / 2011 - 2014 Sales South-WestSales South-West Paques BV / 2008 - 2011 Engineering Karlsberg Brewery / 2000 - 2008 Technical Engineer Entsorgungsverband Saar (EVS) Wastewater Treatment Plant / 1995 - 2000 Technical Engineer

David Kaminski is Senior Vice President at QED Environmental Systems Inc., a leading manufacturer of dedicated and portable groundwater sampling systems, landfill leachate pumps, landfill gas flow control products and air stripper treatment systems for leachate and contaminated waters. Since joining QED in 1984, he has been involved in the development of new products for groundwater monitoring and landfill applications, and has been awarded three U.S. patents for new devices and methods used for low-flow groundwater sampling. Mr. Kaminski has authored journal papers and conference presentations on groundwater sampling practices, landfill and remediation pumping system design, and landfill gas control and measurement. He has also presented hundreds of seminars, workshops, and short courses for industry organizations, universities, and regulatory agencies throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia. In 2009, Mr. Kaminski became an instructor with the Princeton Groundwater Pollution Hydrology Course, speaking on site characterization tools and techniques, monitoring well design and construction, and well purging and sampling methodologies. He is a member of ASTM International and was chairman of ASTM's Ground Water Sample Collection committee from 1990 through 2008, during which time he coauthored several new ASTM groundwater sampling standards, including D6771-2002 on low-flow sampling. Mr. Kaminski is also active in landfill gas collection and monitoring practices. In 2012, David was elected as chairman of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Landfill Gas Extraction and Control committee, serving as Vice-Director and Director of SWANA’s Landfill Gas and Biogas Technical Division through June 2023. He currently serves as a SWANA Advisory Board Delegate through June 30, 2024.

Aurelie Marcotte is the Director of Sales and Business Development at Entanglement Technologies. She has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Arizona State University, where she conducted atmospheric chemistry and environmental monitoring research. She completed her postdoctoral training in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale University and at the U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development.

since 2011 with ABB in different positions, actual Business Intelligent Manager ABB Hub Europe, responsible for Mobile Leak Detection ECO System in Europe
before 2011 with other companies responsible for spectroscopic methods
in 2002 PhD Thesis
in 1997 Master of Science Chemistry

Roy Zenou is the UK Channel Sales Manager at ASTERRA, a global leader in satellite-based leak detection technology. With a diverse background spanning sales and marketing roles in FMCG, AdTech, and Commercial Insurance, Roy brings a unique perspective to the water industry. His earlier experience as a commercial diver, including Hazmat dives in sewers, gives him valuable insight into the challenges faced by UK water utilities. Roy now leverages this expertise to help utilities adopt ASTERRA’s cutting-edge technology to enhance sustainability and manage leaks.

Jeroen was hired by iFLUX as a Hydrogeologist/Business Development Manager in 2022 and has almost 25 years of experience in hydrogeology. Starting at the Flemish Environment Agency he was responsible for the operational management of the groundwater monitoring networks and coordination of government advice on groundwater extractions. Later on he joined the enforcement division at the Department of Environment & Spatial Development, where he was manager of the environmental inspections related to subsoil and groundwater, checking field compliance of environmental legislation. Jeroen earned his Master’s degree in Geology/Earth Science from KU Leuven in Belgium.

Sunand Mittal is professional with 22 years of diverse experience in electronics, embedded systems, software, Product development, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship. As Founder YuDash Systems Pvt Ltd. YuDash, Sunand’s present focus is IoT devices and solutions for Environment, Emission Monitoring and Compliance. Sunand is Computer Science engineer. He holds 3 US patents in embedded video and CAD domain and co-inventor of 2 US patents. Linked profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunand-mittal-644764/

Dr. Jean-Christophe Mifsud serves as the President of ELLONA, a company committed to advancing the online monitoring of environmental emissions, encompassing gases, light, particles, noise, odors, allergens, and more, both indoors and outdoors. ELLONA's innovative technologies seamlessly integrate miniaturized sensors with cloud-based artificial intelligence, empowering stakeholders to develop situational intelligence and effectively manage diverse environments, including smart cities, industrial sites, airport and seaports, and construction sites. Dr. Mifsud brings a wealth of experience to his role, having previously founded ALPHA MOS in Toulouse in 1993 and guiding the company for two decades, culminating in its listing on the Paris stock exchange in 1998. ALPHA MOS has emerged as a global leader in sensory measurement instruments, notably electronic noses for odor analysis and electronic tongues for taste evaluation. Prior to his entrepreneurial pursuits, Dr. Mifsud gained valuable insights in finance, particularly in mergers and acquisitions within the high-tech industry during his tenure in the United States. An alumnus of the Toulouse School of Chemistry, Dr. Mifsud holds a degree in Chemical Engineering. Additionally, he is a graduate of ESSEC and earned his Ph.D. in Neurochemistry from Princeton University, New Jersey, USA. Dr. Mifsud's contributions extend beyond academia, with an impressive portfolio comprising approximately 40 patents and over 100 publications.

Dr. Samantha Lunn, Product Development Manager, Palintest Dr. Samantha Lunn embarked on her professional journey at Palintest as an Innovation Scientist with a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Newcastle University. Her expertise and dedication quickly propelled her to the role of Product Development Manager for the electrochemical sensor department, where she leads a team in creating cutting-edge solutions for measuring disinfection chemicals and heavy metals in water. Dr. Lunn’s work is pivotal in ensuring global water safety, aligning with Palintest’s mission to safeguard water everyone, every day. Her leadership extends beyond her technical role as she runs the committee for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and has undertaken an outreach program in Ghana. Her contributions to the field have taken her across the globe, from customer trials in China to various states in the USA, demonstrating her commitment to addressing water safety challenges on an international scale. At the upcoming WWEM Water, Wastewater and Environmental Monitoring Conference, Dr. Lunn will share insights into the latest advancements in water quality monitoring for ammonia and the importance of innovative sensor technology in environmental protection.

At the beginning of 2024, Oliver co-founded Wastewater Network Solutions (WNS). WNS was born out of the passion to contribute to a sustainable future by providing innovative solutions for efficient wastewater management, sewer network optimisation and a reduction in Environmental impact of wastewater spills. Oliver has 13 years’ experience in monitoring wastewater. He has installed and maintained thousands of flow and level monitors and managed multiple large scale roll outs of mass sensor deployment for multiple UK water utilities

Prajyot Ranbhise is a Lead Application Engineer at Druck, a Baker Hughes Business specialising in calibration management software solutions. A strong customer focus and passion for integrated software solutions to help customers digitise their calibration and instrumentation validation process has helped Prajyot understand the varying market needs in different industries and regions and adopt to changing trends. Prajyot works closely with cross functional teams to deliver the most relevant, flexible and scalable solutions that customers need to transform their approach to calibration and maintenance management. Prior to Druck, Prajyot worked in various roles in design and development of computer based software applications for manufacturing, finance and process markets and has thorough understanding of software development life cycles (SDLC).

Claus Behrens is the Global Sales Lead at the Danish sensor manufacturer SulfiLogger A/S

Revd David Walker is a leading expert in the water industry with over 30 years of experience in environmental monitoring. As the Global Future Trends Director at Detectronic Ltd, he has driven innovation, developing products like the MSFM area velocity flow meter and the LIDoTT sewer level sensor. Co-founding Detectronic in 2005, he grew it to a team of over 120, achieving significant industry impact.
A key figure in Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) and MCERTS compliance, Dave collaborated with the Environment Agency to develop the EDM MCERTS standards. An ordained Priest in the Church of England, he also focuses on Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and urban wetland management.
Dave holds a BSc in Environmental Management and a BA in Theology, blending technical expertise with community engagement, making him a compelling and insightful presenter on water management and environmental sustainability.

Mark Rhodes is CSignum’s Chief Technology Officer with over 30 years of technology leadership and engineering experience, including significant roles at SKF, Agilent, Motorola, GEC-Marconi, BAE Systems, and WFS Technologies. As an esteemed Electronics Engineer, Mark has spearheaded numerous technological advancements, holding over 30 granted patents. He is notably the original inventor of digital through-water communications and groundbreaking innovations in areas such as cellular communications, airborne radar, industrial condition monitoring, and fiber optic communications. Throughout his career, Mark has played a crucial role in technology companies, managing the full cycle from conceptualization to successful commercialization. His expertise encompasses system design and integration, radio communications systems, microwave design, and leading project and engineering teams, with a focus on aligning technology business strategy with organizational goals. A Blackbelt in the Motorola Six Sigma quality improvement program, Mark champions precision and efficiency in all engineering processes. He firmly believes that the CSignum solution is just the beginning of what’s possible with their electromagnetic field-based platform as the world extends the Internet of Things to encompass the underwater and underground domains.

Martyn Standering is a Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE) Business Development Manager for Draeger Safety Ltd. With 16 years’ experience in the Safety Industry, Martyn has gained knowledge and experience in supporting customers across a multitude of sectors, including utilities, wastewater, nuclear and pharmaceutical. In addition, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Martyn specialised in working with the NHS, local authorities and companies with critical key workers on specifying and supplying respiratory protection.
Martyn has been instrumental in bringing new respiratory innovations to market alongside the Draeger Product Development teams, contributing from concept creation through to user development and testing.

Mikal Willmott is a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager, who has worked more than 20 years at Severn Trent Water having joined their graduate program straight from university. Mikal has specialised in water loss management, understanding water demand and flow monitoring. Mikal currently sits on the Flow Measurement Special Interest Group Leadership Group and was formerly on the British Standards Committee for metering in closed pipes. Mikal has spoken at various national and international conferences.

Professor Oliver Grievson is a technical leader and a multi-award winning engineer in the water industry with a specialism in regultory monitoring and process engineering with over 25 years of experience. He currently works for the global engineering consultancy AtkinsRéalis and is a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at the University of Exeter. He volunteers across the water industry and is a Director of SWIG, Deputy Chairman of the Foundation for Water Research and the US Charity Wastewater Education 501 (C)3 as well as running a LinkedIn Group, Water Industry Process Automation & Control that has over 11,000 members. Over the past ten years Oliver has helped to put together the programme here at WWEM.

He is also currently holds five fellowships and four charterships with a number of professional institutions including CIWEM, IET, InstMC, IES and the IWA, he is also a European Engineer

Professor Oliver Grievson is a technical leader and a multi-award winning engineer in the water industry with a specialism in regultory monitoring and process engineering with over 25 years of experience. He currently works for the global engineering consultancy AtkinsRéalis and is a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at the University of Exeter. He volunteers across the water industry and is a Director of SWIG, Deputy Chairman of the Foundation for Water Research and the US Charity Wastewater Education 501 (C)3 as well as running a LinkedIn Group, Water Industry Process Automation & Control that has over 11,000 members. Over the past ten years Oliver has helped to put together the programme here at WWEM.

He is also currently holds five fellowships and four charterships with a number of professional institutions including CIWEM, IET, InstMC, IES and the IWA, he is also a European Engineer

Matt Stephenson is Director of Software Marketing at BADGER METER Global. He’s a veteran of the water sector having spent his 25+ year career immersed in a spectrum of water management challenges. In his role at Badger Meter he’s focused on steering the development of software, analytics and big data solutions that complement the use of the many analytical instruments in the company’s portfolio. He believes passionately that the sector can elevate itself with better application of the huge quantities of data it collects, and a more open relationship with consumers on the information it generates. Matt lives in the UK but is quite focused on the US water sector today and can’t help but notice the differences, similarities and opportunities that exist between the two.

Dr. Mohammadali Geranmehr is a civil engineer and a researcher with a PhD, specialising in water engineering. His research focuses on water distribution networks, sewer collection systems, numerical methods, water quality, optimisation, machine learning, and fuzzy set theory. He's contributed to the design, rehabilitation and smart pressure management of water distribution networks, and design sewer systems. His work bridges academia and practical applications, emphasizing research, engineering, and education in civil engineering, particularly within water-related projects. He joined the University of Sheffield in 2021 as a research associate.

Ridi Hossain is a PhD researcher at the Centre for Water Systems at the University of Exeter, working in collaboration with Southern Water. Her research centers on the real-time performance evaluation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) specifically retrofitted at plot-scale. She aims to develop and implement a comprehensive monitoring framework to assess the effectiveness of SuDS in mitigating Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) spills in urban areas. With a strong background in computer science, Ridi is passionate about using data science and artificial intelligence to enhance urban stormwater management and contribute to sustainable water infrastructure.

A civil (drainage) engineer by background, Brian is passionate about using smart technology to:
- improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the world’s ageing sewer networks and waste water treatment plants
- reduce water demand in new buildings
He leads Stormharvester’s use of machine learning to develop tomorrow’s intelligent sewers and smart recycling of rainwater in building construction.

A civil (drainage) engineer by background, Brian is passionate about using smart technology to:
- improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the world’s ageing sewer networks and waste water treatment plants
- reduce water demand in new buildings
He leads Stormharvester’s use of machine learning to develop tomorrow’s intelligent sewers and smart recycling of rainwater in building construction.

Chair – Water Data Taskforce
Elected 2023
Jamie is a professionally registered engineer and Global BIM Manager for Xylem Inc.
As past chair of BIM4Water and the Standard Libraries Group she brings a wealth of experience and energy.
“Access to reliable data, allows for faster safer decisions; fact! So why wouldn’t you invest in the fundamentals? Working together is the only way we can make that happen! This isn’t about technology! This is about collaboration and change. ”

Dr. Killian Gleeson is a postdoctoral research associate in drinking water quality analytics at the University of Sheffield. Killian's PhD at the University of Sheffield ended in 2023 and focused on developing analytics to derive actionable insights from drinking water quality sensors in water distribution systems. The PhD was part of the EPRSC Water Infrastructure and Resilience (WIRe) Centre for Doctoral Training, with Siemens as the industrial sponsor. Since completing his PhD, Killian has been working alongside Northumbrian Water and Siemens on the OFWAT Innovation funded project entitled "Treatment to Tap: Water Quality as a Service''.

Darren Meaning is a Sales Specialist in Process Instrumentation, at SIEMENS Digital Industries. He has 30 years’ experience in selling and promoting process instrumentation in various rolls and industry sectors. He now supports the Water Utilities and is known to have good domain expertise as well as a good understanding of regulatory drivers. More recently, Darren has been involved with promoting software solutions to common water industry problems, such as identifying sewer blockages, sewer network management, as well as monitoring water quality and leakage detection.

Ian's research interests centre on the mixing and transport of contaminants in coastal, rivers, urban drainage and pipe distribution systems. His work aims to identify and quantify processes within areas of civil engineering hydraulics and the natural environment. This is achieved by conducting detailed laboratory and field studies, from which to validate simplified modelling procedures for engineering applications. Ian is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management. In 2017-19, Ian was the first Academic-in-Residence for the Institution of Civil Engineers' Shaping-the-World initiative.

Dr Will Shepherd is a Research Associate with over 20 years’ experience, he is based in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering at the University of Sheffield. His main interests lie in the performance of urban drainage systems. Recent projects include CENTAUR, which developed a fuzzy logic controlled gate to manage sewer flows to minimise flooding and Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) spills; and CSO Analytics which uses CSO level data and rainfall radar data in order to predict the likelihood of a downstream blockage. Will's current work is mainly focussed on the Pipebots project.

Senior Business Development Executive and Investor with 25 years' global experience in sensor development, operations, commercialisation, financing and company development, including as Director at Molecular Vision (acquired by Abingdon Health) and Senior Investment Manager at Inventages, a leading global Venture Capital fund. Currently CEO at SouthWestSensor which has developed compact sensor devices for continuous monitoring of water quality for environmental and process control applications. PhD in Analytical Chemistry / Lab-on-a-Chip and MBA, both from Imperial College London.

Hannah Gunter is the Project Research Manager at RS Hydro/Proteus Instruments Limited. Since starting in 2019, Hannah has been involved on many client projects and now focuses on developing the research projects which implement new methodologies and cutting-edge measurement techniques to push forward the development of fluorescence technology.

Hannah is currently finishing her PhD with the University of Birmingham studying the environmental applications of fluorescence spectroscopy with a specific interest in E. coli. She has published papers on the use of fluorescence as a surrogate for different water quality parameters, with her research sitting at the intersection between academia and industry. Hannah also obtained an MSc in River Environments and their management and a BSc in geography at the same institution.

Driven by a passion for advancing scientific knowledge and contributing to real-world solutions, Hannah Gunter stands at the forefront of a rapidly evolving field, poised to make significant contributions to environmental science.

Andy is part of Vodafone’s IoT business. He has been working in the Energy & Utilities sector for over 20 years, engaging with customers and manufacturers across the water, electrical, and gas markets. Andy specializes in edge-of-network applications and has extensive experience in both the development and deployment of communications, telemetry, and sensing applications.

Chris, is an OT Manager at South West Water (SWW) with 20 years Water experience and the current Chairman of the Worldwide Industrial Telemetry Standards (WITS) Committee.

Zhugen Yang is a Professor in Biosensing and Environmental Health at Cranfield University, leading Advanced Sensors Laboratory. He completed a postdoc at the Universities of Cambridge and Bath after receiving his PhD from the University of Lyon in France. He has received three prestigious Fellowships/awards for different career stages, including Leverhulme Research Leadership Awards (2023-8), UKRI NERC Independent Research Fellowship (2018-21) and EU Marie Curie Fellow (2013-5).

Milad Latifi, Ph.D., works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Water Systems, University of Exeter. His primary area of expertise lies in using computational intelligence and digital tools to enhance clean and wastewater systems. With a robust background in applying optimisation, machine learning, and decision-making models to water systems, Milad has accumulated years of experience in the water sector. Currently, he serves as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership associate, collaborating with industrial partners to integrate this valuable knowledge into businesses.

Matt Stevenson's passion resulted in the invention of a groundbreaking aquarium filtration patent followed by a successful global enterprise in aquarium sales. Sensing the need for improved affordable water monitoring, Matt pioneered Seneye optical sensors, revolutionising IoT aquarium water quality monitoring. Seneye has recently developed it's Gen2 sensor for river applications after discovering a need in the water industry for low cost, easily deployable, calibration free, IoT water sensors.

Tony Lopez is the European Sales Manager at Badger Meter with two decades of experience in international flow metering sales. He develops tailored solutions for diverse markets and provides exceptional service and support across Europe. Tony looks forward to engaging with fellow professionals, sharing insights, and contributing to the collective knowledge of the industry.

Andy has been involved in a wide portfolio of process instrumentation solutions, from flow measurement on 1990’s North Sea developments, through to fiscal level systems in Scottish Whisky distilleries and bottling & blending plants. In 2012, Andy established the UK subsidiary of FLEXIM GmbH, a specialist manufacturer of non-invasive clamp-on flow metering and now part of Emerson, a world leading process instrumentation company. Since 2016, Andy has been active in UK&I water industry development, a sector which has widely embraced the optimum TOTEX flow solutions effectively delivered via clamp-on flow measurement.

Lynne is a process engineer with 20 years experience in the water sector, specialised in wastewater and sludge treatment processes and advanced control.
Having worked in different countries, she has a global overview of the water industry and its regional differences, and her early days in research together with her current business role mean she is always keen to bring to the water sector innovative solutions that make a difference.
She is currently Product Line manager for Createch , covering UK, French and Eastern Europe markets as well as being the lead on N2O product-line development.

Martin Hardwidge is Global Sales Manager at Katronic Technologies Ltd, a key British supplier of fixed and portable clamp-on non-intrusive ultrasonic flowmeters, including MCERTS, to the UK water, wastewater and process industries. Martin has worked with ultrasonic equipment for more than 30 years, part of the team that drove the growth of non-contact measurement into the UK wastewater industry. Now, he leads the sales and marketing functions at Katronic, looking after the UK team and a network of distributors spanning the whole world.

Dr Liam Trimby, Head of Analytics and Insight.
An accomplished physical scientist, Liam holds a PhD in experimental nano-photonics with a keen interest in virtually every branch of technology. His expertise spans AI/ML, data analytics, finite-element-modelling, electronics design, embedded software, acoustics, and additive-layer-manufacturing. He excels at analysing data, identifying key insights that drive commercial value.

Richard is a versatile water industry professional with over 35 years’ experience in client facing, water process science and engineering and operational management positions across the utilities, construction and engineering sectors.
Richard began his career at Thames Water and gained experience in technical and management positions in the UK and overseas. Following that he spent most of his career to date in engineering consultancy in companies including Veolia, Arcadis and WRc. He moved to Hach in 2020 initially in sales positions but latterly has moved into technical advisory roles and has UK and Ireland wide responsibility for facilitating sales growth, market and regulatory intelligence, new produce roll out and technical training.

Richard is a versatile water industry professional with over 35 years’ experience in client facing, water process science and engineering and operational management positions across the utilities, construction and engineering sectors.
Richard began his career at Thames Water and gained experience in technical and management positions in the UK and overseas. Following that he spent most of his career to date in engineering consultancy in companies including Veolia, Arcadis and WRc. He moved to Hach in 2020 initially in sales positions but latterly has moved into technical advisory roles and has UK and Ireland wide responsibility for facilitating sales growth, market and regulatory intelligence, new produce roll out and technical training.

David Butler is Co-Director of the Centre for Water Systems and Professor of Water Engineering at the University of Exeter where he is an internationally leading researcher, teacher, manager and consultant in the water sector. He is a chartered civil engineer and a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, and the International Water Association. He is also a trustee of the Westcountry Rivers Trust. David is chair of the NEPC/RAEng working group on wastewater and public health, and co-author of the recent Testing the Waters report

Alec is a Chartered Process Engineer with over 25 years of experience in the Water Industry. He manages BI-Zen, a company he founded, which offers innovative digital solutions for wastewater treatment. Alec specialises in real-time wastewater monitoring, process optimisation, and data-driven decision-making using IoT-enabled systems. His extensive background includes process design, commissioning, and consultancy, along with strategic development and innovation promotion in the water industry. Alec's expertise spans wastewater effluent and nutrient removal, process emissions, sludge strategy, renewable energy generation through anaerobic digestion, and digital transformation projects, underpinned by his leadership in engineering, science, and operations.

James Chapman joined Xylem in February 2023 to lead Xylem’s efforts to support Utilities complying with the Environment Act 2021, Section 82 river water quality monitoring. James has over 14 years of experience in the industrial, municipal wastewater, and environmental monitoring industries. At Xylem, James is the project lead for the Section 82 YSI EXO Sonde & HydroRIG telemetry monitoring trials for the water companies & their partners. He offers internal & external engagement Lunch & Learn sessions for universities, charity groups, stakeholders & water companies on river water quality monitoring, with collaboration being a key part to his work. He also collaborates with the wider Xylem brand portfolios, plus Engineering and R&D teams on advancements to their technologies and cloud-based platforms, following voice of customer feedback. He also works with Marketing on social media campaigns & case study articles, plus serving as technical support in the field. You can often find him presenting at tradeshows and conferences too.
James has a BSc in Environmental Management & Physical Geography from the University of Worcester, where he wrote his thesis on the impact of sewage effluent on a receiving watercourse.

After studying Industrial Chemistry a long time ago, Tony Wood avoided a premature death in the chemical industry (1970’s life expectancy 43years) by hiding in the UK automotive industry for 28 years where he helped design, develop and manufacture CO2-emitting status symbols. He has spent the last 16 years conducting MCERTS Management System Audits for CSA, contributing to guidance documents and presenting training courses. By the time this penance is over, he should also be carbon neutral.

Lyle King is the Managing Director of Influx Search, a talent consultancy dedicated to helping businesses from across the water industry, find the talent they need to drive business forward. He has close to a decade of experience working with businesses from around the world that serve a variety of water, wastewater and environmental applications. In 2023, he took his passion for recruitment and his deep-seated commitment to the water industry to the next level by establishing Influx Search. This move was driven by the recognition of a crucial talent gap in the market and the need for a specialised recruitment service that truly understands this specialised sector’s unique demands and intricacies

Dave began his career in the Water Industry as a Field Service Technician in 1989. With qualifications initially in Electronics, he later gained a BSc Hons from Sheffield Hallam University in Environmental Management, and more recently being awarded a BA Hons in Theology from the University of Sheffield.
Dave has actively worked in the flow survey and water quality monitoring industry for over 30 years and has experience of operating flow and load surveys in the UK, Canada, Hong Kong and Australia. His work has been wide ranging from permanent flow measurement within the Mersey Estuary Pollution Alleviation Programme to Short and Long term flow surveys in Urban and Rural drainage area catchments and SuDS. Dave studied at Sheffield Hallam University where his work focused on sewer flow measurement instrumentation and practices.
Recently gaining a BA in Theology at the University of Sheffield, and becoming ordained Priest in the Church of England, Revd Dave balances his time as a Global Future Trends Director at Detectronic Ltd and Priest, working with utilities and local communities on the successful management of SuDS and Smart Sewer Network Monitoring, specialising in urban wetland management.
Through his missional work with the church, Dave is pioneering several collaborative programmes geared to the long-term management of SuDS, Section 82 Deployment and Smart Sewer Networks. This work is successfully bringing together expertise from secular business, National/International Utilities, and local community groups.

Senior Business Development Executive and Investor with 25 years' global experience in sensor development, operations, commercialisation, financing and company development, including as Director at Molecular Vision (acquired by Abingdon Health) and Senior Investment Manager at Inventages, a leading global Venture Capital fund. Currently CEO at SouthWestSensor which has developed compact sensor devices for continuous monitoring of water quality for environmental and process control applications. PhD in Analytical Chemistry / Lab-on-a-Chip and MBA, both from Imperial College London.

Ari is a hydrologist and software developer with a PhD in water informatics engineering, and a research focus on machine learning techniques for urban drainage forecasting.
At OurRainwater he is the lead developer of the OurRainwater web platform; a system for designing, administering, and measuring the performance of community-centric rainwater management schemes. He also works on the hydraulic modelling of rainwater management interventions, to ensure that water companies, local authorities, and other stakeholders are informed, empowered, and equipped to tackle surface water flooding and combined sewer overflow challenges in their communities.

Rob Hutchinson is a seasoned Meteorological Consultant and Team Lead at Meteomatics Ltd, bringing over 20 years of industry experience and a Master's degree in Applied Meteorology and Climatology. He specializes in assisting water utilities to leverage high-precision weather data, driving solutions that address environmental challenges and improve operational resilience. Rob is deeply committed to helping organizations use weather data to mitigate environmental risks, enhance sustainability and implement effective water management strategies to help tackle complex industry challenges.

With a strong background in marketing and business development, Garry became a founding partner of ATi Europe in 1997, successfully leading the company to the top of the supply chain for water instrumentation in the UK.
During this time, Garry’s role has involved global strategic planning and brand development for the UK and USA, spending time between Europe and North America, to implement the strategy and business development of ATi’s ground-breaking MetriNet.
Since the advent of Smart Networks, ATi has played a key role in the rapid expansion of Smart Water, working in partnership with the UK water companies to develop pioneering and innovative water quality solutions. As a leader in his field, Garry has significant insight on how supply chain collaboration is a necessity in our ever-challenging world of water.
Garry has strong views about what makes a successful business in today’s competitive world and is an enthusiastic advocate of smart water networks, believing passionately that the benefits can help everyone.

Paul began his engineering career in the Automotive Industry as a Project Manager following an Electrical Technical Apprenticeship with the Rover Group. He then moved to an OEM for process equipment primarily focused on the metals industry working as a Project Engineering interface with all overseas projects. This led to numerous project management projects around the world delivering full turnkey solutions.
After working overseas for some years, he returned to the UK and worked in developing industrial control solutions from the enterprise layer to the shop floor. This utilized new industrial control technologies such as Industrial communication networks and developing leading edge control concepts within the ICS environment.
Paul joined Siemens in 1997 as a Network Applications Engineer before becoming a Product Manager for industrial control systems and products. Paul became the Business Unit Manager for Digital Communication Products, Industrial Safety and Security Services. This new business unit provides Network products, security and safety consultancy.
Paul also has qualifications in Safety and Security. Paul is also the Principal Product Solution and Security Officer for the Siemens DI division. In this capacity Paul also represents Siemens Plc and provides an interface to UK Government departments and authorities.

I have worked with brilliant colleagues at the Environment Agency and its predecessors for more than 50 years on how to calculate and justify what must be done to protect or improve the quality of rivers. We have covered, for example, sections of billions of capital investment by the water industry. I received an MBE for my efforts.
Years after my retirement I am still having fun making improvements to my software (RQP and SIMCAT). The software is soon to be set up as open code.

Carla Spatola Rossi is a Research Fellow in wastewater surveillance at Cranfield University. She earned her PhD from Cranfield University in 2024, where she focused on the development of paper-based microfluidic sensors for live bacteria detection of live waterborne pathogens. She previously completed a Bachelor and M.Sc. degree in Biology (University of Buenos Aires, Argentina), developing luminescent bacteriophages for antitubercular drug testing assays.
Her current research focuses on the development of sensing platforms for wastewater surveillance, with particular emphasis on point-of-use sensors for rapid, sensitive, and specific pathogen detection in lab-free settings.

Kayleigh Smith is an In-Situ Sales Manager for the UK and Scotland and has worked in the industry for more than 16 years, selling, using and supporting equipment for groundwater and surface water monitoring and sampling. Her no-nonsense approach and expert advice have led to working relationships with some of the environmental sector’s biggest names. Kayleigh trained at the Nielsen Environmental Field School in New Mexico where she became a Groundwater Monitoring Specialist. She is a member of IAH and has presented at WWEM, Contamination Expo, SWIG and CIRIA. She has also appeared on BBC News as an Independent Water Monitoring expert and is the curator/host of Thursday Focus Group, a bi weekly focus group on leading environmental topics.

Kayleigh Smith is an In-Situ Sales Manager for the UK and Scotland and has worked in the industry for more than 16 years, selling, using and supporting equipment for groundwater and surface water monitoring and sampling. Her no-nonsense approach and expert advice have led to working relationships with some of the environmental sector’s biggest names. Kayleigh trained at the Nielsen Environmental Field School in New Mexico where she became a Groundwater Monitoring Specialist. She is a member of IAH and has presented at WWEM, Contamination Expo, SWIG and CIRIA. She has also appeared on BBC News as an Independent Water Monitoring expert and is the curator/host of Thursday Focus Group, a bi weekly focus group on leading environmental topics.

Ruth is Head of Landscape and Partnership at Trent River Trust (TRT). She is an aquatic ecologist specialising in the restoration of rivers, floodplains and wetlands, to benefit both communities and wildlife. She has a particular interest in the various opportunities available for engagement with communities, farmers and others about the benefits of reconnecting rivers to their floodplains.

Michelle Walker is Technical Director at The Rivers Trust leading a team of geospatial data specialists who support the network of 65 member Rivers Trusts across the UK and Ireland to take an evidence-based approach to planning, collaborating and delivering measures to improve the health of rivers across the UK and Ireland. She is a geospatial data specialist with 30 years experience, based in North Somerset and in her spare time she is a keen outdoor swimmer and volunteers for Bristol Avon Rivers Trust on education and citizen science activities.

30+ years of experience spanning the Energy Sector in ICS/OT Lifecycle management from concept to decommissioning, including Cyber Security, Obsolescence management, and Functional Safety considerations. Graduated from RGU with a BEng in Electronics and Computing and later gained an MSc in Computer Science with Cyber Security from Wrexham Glyndwr University. Currently at RGU, undertaking an Industrial PhD in Virtual Industrial Control Systems (VICS) utilising AI.
The current Institute of Measurement and Control Cyber Security Special Interest Group (InstMc Cyber SIG) Chair. Generating and leading the Industrial Cyber security management systems for a significant European Oil company. Outside of work and study, self-confessed 'Petrolhead', both two and four-wheeled variants.

Chartered Electrical Engineer, passionate inventor and architect with 10 years experience in the Water Industry and named inventor in UK patents. Responsible for the strategic direction of instrumentation, control/automation and digital Twins in Severn Trent.

Chartered Electrical Engineer, passionate inventor and architect with 10 years experience in the Water Industry and named inventor in UK patents. Responsible for the strategic direction of instrumentation, control/automation and digital Twins in Severn Trent.

Chartered Electrical Engineer, passionate inventor and architect with 10 years experience in the Water Industry and named inventor in UK patents. Responsible for the strategic direction of instrumentation, control/automation and digital Twins in Severn Trent.

James is the Head of Monitoring and Data for the Wye and Usk Foundation, where he manages a range of monitoring programmes across both catchments, ranging from high resolution analysers and sondes to wide scale citizen science monitoring across the Usk catchment. He has a background in Nature Based Solutions and is heavily involved in the foundation’s Natural Flood Management work which is quickly gaining traction with stakeholders in the Wye and Usk catchments.

Peter Melville-Shreeve, Associate Professor in Technology and Innovation, University of Exeter.
Peter Melville-Shreeve supports technology innovators within Exeter’s Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy and is the Engineering Director of Business Engagement & Innovation. He has worked in consultancy, startups and academic roles and has experience in product development, mentoring technology start-ups and scaling innovative water technologies. He teaches product development, business skills and runs courses on Exeter’s Engineering Start-Up Programme. As an expert in intelligent rainwater management systems, he works closely with CIWEM's policy team to support sustainable water management systems and chair's CIWEM's SuDS and Water Reuse Task & Finishing Group. His team in Exeter’s Stormwater Intelligence Group currently deliver a series of OFWAT and DEFRA funded research projects focussed on making best use of emerging digital technologies to intelligently manage wastewater, stormwater and rainwater.

Della-Maria Marinova is a Senior Cyber Security Consultant and the Water Sector Market Lead at AtkinsRéalis with 5 years’ experience in the water sector and cyber security aspects of Operational Technology (OT). Della has worked across multiple sectors, including rail, defence, aerospace, energy, and water. She has successfully supported water clients in meeting the requirements of the NIS Regulations and the National Cyber Security Centre Cyber Assessment Framework, auditing Price Review 2024 submissions, and selecting asset discovery and anomaly detection tools for the OT environment with a view to improving cyber security posture and reducing cyber security and business risks.

Kelly Haynes is the National Citizen Science Advisor at the Environment Agency and part of the Water Monitoring, Commissioning and Strategy team. Kelly coordinates a network of 18 citizen science leads who working with internal local teams, external catchment partners, communities, and citizen science groups in each Environment Agency operational area to deliver the internal EA project ‘Supporting Citizen Science’. Kelly has a background in marine and freshwater ecology and conservation with a history of working in education and research. Kelly lives in Cornwall and in her spare time is an avid open water swimmer.

Matt Dibbs is Managing Director of Meteor Communications Ltd, a specialist manufacturer of remote water and water infrastructure monitoring and communications technologies. With an engineering degree, specialising in electronics and communications systems, Matt previously worked for BT, and became MD at Meteor in 2008. Since that time, the company has grown enormously by working with clients such as the Environment Agency and water companies to develop low-power remote cameras, and water quality monitoring systems.

Oliver Grafton is Natural England’s Principal Officer for Citizen Science, Survey Participation and Partnerships. He began his career 25 years ago working for the National Biodiversity Network Trust, working directly with a broad range of local and national organisations, groups and individuals involved in recording species across the UK. He led the development of early data exchange agreements and contributed to an international paper on the management of sensitive species records. Working for English Nature, Oliver managed the programme behind the UK Biodiversity Action Reporting System, steering it through a phase of redevelopment into a spatial database and platform. Within the Natural England monitoring team, Oliver managed agreements with LERCs and National Recording Schemes. Oliver has been involved in strategic evidence planning for the last 10 years, helping produce the Defra group biodiversity monitoring strategy and leading revision of the Natural England monitoring strategy in 2017. He was involved in early planning for the NCEA programme and has led the Citizen Science team and NE contribution since 2022.

Pau is a Principal Consultant in the Water Management Consultancy group at AtkinsRéalis. He holds a Ph.D. in Water Science and Technology and has over ten years of experience in the water and environment sector. Pau is a Chartered Environmental Manager with CIWEM. Pau’s expertise spans water quality and wastewater process modelling, resilience, data analysis, GIS, and programming. Currently, Pau is the lead developer of SAGIS, a key national water quality planning tool commissioned by UKWIR and the Environment Agency. He has also acted as the technical lead for water quality projects for a range of water companies and regulators.

Much of my career has been focussed on supporting strategic thinking and commercialisation of opportunities. I have had the privilege of supporting everyone from enterprise to large corporates, utilities, government and educational institutions in thinking differently, accelerating innovation, growth, and developing opportunities.

As well as being an active innovation consultant (ADD Strategy), I am presently founder of a software-based enterprise that has developed a novel learning game platform (SkillsPlay), a shareholder and an Non Executive Director of a long established and reputable marketing training business (nesma), and an a mattress brand found in Argos and House of Fraser! (Mammoth)

Josh is a Principal Data Scientist and data science lead for the Artificial Intelligence & Data Solutions team at AtkinsRéalis. He has experience leading, designing, and implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Data Analytics solutions to drive value-based outcomes across Critical National Infrastructure sectors, including Aviation, Rail and Water. He is responsible for the end-to-end project development process from initial concept and user requirements to the realisation of tangible business benefits.

A Chartered Engineer and Microsoft Azure accredited Data Scientist, leading on engineering and data science projects within the water and environmental sector over the past nine years. Will has experience of scraping, cleaning, and analysing large datasets to develop supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms in both academia and in industry for local and international clients.
With a background in engineering, Will offers expertise in understanding the physical processes associated with the ‘real-world’ and is able to apply such thought when analysing large datasets, undertaking empirical model development, and unravelling hidden insights.

Tom Woolley, with nearly 20 years in sales and business development in the water and renewable sectors, brings extensive experience in IoT, metering, analytics, AI, and real-time optimisation to Optimatics and SUEZ. A qualified engineer, he has worked globally and is known for his innovative, collaborative approach. As Sales Director for SUEZ he leads digital business development and sales in the UK.

Lisa has over 15 years of experience in the UK water industry, building collaborative and co-beneficial relationships between supplier and customer. She brings a wealth of relevant experience in framework and project management. She has a well-established reputation within the industry and, as a qualified engineer, her recent studies provide modern insight of how to weave innovative solutions into the fabric of our customers’ core business. Lisa is the Strategy & Propositions Manager for Optimatics, responsible for the successful implementation of new solutions and projects across the water industry and creating organic business development.

Lee has over 30 years of experience in the field of hydrometry, through both the UK Environment Agency and a leading hydrology consultant and specialises in hydrometric field measurements and is now in his 22nd year at SonTek.
Until March 2024 he travelled Europe and beyond training on the correct application of and use of SonTek acoustic Doppler instruments (and other gauging techniques) and managing the Xylem Analytics hydrology products Sales Partners throughout Europe.
For 20 years he was a member of the BSI/ISO committee CPI/113 for hydrometry - velocity area methods. He will now concentrate his time for Xylem Water Solutions UK mainly in the UK & Ireland, offering training and expertise to the growing hydrometric monitoring needs there.

James is currently Smart Wastewater Director at EMS, delivering the vision for Wastewater infrastructure that has optimisation at the heart of a futureproof adaptive pathway. This includes working with water companies in the UK and beyond to implement our CENTAUR system to optimise existing infrastructure and improve storm overflow performance, delivering tangible low carbon interventions. He has spent over 20 years in urban drainage strategy and modelling, developing approaches to risk-based catchment management.
James is also Chairman of CIWEM's Urban Drainage Group, leading the group through the transition into AMP8, developments in modelling, data and decision making, and the significant challenge of improving storm overflow performance.

I have been involved in the field of instrumentation for over 35 years with a broad knowledge base across a range of field instrumentation including 10 years spent specifically within the water industry with ABB. More recently I have taken up the role of Product Manager for the ABB pressure, temperature and level range. Dan Lodge is the ABB digital service specialist and supports the various digital tools available within ABB.

Della-Maria Marinova is a Senior Cyber Security Consultant and the Water Sector Market Lead at AtkinsRéalis with 5 years’ experience in the water sector and cyber security aspects of Operational Technology (OT). Della has worked across multiple sectors, including rail, defence, aerospace, energy, and water. She has successfully supported water clients in meeting the requirements of the NIS Regulations and the National Cyber Security Centre Cyber Assessment Framework, auditing Price Review 2024 submissions, and selecting asset discovery and anomaly detection tools for the OT environment with a view to improving cyber security posture and reducing cyber security and business risks.

Ying Guo was awarded her PhD in Environmental Engineering at the University of Wollongong in 2023, after completing MSc in Environmental Engineering in 2019 (Institute of Soil Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences). Currently, she is a research fellow in wastewater surveillance at Cranfield University. Her current research focuses on developing effective enrichment methods for sensing wastewater and real-time public health monitoring, with a particular emphasis on pathogens, disease biomarkers, and antimicrobial resistance. This is critical for environmental health monitoring and will contribute to combating future global health challenges.

Andy has been involved in a wide portfolio of process instrumentation solutions, from flow measurement on 1990’s North Sea developments, through to fiscal level systems in Scottish Whisky distilleries and bottling & blending plants. In 2012, Andy established the UK subsidiary of FLEXIM GmbH, a specialist manufacturer of non-invasive clamp-on flow metering and now part of Emerson, a world leading process instrumentation company. Since 2016, Andy has been active in UK&I water industry development, a sector which has widely embraced the optimum TOTEX flow solutions effectively delivered via clamp-on flow measurement.

Dr Peter Daldorph is an Associate with nearly 30 years' experience in environmental consultancy, seven years' experience in the water industry (Anglian Water) and five years' experience in academia (University of Sussex). He combines skills in limnology, hydrology, water quality modelling, catchment management and regulation. Peter has led many water quality projects, including catchment management studies and drinking water safety plans. He has specialist skills in hydrology, water resources and limnology. He has developed many hydrological and water quality models and tools, and, notably was the lead developer of SAGIS (Source Apportionment GIS); a key national water quality planning tool used by water companies and the Environment Agency.

At the helm of Simplex Services, my focus is on crafting and executing a robust go-to-market sales strategy, leveraging over a decade of industry experience to elevate the business. My leadership is underscored by a commitment to coaching and the strategic application of the MEDDIC Sales Methodology, which has been central to our team's success.

Ruth Clarke is a civil engineer with over 25 years’ experience of working with digital solutions within the water industry. Ruth started her career as a consulting engineer undertaking river and coastal modelling studies, but has since been involved in many projects from the delivery of flood and wastewater spill forecasting platforms, through to smart water SaaS solutions. Ruth re-joined Xylem in December 2023 as the Head of Digital, UK&I.

Alex Gray is a highly skilled and experienced chartered electrical and control systems engineer in the water industry. He has a degree in power engineering and has recently completed his Ph.D. from Brunel London, which focused on optimising wastewater pumping asset base to reduce energy consumption.
Alex started as an electrician and moved into the water utility sector, where he worked on electrical control systems engineering, software automation, and leadership. He has led significant delivery programmes that involved complex upgrades in electrical, control, and automation. Currently, Alex is the Head of Operational Technology at Thames Water, where he leads the team responsible for the entire automation layer at the UK's largest water company.
Alex also contributes to the IET's Electrician Competence Programme, which aims to improve competence in the UK electrical industry. He is passionate about adopting professional registration for engineers working in high-risk buildings and has been appointed as the chair of the IET working group to achieve this goal.

John is a senior asset management consultant with Aqua Consultants and also leads on their data and digital offering. Previously employed by Anglian Water, he has a wealth of experience in capital investment delivery and promoting data-led decision-making. Prior to that, he held strategic roles within the education sector enabling him to bring a unique blend of insight to current challenges facing the utilities sector.

Improving access to safe water for everyone and reducing the environmental impact of water and wastewater treatment are Michael’s professional passions. Now Chief Strategy Officer at Aquamonitrix, Michael has previously founded and led several innovative companies from start-up to a position of market leadership. Michael takes a holistic, independent view and identifies how to collaboratively bring together people, technology, data and analytics to deliver results and add value to water utilities and customers. A father of three young children, Michael recognises water issues are a key part of the world they are growing up in.

Matt Westgate is VEGA UK’s Water Industry Manager, with over 16 years of experience in the application of level and pressure instrumentation. Matt leads a dedicated water team providing sales, service, and training for the water industry. Together, they are building a strong reputation for providing not just products, but also for offering expert guidance and technical and application advice, thus ensuring reliable and secure measurements and data, particularly in critical areas such as MCERTS for Flow, EDM, and UMON requirements.

Oli Raud is Principal Consultant at Isle Utilities. His work at Isle sees Oli support start-ups and technology solutions to enter the water sector, globally, with a focus on the UK and Europe. He forms part of the delivery team for the Ofwat Innovation Fund, supporting transformative innovation in the water sector in England and Wales as well as other key roles in supporting the market entry of innovative ventures and their technologies. With a background in Design and Creative Industries, as well as water sector Academic and Industrial partnerships, Oli is a driving force for collaborative impact and change in the sector.

Prior to joining Yorkshire Water, twelve years ago, Mark worked in the waste management and environmental consultancy sector.
After completing a Masters (MSc) at Bradford University in Business Studies and Environmental Management, Mark worked for a not-for-profit consultancy on a national, community-based, paint re-use programme called Community RePaint.
He then joined the environmental team of the Yorkshire Regional Development Agency (Yorkshire Forward) where he was project manager on various recycling projects and on the Biomass renewable energy programme.
Mark joined Yorkshire Water in 2012 and has worked on the Innovation Team on both Clean and Wastewater projects, one of which won a National Environment Award. He currently specialises on Wastewater Network projects: the three year long Smart WasteWater Networks project was nominated for an award in July 2024 at the National Water Awards in Birmingham.

Mark Webber is a Control Room Manager currently working for South West Water in Exeter, Devon. With 12 years’ experience working within the Control Room, recent focus has been to move from reactive to predictive/proactive control and alarm rationalisation. Mark is also chair of the Water Control Room Forum, where industry professionals network, debate, and share ideas and views.
Prior to South West Water, Mark worked for Stella Artois as a Sales Account Manager and in various roles, including projects for EdDF Energy between Exeter & London. Outside of work, Mark enjoys travel, favourably to Mexico and Italy. He speaks basic Spanish, is a Manchester United supporter and enjoys live music and cinema.

Katherine leads Anglian Water's Strategic Optimisation team, steering a dynamic group of technologists, engineers, and project specialists. With a 13-year tenure in the industry, Katherine has expertise in fostering continuous advancements within water recycling.
Her team's philosophy transcends mere technological innovation; it revolves around applying cutting-edge technology with resource reutilisation, transforming both infrastructure and non-infrastructure facets of water recycling.She advocates for combining innovation with sustainable water recycling practices to enable a transformative and embedded impact in our industry. She believes technological advancements are the “easy” part, only effective adoption and exploitation can transform the industry and that’s where we should be focused.

Dan Tree has dedicated 23 years to the engineering trade, progressing from an Instrumentation, Control, and Automation Technician to his current role as Operational Technology Regional Maintenance Manager. Commencing his career at IMERYS Mineral, Dan transitioned to South West Water in 2006, excelling in Reactive and Routine Maintenance on Process control systems in Devon and Cornwall. From 2014 to 2018, he honed his skills as an ICA Project Technician before assuming responsibility as an Operational Technology Engineer. Dan's leadership flourished as OT Field Delivery Manager, overseeing a team expansion from 4 to 16 engineers, and later as OT Regional Maintenance Manager, leading a 48-strong team. His focus on technical prowess, recruitment, and upskilling has been pivotal, evidenced by his sponsorship of apprenticeship programs and commitment to industry standards. Engaged with Water 4.0 initiatives and recently attaining NEBOSH certification, Dan Tree exemplifies leadership and innovation in engineering.

Andy is a Senior Lecturer in Water Engineering at The University of Sheffield. His research is dedicated to drainage infrastructure, with a primary focus on using novel flow sensing and AI-assisted asset management to enhance decision-making. He has been awarded over £1M in research funding, leading to the creation of new technologies for measuring flow rates, sedimentation, and biofilms in drainage systems. He has helped to develop new methods for asset management, designed to optimise maintenance and reduce whole-life costs. Andy has presented his work at various international conferences, published papers in reputable journals, and obtained multiple patents. As the SWIG Chairman, he is enthusiastic about using his experience to bring people from various sectors together and improving the organisation's offering to members.

Stuart has worked at Technolog Ltd for more than 17 years. He is currently the Software Engineering Manager, overseeing software and system development. He leads the teams responsible for WaterCore, a successful SaaS platform, and the Utility Data Network, a secure high-performance messaging backbone. Stuart's expertise spans water control, infrastructure monitoring, and communication protocols. He's played a key role in developing Technolog's major software innovations, from logger firmware to Web APIs and user interfaces. Stuart is a WITS veteran, involved since its inception, and has contributed significantly to its evolution, including a role as WITS committee vice-chair and leading the Lucid standard design.

Sam is a Senior Account Manager at Majenta Solutions; a specialist digital engineering consultancy working across multiple sectors to drive the adoption of BIM. Coming through the apprenticeship route himself, Sam is passionate about raising the profile of different pathways into the water sector and promoting the diverse range of opportunities from a digital perspective.

Christian Compton is a Principal Cyber Security consultant at AtkinsRéalis with 18 years’ cyber security experience. His roles include leading cyber security incidents across CNI for UK government and being a Cyber Security Advisor in the Civil Nuclear sector. At AtkinsRéalis he has led a variety of projects across CNI working closely with organisations, government and regulators. Presently he is the cyber security lead on a project for UK government called the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR). A project digitalising underground assets that when complete will revolutionise the way buried infrastructure are installed, maintained, operated and repaired.

Hannah works within the Strategic Optimisation team for Water Recycling on projects across Treatment, Bioresources and Networks. Most notably she led on the delivery of the Dynamic Sewer Visualisation Programme for Anglian Water, involving the roll out of at least 30,000 sewer level monitors by the end of AMP8, working with stakeholders to create and enable the proactive response model in relations to blockages and restriction forming in the network, driving positive change in response to pollution and flooding challenges. She currently works in the Networks team as the Intelligent Insight Lead to manage, standardise, visualise, report and mitigate the risk picture for WR Networks to drive change as a business, continuously improve and have a positive impact on our customers and the environment.

Anna Hastings serves as the project manager for East Sussex County Council's £4.4 million Blue Heart project, aiming to enhance resilience to flooding and coastal erosion under DEFRA's initiative. Additionally, as Flood Strategy and Drainage Officer, she fulfils a vital role within the Lead Local Flood Authority, assessing planning applications and collaborating with developers and local authorities on surface water management. With a focus on practical innovation, Anna's work underscores her commitment to safeguarding communities against the impacts of flooding and coastal challenges.

Rob Passmore leads Additive Catchments, an impact venture majority-owned by a non-profit focused on improving river health. He spearheads the Catchment Monitoring as a Service (CMaaS®) Consortium, delivering scalable continuous water quality monitoring (CWQM) through a unique partnership model. The consortium integrates advanced technology and regulatory alignment to drive cost savings and environmental benefits. Previously, Rob led multiple environmental projects at the UNESCO Biosphere Foundation, including the Smart Biosphere, a catchment-scale environmental monitoring programme. His work focuses on innovation, ESG impact, and fostering sustainability.

Josephine is an experienced business development and project manager at the University of Exeter, leading the programme management of Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste(CREWW).
As the Senior Impact and Partnership Development Manager for the water sector, responsibilities include working with government bodies and industry partners, to drive impact, connect partners, create opportunities and generate value.
As Programme Manager for CREWW, responsibilities include leading the development of collaborative research projects and innovation opportunities to address some of the most pressing environmental challenges in our time.

Louise is the Chair of Avon River Champions, a community organisation dedicated to addressing the declining water quality of the River Avon (South Hams), River Gara, Slapton Ley, and the Salcombe Kingsbridge Estuary. Eight years ago, she sold her agri-business company, Real IPM Kenya Ltd, which she co-founded with her husband. Together, they pioneered affordable biological solutions to crop pests and diseases. Louise's professional career spans 35 years, during which she has actively engaged with farmers and the farming industry.
In recent years, she has become deeply involved in finding practical ways for communities to reduce their carbon footprints and improve the health of local rivers. Her scientific background, combined with her extensive experience in business and farming, has guided her collaboration with community groups that share her passion for the environment and regenerative agriculture.

Sarah has a deep interest in helping people to do their job well, to solve business challenges and remove their pain points. Always keen to dig into the nitty-gritty with business partners and colleagues, she works to make life and the planet a better and more sustainable place by connecting the synergies that exist between partners and exploiting enabling tech for the sector.
She successfully led a Discovery Challenge application in 2023, and as a sea swimmer, has a personal as well as holistic interest in wastewater.

With 20 years of experience working closely with water and the infrastructure sector my experience now transpires to leading digital transformation for organisations in the design, construction, and operation of infrastructure assets. I work as a recognised leader in the water and wastewater sector across UK and Northern Europe.
As an industry account manager at Bentley, I drive the adoption of Bentley’s Openflows solutions and digital twin platforms, focussing on innovative strategies to enhance water management and infrastructure resilience.
My passion for leveraging technology to tackle complex challenges has resulted in numerous successful projects, significantly improving operational efficiency and sustainability for major organisations in my area I manage within EMEA.

I'm a Chief Architect at work, Entrepreneur at heart. I handle Technology Strategy and Operations, Enterprise Consulting, and Business Architect in the day, Alliance Management. I enjoy Value Creation and Optimisation of Client Infrastructure and Budgets.
My career spans across Infosys, Cognizant, Wipro Technologies, Lloyds Banking Group, Southern Water, Aviva, CSC and HCL Technologies.
My entrepreneurial ambition took shape with Simplex Services, where we are working towards making our clients future ready and using technology and innovation for social good. Do check out https://www.simplex-services.com.