Gillian Blythe
Water New Zealand is a national not-for-profit organisation which promotes the sustainable management and development of the water environment, with particular focus on drinking water, wastewater and stormwater. Gillian joined Water New Zealand in July 2020, and during this time she and the team have increased membership numbers by more than 50% and are seen as the trusted industry voice on water matters in New Zealand. Gillian is on the Advisory Board for the Building Innovation Partnership, and is an independent director of Electricity Networks Aotearoa. Prior to joining Water New Zealand Gillian held head of strategy and regulatory affairs roles at NZX listed Meridian Energy – New Zealand’s largest generator retailer, generating electricity 100% from renewable sources.
Nick Davis
Nick is a Partner at MartinJenkins and a highly experienced economist and public policy advisor who has advised governments on a wide range of economic, regulatory and machinery-of-government issues. He has played a significant role in water services reform and regulation over the last five years, including supporting the implementation of Local Water Done Well. Nick’s key skill is breaking down problems to their essence, drawing on evidence and analysis to identify solutions, and packaging advice to decision-makers in ways that enable them to confidently make decisions.
Paddy McNamara
Paddy is a partner in Simpson Grierson’s planning and environment group, and is one of New Zealand’s leading local government and resource management lawyers, and a trusted advisor to some of New Zealand’s largest councils and council-controlled organisations (CCOs). As an advisor, Paddy’s main areas of expertise include resource management (with a particular focus on water supply, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure), local government powers and decision-making, CCO governance, roading and land transport, regulation of water services, bylaws, legislative drafting and law reform. Paddy has led Simpson Grierson’s advice on three waters structural reform to councils in Auckland, the Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay regions.
Mike Wakefield
Mike is a partner in Simpson Grierson’s planning and environment group, based in Wellington. He specialises in local government and environmental law, with his practice involving all aspects of the regulatory functions of local government (including under the RMA, for consent / planning authorities, and applicants), strategic policy development (under the LGA and other legislation), and the decision-making and governance requirements of local government. He regularly appears at Council hearings and before the courts for a range of clients. Mike has been heavily involved in recent legislative reform programmes, and for water reform specifically, he has and continues to work closely with a number of councils across New Zealand.
Allan Prangnell
Allan was appointed Chief Executive of Taumata Arowai in January 2023, reflecting his wealth of strategic leadership experience in central and local government.
He was formerly Deputy Chief Executive of Te Manatū Waka | Ministry of Transport where he provided leadership and advice on the performance of the transport system.
Prior to Te Manatū Waka, Allan was Executive Director Three Waters at the Department of Internal Affairs where he led and delivered the establishment of Taumata Arowai as a crown entity with a new regulatory regime. Key to this work was engagement with iwi across the motu on understanding and giving effect to iwi/hapū/Māori interests in water services and regulation.
Earlier in his career, Allan worked for a decade at Wellington City Council, including roles as Manager, Council Controlled Organisations and Executive Strategist to the Mayor, councillors and leadership team. Allan has significant experience in regulation, organisational design, transformation, governance and leadership, and managing stakeholder relationships within complex organisations.
He has an LLB/BA from Victoria University.
Andy Burgess
Andy Burgess, General Manager, Infrastructure Regulation at the Commerce Commission. Andy joined the Commission in December 2019 after working for regulators in the United Kingdom. At the energy regulator, Ofgem, he had senior roles managing the energy transition, network regulation, and enforcement and competition policy, and was on the Bureau of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Network of Economic Regulators. Andy was also on the Board of the Agency for the Cooperation of European Energy Regulators (ACER) and the General Assembly of the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER). He previously had several roles at the Office of Rail Regulation. Andy is responsible for regulating electricity lines, gas pipelines, fibre broadband, the three main New Zealand airports, and in future water infrastructure
Daran Ponter
Daran Ponter is Chair, Greater Wellington Regional Council, a role he has held since 2019. Daran also co-chairs the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee – charged with positioning the Wellington region for the future. Daran brings a wealth of experience in resource management, regional planning, Māori development, Treaty negotiations and public policy. He splits his time as Chair and Director of his own consultancy. Daran continues to blaze a trail at Greater Wellington, having overseen transformative changes and improvements to the region’s much loved and often maligned Metlink public transport network and is committed to delivering quality outcomes for the region’s precious flora and fauna through the council’s environmental protection function.
Andreas Heuser
Andreas Heuser is Managing Director of Castalia and co-leads its Asia-Pacific business. Since 2019 Andreas has led Castalia’s work on NZ water reform for clients including LGNZ, individual councils, and the 30 councils comprising Communities 4 Local Democracy (C4LD). Andreas reviewed and critiqued the previous government’s reform, and developed an alternative reform model, which was later adopted as the basis for the current Government’s “Local Water Done Well” policy. Since February 2024, Andreas has chaired the Government’s Technical Advisory Group on Local Water Done Well and guided the Government’s policy development and design of the economic regulation regime to be enacted this year. Andreas advises governments, utilities, regulators, and investors on improving financing, regulation, and organisational performance of water businesses in New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands and South-East Asia. Andreas is also a leading expert on the energy transition and integrating sustainable energy sources in New Zealand and the Pacific. He is qualified in law and economics.
Louise Marsden
Louise has 25 years of experience in infrastructure as an equity investor, debt provider and in governance roles. Louise joined Mafic from ACC’s Private Markets team, and previously worked in structured finance for BNP Paribas and Fortis Bank in Europe
Louise provided financial and commercial advice to DIA and The Treasury on the Three Waters / Affordable Water Reform programme under the Labour Government.
Scott Priestley
Scott has investment banking experience across a wide range of sectors, including project finance, infrastructure and renewable energy. Scott has provided financial advice and arranged debt and equity for infrastructure projects in Australasia over the last 12 years
Scott has extensive experience of water services policy through his role as the Deputy Commercial Lead for DIA on the Three Waters Reform Programme and advising Crown Infrastructure Partners, DIA and Treasury on Local Water Done Well policy.
Marlon Bridge
Marlon Bridge is the chief technical advisor for the Government on ‘Local Water Done Well’. Prior to this role, he was the Deputy Chief Executive at Watercare where he also had various roles over the last decade including Chief Customer Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Marlon is proud of his Pākehā, Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua heritage. He has been part of the water industry for nearly 20 years and is a strong advocate for improving infrastructure in New Zealand.
Tim Barry
Tim has spent over 25 years in the water sector working for public and private entities and EPCM contractors in the UK, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand and is now the Director of Community Lifelines at Gisborne District Council responsible for local body infrastructure in Te Tairāwhiti.
Ryan Signor
Dr Ryan Signor is Aurecon’s Water Market Director in Australia. He possesses 20+ years of international, executive-level business management and consulting experience in policy, asset management, strategic planning, adaptive planning, and risk & change management that has focussed on the water sectors in Australia, New Zealand, USA, and elsewhere. Over the past decade Ryan has advised the Australian water utility sector on inter-jurisdictional water management and governance, ESG & sustainability strategy, corporate strategies & planning, workforce & supply chain matters, and capital program & investment assurance. In Australia, he has been a champion for collaborative contracting and partnerships that build positive workplace cultures, ‘one team’ philosophies, and empower all partners to deliver value to the communities that rely on critical water services. He has established and sits on governance boards for major long-term strategy, planning, and capital delivery partnerships with Water NSW, Water Infrastructure NSW, Hunter Water, Yarra Valley Water, and other major metropolitan utilities.
Ryan’s earlier career was as an academic researcher with a background in water quality and public health management. Ryan has a PhD from the University of New South Wales on the topic of water, sanitation, and public health management in urban water supply systems. Through 2007-13 he served as a paper reviewer and editor of international Journal of Water and Health, contributed research work that has been embedded in World Health Organization, Australian, and other international guidance on water and public health management, and led development of dozens of water safety plans, recycled water quality and health risk management plans, recreational water quality, and drinking water quality standards and management plans for utilities and water resource managers across Australia and elsewhere.
Peter Dennis
Peter is a top water industry strategist with over 35 years of experience in Australia and internationally. He excelled as CEO of Seqwater and Armidale Regional Council, managing major mergers and transformations. As a seasoned Board member, he has contributed to various utility, industry, and Local Government Boards.
Peter’s expertise covers utility operations, major program delivery, strategic planning, capital decisions, climate adaptation, workforce trends, regulatory management, and risk management.
As President of the Australian Water Association, Peter is a recognised thought leader on critical water sector issues. He frequently delivers keynotes on infrastructure delivery, sustainable decision-making and water resilience against climate challenges.
Career highlights include:
- Leading South East Queensland’s Water for Life program, advancing long-term water planning and urban water use.
- Promoting inclusion and diversity, fostering workplaces that value diverse perspectives.
- Challenging industry regulations to achieve sustainable, customer-focused outcomes.
- Pioneering catchment management and climate adaptation at Hunter Water and Seqwater, including directing Hunter Water’s Climate Adaptation Strategy.
- During the 2013 Brisbane water crisis, spearheading initiatives to mitigate risks and strengthen water resilience.
- As CEO of Seqwater, leading the merger of four organisations into a single utility, significantly reducing operating costs and implementing the “Connect” culture change program.
Peter’s leadership continues to shape the future of water management and resilience in Australia.
Anna Jackson
As CEO of Unitywater, Anna Jackson is focused on delivering the sustainable water services that enable more than 800,000 residents across the Noosa, Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay areas to be part of a healthy and thriving community. The region also plays host to more than 11 million tourist visitors every year.
The Unitywater team operate and maintain around $3.8 billion of water, wastewater and recycled water assets to reliably provide the essential services valued by customers of today, while delivering a $1.8 billion of capital program over the next five years to support the region’s rapidly growing population.
Anna leads a team of 850 people, as they come together to be defined as an organisation which adds economic, social and environmental value through its actions with customers, communities and partners.
Anna has been working in the water industry since 2017 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Unitywater in 2022. She is active in the Australian water sector’s leadership through the Water Services Association of Australia and the Australian Water Partnership Advisory Committee.
Anna’s professional background is diverse and includes roles in Australia and internationally for Coffey Tetra Tech International Development, and for aerospace and technology company Raytheon.
George Theo
George Theo is the current Chief Executive Officer of TasWater, Tasmania Australia.
George has more than 30 years’ experience and a wealth of knowledge of the water sector, the majority of which has been at executive level having held roles with global consulting company GHD, water utilities Unitywater and United Utilities in Queensland as well as Greater Western Water in Victoria.
George has a proven track record in delivering sustainable outcomes for the benefit of customers, environment, employees, and stakeholders.
George has overseen transformation in the way businesses approach productivity improvements, capital planning and delivery, asset management, digital solutions, pricing, community and customer outcomes.
George was the inaugural Chairman of the SWAN Asia Pacific Alliance an organisation which aims to bring together key players in the public and private water sector to achieve tangible outcomes in research and technology adoption in the pursuit of digital transformation.
George has a Master’s in Business Administration, Degree in Engineering (civil) and an Associated Diploma in Municipal Engineering. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Lorraine Kendrick
Lorraine is a Strategic and Transformation Advisor, Business Director with over 23 years of experience. Chartered and International Professional Engineer, specialising in providing strategic advice for the public and private sector, responding to legislative and regulatory requirements, planning and delivering infrastructure programmes to meet the needs of the community. Lorraine is experienced in programme, project and contract management including EtC roles in NZ, UK and Ireland, leading the delivery of efficient and effective infrastructure services managing the provision of 3 water services, transportation, community services and land development. Lorraine is the President and Chair on the Water NZ Board and committee member on the Water Services Managers Group.
