A word from the CEO – June 2023

At VicWater we love opportunities to meet up with our members in person, and during last month we were spoiled for choice. As well as our two major events, the IWN Conference and the People Summit, we also joined members at the second Director Masterclass Program. Although these three activities had different themes and audiences, the one thread that linked them all was the importance of leadership.

At the IWN Conference, I moderated an executive panel session with water industry leaders Andrew Jeffers, Jo Murdoch, Pat McCafferty and Jennifer Rebeiro, where we explored how leaders can foster a culture of positive disruption and support their people to bring forward new and innovative ideas and ways of working.

At the People Summit, we closed the day with a panel session on ‘Leaders of the Future’ featuring water corporation MDs Sarah Cumming and Maree Lang, along with Jane Brown (VP at Salesforce) and Christine Nixon (Chair of Leadership Victoria, and former Victorian Commissioner of Police). All four strong female leaders talked about the importance of purpose-led and values-based leadership to help navigate an increasingly “VUCA” (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world.

At the Director Masterclass Program, we heard from three esteemed industry and community leaders Cheryl Batagol, Gillian Sparkes and Rueben Berg. They challenged attendees to use their positions as water corporation and CMA board directors to lead transitional and transformative change in the water sector.

For me, the key takeaway from all these conversations was a reminder of how fortunate we are in the Victorian water sector to have so many leaders who are not only exceptionally good at their jobs, but who genuinely care about their leadership impact and strive to leave a positive legacy.