This World Water Day is all about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. And because water affects us all, everyone needs to take action.
Some of our leaders have shared why water is so important to them both personally and professionally.
Mike Walsh, Co-Founder and Managing Partner
“Water has been important to me for over 40 years since I first was involved in delivering water and infrastructure solutions to communities around Australia and Internationally. Helping provide communities and industry with access to water has given me a strong sense that my skills are not wasted and have value.”
“Water inspires Sequana to provide leadership across many sectors including providing drinking water to towns, irrigation modernisation for our farming communities and recycled water for reuse for a more sustainable future.”
Frank Fisseler, Co-Founder and Managing Partner
“When I migrated to Australia in 2006, Melbourne was almost running out of water after a 10-year drought.
The topic of water was in the news every day, water saving measures were discussed in families including my own and my work as Deputy Project Director of the Victorian Desalination project was a 24/7 intense exercise to ensure that Melbourne got a rainfall independent water source.”
“The whole project team put in extraordinary efforts and was driven and passionate to ensure a city of over 3.5 million people never runs out of drinking water. Many late nights, lots of complex challenges but we as a team never gave up and I realised that having a real purpose in my professional life was what I wanted and needed.”
“I connected deeply with the importance of water in our lives and how essential it is. I somehow found my destiny and ever since am determined to make a difference in the water sector. That was also the reason why Mike and I started Sequana. We are dedicated to deliver services to the Australian water sector and make a difference every day with our team. Our whole company culture is based on that.”
Trudi Woodward, Chief Operating Officer
“Your work should always be within something you are passionate about, which challenges and excites you. I’ve always found the individual difference we can each make within the water sector the reason why it is so rewarding.”
“Working with the most passionate people in the sector to solve complex challenges which will ensure future sustainability.”
“Water is life – and we make a real difference everyday with what we do.”
Phil Endley, National Partner
“Water is so holistic. The physics and chemistry of water are remarkable in so many ways; it is self-evidently essential, and it is both simple to manage and challenging to use. Then add in the intangibles around community views and politics and the tangible facts of overuse and decline – it is a soup of complexity!”
“It is an opportunity to do good and improve things a bit. To do things better and more efficiently is to make water more sustainable across ecosystems and more affordable for human use.
“That applies whether we’re in the private or public sector, in science, engineering, infrastructure or operations, in Australia or elsewhere.”
“At Sequana we all have our own motivations, but the same fascination with water and passion is shared across the business.”
Hannah Walmsley, Project Manager
“Water is essential. Water shouldn’t be taken for granted. The reliability and longevity of our water resources should be protected. I’m here to be a small part of making that happen.”
“A big part of my life has been centred on water sports or recreational activities around water. Investment in healthy and clean waterways is fundamental to support values across many dimensions including environmental, cultural, social and economic.”
Ian Filby, National Partner- Energy, Decarbonisation and Major Project Delivery
“Water is the essential ingredient for life, water is very much about our communities and environment, and upon which civilisations are built. The folks at Sequana know this truth and are energised by our important role in helping create better water futures for all.”
“When I think about my most memorable experiences in life, with family and friends, it almost always has a deep connection to water, whether that’s swimming at the beach, fishing in a lake, camping along a river or stream, or skiing a majestic slope – all the pretty places in my life.”
Daniel Irwin, National Partner – Rural Water Lead
“I have grown up and worked my entire career in rural communities who depend on water to provide for their livelihoods in producing food and fibre. My affinity with water is driven by understanding the importance of the resource and how it drives economic activity, liveability as well as contributing to community health and wellbeing.”
“Witnessing first-hand the significant (and continued) investment in improving water use efficiency (in both a rural and urban context) has reinforced the importance and benefits of taking action to maximise the efficiency with which water is being used.”
“At Sequana, we are continually striving to support the water industry in building knowledge and capacity to tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
Adam Schwab, National Partner Urban Water / State Manager Queensland
“For me, water empowers people and the intangible privileges it brings us are life changing. When we have clean water and sanitary services, we transition from concerns for health in our communities to igniting our aspirations and enterprise.”
“In Australia, we are lucky enough to take the excellent water infrastructure of our predecessors for granted. We realise its critical importance when disrupted by floods and droughts. Our actions to be ready for these situations makes our industry forever challenging and drives what we do at Sequana.”
“Through overseas work and personal travels, I saw what it meant to a person who had clean water in the pipes of their house for the first time because of a project I had been part of. They brought a basket a fruit and some local flowers to the project office to say thanks to the team. Although that was 25 years ago, I will never forget the impact on me. It made me realise how important water is and how much I took water for granted, growing up in urban Australia.”
“Working in water is a social responsibility that I am interested in wherever I travel. For the health and economic benefit that proper water infrastructure brings to all people – and the privilege we should not never for granted.”
Tegan Livingstone, Senior Project Manager/ Deputy Chief Operating Officer
“Water means life to me and has a value that can not be measured.”
“Growing up next to the Murray River as a child I innocently believed that water was just there for me to enjoy, but as I moved into my career in the water sector, my understanding of the value of water changed.”
“Water is powerful but yet vulnerable to change and it’s something we should strive to grow our appreciation of and work together to protect, so we can all continue to experience the benefits of our water resources for generations to come.”
To learn more about World Water Day visit https://www.worldwaterday.org
