The Company is managed by a Court
The Company is managed by a Court comprising a Master, Wardens and Court Assistants.
The Master and Thames, Fleet and Walbrook Wardens are elected annually, usually for a period of one year. On appointment, Wardens appoint Bailiffs from Liverymen not on the Court to assist them during their whole period of office. Court Assistants generally serve at least three years.
The Company is supported by officers, principally the Clerk and the Beadle, and by a number of honorary appointments relevant to the business, for example, the Hon Chaplain and the Bargemaster.
Dylan Barker was installed as Master in July 2024.
After leaving school Dylan became an apprentice within the construction Industry. On completion of his apprenticeship he moved into the building services sector, later forming his own company primarily as a heating and ventilation contractor serving mostly the retail sector. During this time Dylan also formed a recruitment company that specialised in supplying labour into the heating and ventilation industry.
His knowledge gained in the mechanical service sector stood him in good stead as he now works along with his wife Sharon at Precolor, which specialise in the manufacture of potable water, effluent & chemical storage tanks. Through his tenure Dylan has been responsible for increasing the product range of one piece rectangular freestanding tanks to the largest in Europe. Designed systems for testing ROV’s, covers for the security of water treatment works and designed chambers for well heads for the security of boreholes.
Dylan’s hobbies include rugby and sailing.
Professor Carolyn Roberts FRGS, FIEnvSc, FCIWEM, CEnv, CWEM, SFHEA was installed as Thames Warden in July 2024.
Carolyn is a water resource management and science communication specialist who has worked, researched and published across the world. She specialises in the impact of human activity on the water cycle and water quality, including the impact of housing, industry, mining and waste disposal, but has wide interests in environmental management. Carolyn was Technical Advisor to Gloucestershire County Council following the dramatic flooding of 2007 that led to changes in UK flooding policy.
After an academic career at Exeter including the Head of the School of Environment and Director of the National Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Gloucestershire University, she moved to Oxford University, directing a national programme that linked industry with researchers to foster the development of innovative environmental technologies. At Oxford Carolyn worked with hundreds of businesses – multinationals to SMEs and also assisted the government to promote UK technical expertise internationally.
Carolyn was first Professor of Environment at Gresham College in London, delivering public lectures and following in the footsteps of Christopher Wren and Thomas Hooke! She remains as Professor Emeritus and a Fellow of the College.
Tom Flood was installed as the Fleet Warden in July 2024.
Tom was born and educated in Southern Ireland where he gained a lifelong appreciation for the natural world. In 1972 he emigrated to the UK. His first sales and marketing position was with 3M UK. He then joined the voluntary sector, The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. Over a 26 year career, 12 as a CEO he made this a UK wide organization recognized as ‘Charity of the Year’. Its Patron was the late Duke of Edinburgh. In 2004 he was awarded a CBE for services to conservation. A founder member of the UK Water Partnership (with Past Master Mark Lane) they helped to establish a private public body. Today it provides thought leadership, informed research and collaboration to drive innovation in a diverse water community. Its relevance is reflected in the public debate about the quality of water.
In 2021, he became Chair of the Dorset Community Foundation, a grant giving body. He also manages the Paul Cornes Fund, which is a living legacy to his late civil partner who sadly died during Covid of prostate cancer. He was recently elected President nominee for the Rotary Club of Poole.
Tom divides his time between Farrington EC1 and Bournemouth. He’s a keen gardener, amateur chef and explorer of the Dorset countryside. He’s also a co-owner of a Patterdale Terrier ‘Miss Jessie’ – she’s great company.
Alex Money was installed as the Walbrook Warden in July 2024
Alex grew up in Zambia, and his interest in water security stems from his formative years living in a developing country. He has around 30 years of professional experience in finance, academia and enterprise. Having started his career as an emerging markets fund manager, Alex subsequently co-founded a capital markets advisory firm with a focus on making the investment case for sustainability. He exited the firm in his thirties to return to university, gaining master’s and doctoral degrees in water at the University of Oxford. Alex joined the University’s faculty in 2014 as a programme director within the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. Here, his research is focused on mobilising investment to achieve improved sustainable development outcomes. In addition to teaching and supervisory responsibilities, Alex is one of the leads of a £100m programme on climate compatible growth, funded by the FCDO.
More recently, Alex founded Watermarq, a for-purpose company that seeks to break the status quo on how water is valued. The company works at the intersection of economics, policy and technological innovation. Watermarq’s solutions use remote sensing, in situ, and contextual data, enhanced through machine learning and AI.
Alex is also Chair of Trustees at the Uptime Catalyst Facility, a registered UK charity that mobilises funding for rural water infrastructure maintenance in developing countries, using innovative results-based contracts.
Martin G Bigg BSc MSc PhD FRSC FIEMA CChem CSc CEnv is the Deputy Master Water Conservator for 2024/5 having previously served as Master in 2023/4.
As Emeritus Professor of Environmental Technologies Innovation at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol, Martin continues to be a committed champion for the environment, sustainable development and better regulation.
After studying and research in chemistry, Martin graduated to manage more exciting pharmaceutical and agrichemical manufacturing. He then crossed to the other side, joining Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Pollution (later part of the Environment Agency), regulating everything from power stations to rendering plants, establishing international pollutant reporting and supporting local authorities on air pollution control. As Head of Industry and Waste Regulation he led the development and delivery of many EU Directives, including on major accidents, incinerators and industrial emissions, and UK environmental permitting regulations.
Recruited by UWE in 2011, Martin directed a multi-million EU programme involving universities, NGOs and local authorities, supporting regional enterprising businesses develop innovative environmental technologies.
Reflecting his community commitment, Martin became a Board Member and Chair of the Bristol Green Capital Partnership and steered the winning Partnership bid for the European Green Capital 2015 for the City of Bristol.
Martin has always supported the environment profession and until 2020 was Chair of Council and Board Member at the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA).
Recently he has collaborated in EU/China government projects on future environmental regulation. He has also worked with the World Bank on environmental inspection, permitting, better regulation and tackling environmental issues in Russia, the Middle East, Tajikistan, and Mongolia.
Martin is a Trustee of the Water Conservation Trust responsible for the programme supporting students at 15 universities.
Martin comes from south London and after 10 moves around England now lives in Hertfordshire. He is supported by his wife Eileen, children and grandchildren. He loves walking, travelling and challenging opportunities.
The term ‘Bailiff’, derives from the Latin bailus – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction was committed. Today, Bailiffs are of various kinds and their offices and duties vary greatly.
In the Water Conservators’ Company, each new Warden is entitled to appoint a Bailiff from among Liverymen not on the Court, who retains that office until the Warden has been Master. To a great extent, what the Bailiff does rather depends on the Warden. One task is usually to look out for guests of the Company at formal events, and ensure that they are introduced to their host for the day.
The Bailiff may work with the Warden to plan his/her year as Master, especially with regard to the planning of informal, social events, but may also act as a sounding board for ideas about the aims and objectives that the future Master hopes to achieve. During the Master’s year, the Bailiff may assist in the organization and running of the planned informal events.
The current bailiffs are:
The Master’s Bailiff, Mr. Stuart Herritty:
The Thames Warden’s Bailiff, Mr. Tom Morton:
Court Assistants of the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators are elected annually.
The Court Assistants (including *Past Masters on the Court and **Hon. Treasurer) for 2024 – 2025 are:
Brett Bader:
Ramon Bravo Gonzalez:
Trevor Harrington:
David Lloyd Owen:
Neil Reynolds:
Yusaf Samiullah, OBE:
Richard Waller:
Allan Barton:
Christine Jarvis:
**Ken Marsh (Hon. Treasurer):
Dinah Nichols, CB:
*Colin Drummond, OBE DL
*Peter Hall
*Rob Casey
Afzal Ginwalla
*Prof. Martin Bigg
Nigel Cartwright, OBE
Nigel Mattravers
Guy Titman
The position of Bargemaster is held by Past Master David Jones.
Chris Millett was installed as our new Clerk at the Michaelmas Court on 25 September 2024. Chris brings to the Company a diverse set of experiences gained in commercial and financial fields and management and strategy planning skills learned via a full career in the armed forces. Chris is a recently retired Colonel from the Defence Medical Services, where he led and worked alongside an International Defence Liaison team at the Ministry of Defence in London.
Chris is a liveryman of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, enjoys livery life and the opportunity to participate in events and traditions of the City of London. He lives next to the river Thames in Putney, south-west London with his wife Caroline (who is a solicitor) and their young daughter.
Our Beadle Mark Anderson was born in Ipswich. Soon after the family moved to Cornwall and Mark was brought up in Penzance. Mark attended the local grammar school and at 16, left to join the Army. He was assigned to join the Royal Corps of Signals serving in Northern Ireland, Germany, the Middle East, and the Balkans. In 2000 Mark was promoted to Warrant Officer Class 1 and posted to Middlesbrough as the Regimental Sergeant Major of 34th (Northern) Signal Regiment. In 2003 Mark was appointed as the Office Manager in Northampton’s Army Recruiting Office.
In 2010, Mark was selected to become a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London. Apart from the usual duties associated with that position, Mark is a member of the team who look after the Ravens.
Mark has been married to Sandi for thirty nine years; they have three grown up children and three grandchildren. In his spare time, Mark is a member of the London City Voices Community Choir.
When not in London, Mark lives in Leicester, and visits his local rugby club where he is an Honorary Vice President. He is also writing two novels and hopes to publish them at some time in the future.
Beadle, sometimes spelled “bedel” is from the Latin “bidellus” or “bedellus”, rooted in words for “herald”, an official of the Roman Temple.
The Livery Companies, as they evolved, needed a point of contact between the Master, Wardens, and Court of Assistants and the Livery in general. They therefore appointed (and paid for) a Beadle, who took care of the Company’s meeting place (‘Hall’), called the Court members and/or Livery together on behalf of the Master, and enforced any disciplinary measures decided by the Court.
He would be issued with a Staff of Office, often wrongly called a mace, with which to protect the Master and enforce discipline. The Staff is usually a tall one so that it could be used as a rallying point at Common Hall etc. when the Livery was summoned to “Attend upon the Master”.
The position is vacant.
