We welcome members from a range of backgrounds
Our members come from a range of backgrounds and experiences. Click on the names below to meet some of them.
My journey with the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators started after attending one of the companies lunches. That was back in 2012.
In 2014, I was clothed in Livery and joined the Court of Assistants in 2017, before becoming a Warden in 2022. I knew no-one on joining and had very little in common with most of the Company’s members, save of course the most important thing; a common interest in Water and its sustainability. Although my background in manufacturing was different to most of its members who tend to be Engineers, Scientists, Financiers, Lawyers, Academics and senior managers in water, waste and environmental sectors, I was immediately made welcome.
Joining the Water Conservators made me more informed of the challenges that we face with our most precious resource but, in addition, membership gives one the opportunity to be part of a collective to make a real difference. Through its Trust, it has awarded over 200 bursaries to Masters degree students and facilitates an associates programme for young professionals which gives them access to webinars and provides mentoring by senior company members that can help with professional development. It has contributed to thinking about new regulations and enables public debates between industry leaders, and so much more.
There are nearly 8 billion people alive today who all have a vested interest in water.
Make a difference, join us.
I became a Liveryman and Court Assistant in 2020. I joined the Company due to my interest in sustainability and the environment.
Since 2022, I lead the Company’s Associates Programme. The Programme targets students and younger individuals in their early careers who are involved, connected or interested in water and the environment.
I am involved with the organisation of webinars and events for our Associates. I am also involved in the administration of the Programme, including recruitment, engagement and liaising with the Clerk, the Court and other governing bodies of the Company.
I am currently Senior Manager at Deloitte’s EMEA Sustainability Regulation Hub in London. I have more than 15 years of experience in sustainability, economic analysis and public policy. Before joining Deloitte, I worked for Policy Navigation Group, a boutique consulting firm from the Washington, D.C. area, where I managed complex projects across a range of subjects for government, trade association, major corporate, academic, and non-profit organisation clients.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from the Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP), an M.Sc in Environmental Management and Policy at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University in Sweden and a PhD in Management from the University of Glasgow. During my PhD I was a visiting scholar at Columbia Business School in New York City.
I also serve as an adjunct lecturer in advocacy, policy and business at the University of Glasgow’s Adam Smith Business School.
Rob is a Past Master of the Water Conservators Company with an active interest in the environment and biodiversity.
In 2019 he chaired the technical steering group of the Plastic Free City campaign for the City of London Corporation.
As Water Strategy Manager for Thames Water Utilities, he has worked for over 40 years on the planning and operation of their water supply system.
Rob is a school governor for the Learning Quarter Partnership, a Trustee for both the Water Conservation Trust and Pollinating London Together and leads the Water Conservation Trust’s schools programme encouraging water related science and environmental learning.
Rob also serves on the Core Group of the Livery Climate Action Group helping Livery Companies to assess and reduce their carbon footprint.
Hello! My name is Jess Fox and I had the pleasure of becoming a Freeman of the Water Conservators’ Company in September 2023. From a very young age I’ve had a keen interest in water – inspired particularly by holidays at the Cornish seaside and time spent sailing on square-rigged tall ships. My ocean-going adventures motivated my academic achievements of a BSc and MSc in marine biology and physical oceanography, respectively, – both from Bangor University in North Wales. Since graduating I have been working as Senior Water Quality Process Scientist for one of the UK water companies which involves the safeguarding of potable water treatment through the management of treatment processes and compilation of comprehensive risk assessments.
From the day I joined the Water Conservators’ Company I have been welcomed with great warmth and enthusiasm. The spirit within the Company is one of encouragement for the sharing of knowledge and expertise through debates, online webinars, Court gatherings and in-person lunches/banquets – each of which present invaluable opportunities for lively discussion, learning, networking and general joviality with industry-leading individuals from all corners of the sector. This membership has hugely broadened my appreciation for the extent of innovation, science and opportunity within the sector and I feel extremely privileged to be part of the water industry’s evolution within the Water Conservators’ Company.
I was honoured to receive a Bursary from the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators (WCWC), which supported my pursuit of an MSc in Water Science, Policy, and Management at the University of Oxford in 2013. This pivotal experience kickstarted my career at Thames Water, where I contributed as a Graduate Civil Engineer within the Major Projects team and latterly as a Water Resource Management specialist.
My connection with the WCWC deepened through my consistent participation in various events, including several luncheons and the annual City Water Debate. Additionally, I engaged in numerous fundraising activities for the Water Conservation Trust, notably the Sponsored Walk. These experiences, coupled with the invaluable support I received as a bursary recipient, deepened my appreciation for the WCWC’s impactful contributions to water and environmental conservation.
Advancing in my professional journey, I became an Associate member of the WCWC, embracing the opportunity to network with fellow associates. This step marked the beginning of a significant phase in my career as I joined Agilia Infrastructure Partners in 2018. Currently leading the Water Sector within the firm, I oversee our contribution to the technical, commercial, and financial facets of major projects across the industry. My ongoing involvement with the WCWC has seen me progress from Associate to Liveryman and, most recently, to Court Assistant. Participating in company events, from debates to informative webinars, has been immensely enriching. Notably, presenting a webinar on the Havant Thicket Reservoir project was a highlight, offering a platform to share insights and contribute to our collective knowledge.
My membership in the WCWC has been immensely fulfilling, both professionally and personally. Regular interactions with fellow members at events provide valuable opportunities to discuss current and relevant topics within the water and environment sectors. The high level of debate, quality of speakers, and the chance to engage with industry leaders at WCWC events are unparalleled. This vibrant community fosters not only professional growth but also a shared commitment to advancing water conservation efforts. If you’re considering joining the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators and would like to discuss my experience further, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
I am a Professor of Physical Geography at Queen Mary University of London. My research explores feedbacks between plants and animals and Earth surface processes, and how these influence landscape restoration and management. I work with local and national stakeholders in the environmental sector, including pioneering rewilding sites, government agencies, NGOs, local action groups and green tech companies on landscape rewilding and urban greening projects. My research is funded by UKRI, Defra/ Environment Agency and the Leverhulme Trust. I am helping to develop best practice in monitoring of nature recovery approaches as a member of Rewilding Britain’s Monitoring Framework working group, and as chair of the Nature Monitoring and Evaluation Advisory Group for the Enfield Chase Landscape Recovery project. I hold a NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship to embed environmental and geospatial science in nature recovery and rewilding. I have been an Associate Editor for the journal WIREs Water since 2014.
I led the MSc Water and Environmental Management at QMUL’s School of Geography for 10 years, supporting environmental scientists into careers in the water and environment sector. This is how I developed links with the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators, through their universities programme. I am a passionate supporter of this scheme, which provides vital financial support to masters students in need. More recently I have become involved in WCWC initiatives closely aligned with my research on nature-based solutions. This includes the City Water Debate and the Lord Mayor’s Coffee Colloquy on Sustainable Development Goals.
My background may not be directly associated with the water industry in the traditional sense. However, as an entrepreneur, my business specialises in designing and manufacturing various systems and sensors. These are instrumental in optimising water usage across agriculture, horticulture, landscaping industries, and air quality.
I joined The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators in 2018. This association has allowed me to become acquainted and befriend individuals who are passionate about maintaining natural resources such as water and are dedicated to promoting an equilibrium of the environment. As a company member, I have progressed from Freeman to Liveryman. I have been Bailiff to the Thames Warden and subsequently to the Master and I have recently become the Hon. Secretary of the Company’s charitable arm, The Water Conservation Trust. While it is a formal process, the company members form a very friendly and supportive group, encouraging and fostering camaraderie among one another.
Peter has worked in service delivery and regulation of water conservation since 1965. He joined the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators in 1994 and was Master in 2012. He has always strongly advocated that being active in the academic, professional and charitable aspects of water conservation is all part of a career, alongside paid employment.
He says that :
“Being active in the Water Conservators, and the sector’s professional bodies, ensures that a job is completed more wisely, and conversely, the experiences of a responsible job add to the wisdom of the Company and professional bodies. They are complementary faces working in synergy for the best delivery of services to customers and the environment, and must be part of a purposeful and ethical future for the water sector trusted by the rest of the community. Being a member of the Company, as part of a diverse network of experience, brings practical career benefits!
The very substantial wisdom on water and environmental conservation available in the Company is being mobilised to enable it to make independent unbiased contributions to the current dialogue on conservation”
Although Peter retired from paid employment, as Founding Chair of Natural Resources Wales, in 2016, Peter is still active in the Company in using a very wide network of contacts to help facilitate the Water Debates and in using his experiences to contribute to the drafting of the response to consultations.
Peter says that:
“The Company is a wonderful place in which the past and the future of water conservation can mingle and work together for the greater good”.
He is also very happy to contribute to the roles the Company plays in the City, and in its charitable work focussed on education.
On the same basis, Peter still contributes to the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management as a Past President, to the Society for the Environment as a Past Chair, and to the Institute of Water as a Fellow. He is Chartered as a Chemist , Water and Environment Manager and Environmentalist.
Peter repeats his mantra for the Company as well as for water and environment conservation: Learn from the past, plan for the future, but act in the present!
