29 October – As part of its growth strategy, global engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon welcomes Kevin Werksman this month as its new Global Water Markets Leader, to deliver and build water smart and water sensitive cities strategies across the world.

In his new Canberra-based role, Kevin will provide leadership to global water market teams, helping Aurecon build presence and strategic advice capabilities across the group in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. His appointment is key to Aurecon’s global water strategy to become the water industry’s top strategy consultant. Kevin brings extensive international experience, having worked in the water industry for 20 years across Australia, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea and South East Asia.

Aurecon’s Managing Director – Infrastructure, Ben Stapleton, said “Kevin’s role covers a wide scope of challenges and services in the rapidly evolving industry, such as water security, resilient and water smart cities and regions.

“In developed markets, water innovation is playing an integral role in the rise of smart cities while, at the other end of the scale, there are complexities around water access and sanitation in developing countries. Kevin was previously a Partner at consultants and advisory services group EY and has provided strategic advice to water clients on many of their most complex infrastructure challenges. His appointment reflects our commitment to advancing innovation across geographies, and he will provide integral strategic advice and subject matter expertise to clients operating in a complex global environment.”

Kevin is looking forward to making a real impact on the future by helping communities design better water amenities in the face of unique challenges facing each market.

“In Australia, the water industry is undergoing a real change, evolving from a focus on asset management to delivering better services and value to their customers. One of my focus areas will be working with governments, water utilities and customers to shift from simply designing solutions to imagining solutions customers will value,” said Kevin.

“In Africa, we’ll be concentrating on helping solve water sanitation and security challenges, questioning how we can harness solution capabilities on a global scale plus deliver the right scale for local communities.”

“Asia is a key growth geography for Aurecon, given the number of emerging markets where water security is a key issue, and there is a need to invest in new dams, recycled water and desalination. We will focus on creating innovative solutions to deliver 21^st century water services for customers with ageing infrastructure,” commented Kevin.

Kevin was attracted to work at Aurecon by the company vision of ‘bringing ideas to life’, which resonates strongly with him. “This concept challenges people on what we can do to make a difference, and encourages us to think how we can achieve a safer and healthier world where everyone has rapid and secure access to clean water,” he said.