PORTUGAL -- Leading water consultant Tom Mollenkopf has today become the new President of the International Water Association, taking office following his election in Lisbon, Portugal in October 2019.
Mr. Mollenkopf, who trained as a lawyer and holds an MBA, has been a substantive and well-regarded figure in the water sector for the past 20 years.
Tom has previously been CEO of the Australian Water Association and of the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust, and worked extensively for WaterAid Australia, as well as having been IWA Deputy Executive Director from 2005-2007.
Tom takes over from Diane d’Arras, who has led IWA effectively since October 2016, including during the challenging Covid-19 situation.
“I am humbled and excited to take up the Presidency of IWA,” Mollenkopf said. “I look forward to growing the scale and impact of our programs and activities to achieve our vision, of a world in which water is wisely, sustainably, and equitably managed. There is much to do - but with billions of people without access to clean water and sanitation, there are so many reasons to do it.”
“We are delighted to confirm that Tom Mollenkopf has taken over as President of IWA,” IWA Executive Director Kala Vairavamoorthy added. “Tom’s experience, knowledge and contacts will be invaluable to the Association in the coming period. We look forward to working more closely with Tom as part of our efforts to secure a water-wise world.
There have been a number of other changes to the IWA Board. Two former Board members have been selected as new IWA Vice Presidents, namely:
· Senior Vice President - Prof. Enrique Cabrera (Valencia Polytechnic University, Spain)
· Vice President - Prof. Hamanth C. Kasan (General Manager, Rand Water, South Africa)
In addition, there have been five new additions to the IWA Board, as follows:
· Prof. Peter A. Vanrolleghem (Canada Research Chair on Water Quality Modelling, Canada)
· Walter Kling (Vienna Water, Austria)
· Dr. Rose Kaggwa (National Water & Sewerage Corporation, Uganda)
· Dr. María Molinos-Senante (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Chile)
· Prof. Xiaochang Wang (Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, China)
