The Institute of Water’s Rising Stars programme for 2018 gets underway as the successful applicants enjoy a visit to Skanska UK to meet with its senior leaders.
Hosted by Skanska UK’s Executive Vice President, Thomas Faulkner, the Rising Stars were taken on a leadership ‘masterclass’ where Thomas and the team shared their approach on what it takes to lead their company. Topics covered included sustainability, diversity and inclusion, innovation and how they learn from other sectors.
Thomas Faulkner, who is also the current President of the Institute of Water, said:
“As President of the Institute of Water, my role is to champion the Rising Stars programme and I’m honoured to kick off their year of development opportunities by hosting them at the Skanska UK headquarters.
“I really wanted the Rising Stars to get an understanding of what it takes to lead a company; how we instil our company values throughout our employees and how being inclusive and diverse ensures that we continue to produce high levels of innovation and performance. I hope we have inspired the Rising Stars with some ideas of how they can apply this approach in their professional roles.”
Rising Star, Fionn Boyle from Anglian Water, said:
“The attitudes and culture around people that Skanska have been able to embed in their organisation is incredibly impressive. I feel fortunate to work at Anglian Water where the same culture exists and is growing constantly.”
Rising Star, Lydia Makin from Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, said:
“The Leadership Masterclass with Thomas Falkner and his colleagues taught me a great deal about what is required to lead a company towards this level of commitment to sustainability.”
Lynn Cooper, Institute of Water Chief Executive said:
“I was delighted to join the Rising Stars at Skanska UK. This was my first time meeting them and I was very impressed with how they engaged and interacted with Thomas, his team and with each other.
“I know they will have a great year and I look forward to following their progress.”
The Rising Stars programme will continue throughout the year as they attend a number of events geared towards professional and personal development. These include technical visits, spending time with regulators, attending the Institute of Water Annual Conference and many others.
Their progress will be documented on the Institute of Water website and also in our magazine, which is available to all our members.
The Rising Stars programme brings together a collection of opportunities designed to develop the skills and professional excellence and raise the profile of new talent in the water sector.
After a tight application and selection process, eight successful individuals were chosen to be Rising Stars. The prestigious Rising Stars programme celebrates and rewards eight young members who have shown both the potential and an appetite to progress in the water sector.
The successful applicants for 2018 are:
- Lisa McKenzie from Veolia
- Hayley Dyson from Yorkshire Water
- Tom Swain from Severn Trent
- Gee Tsang from WSP
- Fionn Boyle from Anglian Water
- Dr Ben Ward from South West Water
- Kirsty Ayres from WSP
- Lydia Makin from Dwr Cymru Welsh Water
For further information about Institute of Water membership or to sign up, visit www.instituteofwater.org.uk
L2R,Top row: Tom Swain, Lisa McKenzie, Thomas Faulkner, Fionn Boyle, Gee Tsang, Ben Ward. Bottom row: Hayley Dyson, Kirtsy Ayres, Lydia Makin, Lynn Cooper
