Career support: career stories 

Our career stories provide career support for those in the water and environment sector into CIWEM member career paths, including top tips for early-career professionals.

They share with us their career defining moments, what they wished they had known at the beginning of their careers and valuable lessons learnt along the way. There is 12 episodes spanning the water and environment sector, including flooding, sustainability, green finance, water resources and climate adaptation.

Learn from leaders in the sector and watch their career stories below:

1. AECOM regional director Fay Bull MCIWEM C.WEM CSci

Fay Bull is a Chartered member of CIWEM and a Chartered Scientist, she holds a BSc degree in geography and an MSc in environmental water management. She has worked in the flooding and water management sector for 15 years across water utilities, consultancy and local authority. Fay has also been involved with CIWEM's East Midlands branch committee, Rivers and Coastal Group committee and is a member of the Women in FCERM network.

Watch Fay's career story interview:


2. TJAY Consulting Ltd director Fola Ogunyoye FCIWEM C.WEM CEng

Fola Ogunyoye is a Fellow and Chartered member of CIWEM and Chartered Engineer, he holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a master's degree in management and construction. He has over 30 years experience in flood risk management at the waters' edge, delivering plans, strategies and innovative solutions to optimise the value of water, while delivering resilience to its extremes. Fola has also been involved with CIWEM's Rivers and Coastal Group and the Flooding and Coastal Erosion Risk Management panel.

Watch Fola's career story interview:



3. ESI Monitor director of standards and operations Ian Corder MCIWEM C.WEM

Ian Corder is a Chartered member of CIWEM, he holds a bachelor's degree in land economy and a master's degree in environmental management. He has worked in the environmental and sustainability sector for 12 years and currently helps companies to measure, manage and minimise their ESG (environmental, social, governance) impact. Ian has also been involved with CIWEM's Climate Change Specialist Panel.

Watch Ian's career story interview:



4. Intact Centre managing director Joanna Eyquem MCIWEM C.WEM CEnv

Joanna Eyquem is a Chartered member of CIWEM and Chartered Environmentalist, she holds a bachelors degree in geography and a master's in environmental technology. She has 20 years experience in climate change adaptation, natural infrastructure design, natural hazard management and hydrogeomorphology. She is a a professional geoscientist and currently works on climate adaptation for the Climate-Resilient Infrastructure at Intact Centre in Montreal, Canada. Joanna has also been involved with CIWEM's Climate Change Specialist network, the Metropolitan branch and South Eastern branch.

Watch Joanna's career story interview:



5. Environment Agency senior advisor in green finance Rohit Kumar Das MCIWEM C.WEM

Rohit Das is a Chartered member of CIWEM and holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a masters degree in water resources technology and management. He has worked in the climate adaptation and green finance sector for nine years and has experience in the power sector. Rohit has been involved with CIWEM's Climate Change Specialist Panel.

Watch Rohit's career story interview:



6. ARUP sustainability consultant Melody Wong MCIWEM C.WEM CEng CEnv

Melody Wong is Chartered member of CIWEM and a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Environmentalist, she holds a bachelor's degree in environmental science and a master's in intelligent building technology and management. She is based in Hong Kong and has seven years of experience working in the build environment sector, specifically on sustainable building design. She helps projects to identify their sustainability goals and establish their framework to implement sustainability features in building design.

Watch Melody's career story interview:



7. Environment Agency director of flood risk strategy and national adaption Julie Foley

Julie Foley holds a bachelor's degree in geography and a master's in environmental technology. She has worked in the environmental and sustainability sector for 20 years specialising in flood and coastal risk management, she started her working life in the think tank sector and then as political advisor for DEFRA and has now worked for the Environment Agency for over 16 years. Julie has also been part of the Women in FCERM network where she has volunteered as a mentor and is a race executive champion at the Environment Agency.

Watch Julie's career story interview:



8. Mott MacDonald natural flood management lead Emma Wren MCIWEM C.WEM

Emma Wren is a Chartered member of CIWEM and holds a bachelor's degree in geography and a master's in GIS and river basin management. She has worked in the flood risk management sector for over 20 years, specifically focussing on nature based solutions and natural flood management. Emma is the lead author of the CIRIA's new Natural Flood Management Manual, has been a WaterAid speaker and was on the national British hydrological society committee.

Watch Emma's career story interview:



9. Mott MacDonald geomorphologist and water resources team leader Joanne Barlow MCIWEM C.WEM CEnv CSci

Joanna Barlow is a Chartered member of CIWEM and a Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Scientist, she holds a bachelor's degree in geography and a master's degree in geographical information science. She has over 20 years of experience n the rivers and coastal sector, specialising in developing sustainable options and designs for flood risk, infrastructure design and habitat restoration in rivers, estuaries and at the coast. Joanne has been involved with CIWEM's North Wales & North Western branch and the Rivers and Coastal Group where she was recently vice-chair of the committee.

Watch Joanne's career story interview:



10. AECOM technical head for hydraulic modelling Katie Pearson FCIWEM C.WEM CEnv

Katie Pearson is a Fellow and Chartered member of CIWEM and Chartered Environmentalist and holds a bachelor's degree in environmental science. She has worked for engineering consultancies for nearly 20 years where she specialises in hydraulic modelling for flood risk management, water utilities and coastal applications. Katie has been a member of CIWEM's Professional Standards Committee and an assessor and interviewer for CIWEM's membership applications.

Watch Katie's career story interview below:



11. JBA Consulting technical director & head of learning and development Dr Maxine Zaidman FCIWEM C.WEM CEng

Dr Maxine Zaidman is a Fellow and Chartered member of CIWEM and Chartered Environmentalist, she holds a bachelor's degree in environmental science and a PhD in earth sciences. She has 25 years of experience in the water resources, flood risk and environmental management sectors as a hydrologist, covering hydrology, hydrometry, hydrogeology and hydraulics. Maxine has been involved with CIWEM's Yorkshire and Humber branch and is a member of CIWEM's Professional Standards Committee and an assessor and interviewer for CIWEM's membership applications.

Watch Maxine's career story interview below:



12. WSP technical principal for water Liam Foster FCIWEM C.WEM CEnv CSci

Liam Foster is a Fellow and Chartered member of CIWEM and a Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Scientist. He holds a joint honours bachelor's degree in geography and geology and a master's in water resources technology and management. He is based in New Zealand and has over 20 years of experience specialising in sustainable water management, surface water and flood risk management and has undertaken roles in hydraulic modelling, hydrology, as a water resources scientist and a infrastructure strategy manager at a water company. Liam has been involved with and taken various committee roles on CIWEM's Urban Drainage Group, Rivers and Coastal Group, Metropolitan branch, West Midlands branch and has recently chaired the New Zealand branch committee.

Watch Liam's career story interview below:


Early career professionals career stories

1. Scottish Water wastewater asset planner Flora Duff GradCIWEM

Flora Duff is a Graduate member of CIWEM. She has several years of experience in the wastewater planning sector and is currently working towards CIWEM Chartership. Flora sits on the CIWEM Early Careers Network steering group.

Watch Flora's career story interview below:


2. Mott MacDonald graduate environmental hydrologist Kieran Murnane MCIWEM

Kieran Murnane is a Member of CIWEM. He has several years of experience as a graduate environmental hydrologist and sits on the CIWEM Early Careers Network steering group.

Watch Kieran's career story interview below:


3. Mott MacDonald graduate environmental hydrologist Kieran Murnane MCIWEM

Sophia-Harri Nicholaou is a Member of CIWEM. She has several years of experience as a flood risk advisor for the Thames Estuary 2100 and sits on the CIWEM Early Careers Network steering group.

Watch Sophia-Harri's career story interview below:


You can also find this series on our YouTube channel, subscribe now.

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