Andy Dunn: CIWEM's new chair introduces himself

As new CIWEM chair Andy Dunn steps into his role, taking the baton from existing chair Paul Seeley, he looks at the challenges and opportunities before him.

Taking on the prestigious position of CIWEM chair is an honour, and the culmination of my many years with the organisation.

My journey with CIWEM began as a student. After graduating in environmental sciences, I completed a PhD in public health engineering and CIWEM was the obvious choice to springboard me to the next stage of my career.

I am pleased to remember being one of the first to go through the Chartered structured training. Chartership, and the professionalism it installs, has held me in good stead throughout my career in Contractors, Consultants and Operators up to executive position in the UK and overseas. I continue to be passionate about its benefits and will work to promote it for members of CIWEM and beyond.

My vision

As we come out of the pandemic, we need to keep all the positive changes that it catalysed. Flexible working for those who want it, a reduced carbon footprint, a much higher focus on individual and community wellbeing and the ability to increase influence through virtual channels.

We are refreshing our five-year strategy, led by our President-elect Steve Thompsett, and will ensure it takes the best of these experiences. In particular we will focus on delivering to our updated Charter, namely our reason for being, which is:

• To advance the science and practice of water and environmental management for the public benefit.
• To promote education, training, study and research for the public benefit and to publish the useful results of such research.
• To establish and maintain for the public benefit appropriate standards of competence and conduct on the part of members of the institution.

Competency and the importance of our membership is reinforced through our updated Charter. It also confirms our unique position of being able to award Charterships as Water and Environmental Managers (C.WEM); something no other organisation can do.

I look forward to working with the Board and the executive team to deliver on our Charter for our membership and the environment. The premise of our organisation has never been more important or prominent and we have every opportunity to continue and increase our ability to achieve a more sustainable world for everyone.

Before signing off, I must acknowledge the great work Paul Seeley has done in the role before me. Paul’s experience, steady hand and words of advice to Terry and the executive team have been invaluable as we navigated through the Covid challenges.

Many small businesses and charities have struggled to survive during this period, and it is a testament to Paul and Terry’s leadership that the institution has come through still in rude health.

Andy Dunn-Flores is chief engineer at Thames Water.