Program Committee Members
COMMITTEE CHAIR
Emma Thomas | Chief Executive Officer, Seqwater
Emma Thomas is an experienced executive leader with more than 30 years’ working across large public and private sectors, including aviation, rail, public transport, infrastructure and local government. Renowned for delivering results through complexity, she inspires high performance through a collaborative and values-driven leadership style.
Chris Bulloch I Group Executive Infrastructure Planning and Delivery, Urban Utilities & Board Director, Australian Water Association
Chris Bulloch is a senior infrastructure executive with nearly 30 years’ experience across water, transport, and energy. As Group Executive at Urban Utilities, he leads integrated planning, infrastructure delivery, engineering services, and investment performance.
He has held executive roles with Lendlease, KBR, Abigroup, Anglian Water, and Chicago Bridge & Iron.
Thanh Cao | Construction Director, Sunwater
As a Brisbane local, Thanh has over 25 years’ experience in the construction and water industry. He is currently Construction Director at Sunwater, where he leads project teams with focus and passion on delivering regional water projects, including the recently commissioned Rookwood Weir in central QLD.
He prides himself on safe and consistent infrastructure project delivery to a high standard by promoting innovation and flexibility.
Jimmy Cocking | Chief Executive Officer Desert Knowledge Australia
Jimmy Cocking is the CEO of Desert Knowledge Australia (DKA), a Northern Territory statutory corporation supporting research, education, and partnerships for sustainable economic development in remote Australia. Based in Mparntwe–Alice Springs for over 17 years, Jimmy has held leadership roles in local government, environmental advocacy, and community development. He is passionate about strengthening desert communities.
Katherine Gee | Executive Manager, Customer and Community Unitywater
Katherine Gee is an experienced Executive with a career spanning the public and private sectors, including water utilities, local government and telecommunications. She has led numerous transformational change programs focused on introduction new technology, streamlining processes, introducing new technology and improving customer experiences.
Melanie Grills | Associate Principal – First Nations Programs & Projects, Arup
Melanie is a Gomeroi (Kamilaroi) woman from Moree in NSW. She brings a wealth of experience in similar roles across large Australian companies, where she had developed deep relationships with key stakeholders, while maintaining strong connections to Community and Country.
Dr Stacey Hamilton | General Manager – Operations and Planning Busselton Water
Dr Stacey Hamilton is a technical expert in Australia for the Groundwater Replenishment Scheme (GWR) turning wastewater into drinking water. She was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2022 to investigate alternative treatment options for recycling not using membranes and is also a Fellow of the Peter Cullen Trust. Stacey also has a passion for promoting STEM and the water industry and as a career.
Gemma Keane | Client Leader, Water – NSW & ACT, Aurecon
Gemma began her career in commissioning and operations as a process engineer and has since built on that hands-on experience through planning and project delivery roles across the water industry. At Aurecon, she has led multidisciplinary teams and programs delivering water, wastewater and recycled water infrastructure, combining technical expertise with a collaborative approach. Gemma is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion.
Jodi Kerrigan | Environment Manager, SA Water
Jodi works as Environment Manager for Suez in the Production and Treatment Alliance with SA Water, covering water and wastewater operations in metropolitan Adelaide. She has been working in the water sector for over 10 years and has experience in environmental management, sustainability and strategic planning. She has a passion for protecting biodiversity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and driving circular economy outcomes.
Dr Sam Skinner I Associate, Water, Aurecon
Sam Skinner is an Associate Process Engineer for Water at Aurecon, specialising in hydrogen, energy, water and oxygen projects that support various water utilities. He is dedicated to advancing the water industry’s journey to net zero and beyond. Sam earned his PhD from Melbourne University, focusing on improving water recycling and sludge handling. He has been recognised as the AWA Australian Young Water Professional of the Year 2024.
Andrew Swan I Senior Program Manager, SAGE Automation
Aspiring equity and sustainability leader envisioning sustainable water, mining, and local governments through strategic planning and innovation. Passionate about project management, design, and policy to drive positive community impact through collaboration and inclusive decision-making for a better future. Andrew is a Senior Program Manager with SAGE Automation, Tasmania.
David Thomas I Managing Director – Growth and Major Projects, Sequana
With over 23 years’ experience in the water industry, David is a dynamic and visionary leader with a technical foundation in engineering and economic analysis of water infrastructure covering hydrology, hydraulics, water and sewage treatment, pipelines and reservoirs. He combines this technical foundation with curiosity, business acumen, people leadership capability and an open, authentic communication style.
AWA Committee Members
Corinne Cheeseman | CEO, Australian Water Association
Charlotte Allam | Head of Events, Awards and Digital, Australian Water Association
Laura Steffan | Senior Event Manager, Australian Water Association