DETAILS
Dates: May 27-29, 2025
Location: InterContinental Berlin, Germany
Theme: “Scaling Smart Water”
Sponsors: View Here
Overview: The SWAN 15th Annual Conference attracted 420 attendees from 38 countries featuring 45 utility speakers, inspiring keynotes, interactive workshops, and more!
SWAN Members can login to the SWAN website to access all session recordings, slides, and roundtable recaps on this page. Conference Attendees can access the materials HERE. If you can’t retrieve the password, please contact Sandy Moskovitz: sandy@swan-forum.com
Keynote Speakers
Click on a speaker image to view their bio.
Director of Innovation,
Aguas de Alicante (Spain)
System Architect,
Oslo Municipal Waterworks (Norway)
Engineering Leader, Organisational Developer, Coach, Facilitator (Germany)
Head of Public Affairs,
Gelsenwasser (Germany)
Independent Consultant
(US)
May 27th – Interactive Workshops
An UnConference style, “Back to the Future” themed workshop
Hosted by the SWAN Digital Twin Group and AI Community of Practice
Hosted by RiSWP (SWAN Young Professional Group)
May 28th – Big Picture Strategy
9:00-9:10 Conference Introduction
- Nadia Abboud, President (ENAY Group) & David Kenny, Commercial Director (VAPAR)
9:10-9:30 Keynote: “Scaling Smartness in Water”
- Dr. Arnt Baer, Head of Public Affairs (Gelsenwasser AG, Germany) – View Bio
9:30-10:30 Scaling Resilient Systems
Moderator: Fredrick Royan, Global Practice Area Leader – Sustainability & Circular Economy (Frost & Sullivan) & SWAN Council Chair
- Dr. TG Vinay IAS, Managing Director (Chennai Metropolitan Water & Sewerage Board, India)
- Godofredo Canino, Manager of Projects & Department Lead (Jacobs) “Leveraging Digital Tools for Efficient, Sustainable Infrastructure in Puerto Rico”
- Kristina Bognar, Water & Environment Segment Leader, Europe
(Schneider Electric) “Building Resilience in Urban Water Supply at the One of the Largest Drinking Water Utility in Southeast Asia”
10:30-11:00 Networking & Refreshments Break
11:00-11:45 Train to Sustain – Empowering Your People
Moderator: Mitch Dabling, Technology Director – Water Business (HDR)
- Annesley Crisp, Strategic Innovation & Shop Window Lead (Anglian Water, UK) “Closing the Gap: Transforming Innovation Adoption in the Water Industry with the Explorer Index®”
- Delph Mak, Business Development, Water (Yokogawa) “Scaling Water Workforce Readiness with Advanced Training Simulators”
- Maria Cardenal, Analyst (Bluefield Research) “Unlocking Value and Driving Transformation in Water Utilities through Change Management”
11:45-12:30 Don’t be Insecure: Own that Data, Work that Accessibility
Moderator: Melissa Darr, Global Water Optimisation Program Manager (Arcadis)
- Daniel Nascimento, Head of Operational Technology (Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, UK) “Smart Water Networks Built on Sand”
- Kevin Montague, SCADA Systems Manager (Dekalb County Department of Watershed Management, US) “Strategies & Tactics for Resolving IT/OT Collisions in IT/OT Cybersecurity Convergence”
- Graeme Wright, Chief Digital Officer (Fujitsu) “Cyber Security for Digital Operational Assets: Transforming Obligation into Opportunity”
12:30-13:30 Lunch Sponsored by Arcadis
13:30-13:50 SWAN Update & Awards & Global Smart Metering Playbook Update
- Dr. Amir Cahn, CEO & Shirley Ben-Dak, Senior Advisor (SWAN Forum)
- Freddie Guerra, Digital Water Market Leader (GHD) “Global Smart Metering Playbook Update”
13:50-15:00 Interactive Roundtable Session
(1) Water: The Forgotten Architect of Smart Cities. Redefining the role water plays in shaping the urban future Led by Cecilia Correia, Senior Solutions Manager, Water Infrastructure (Bentley Systems)
(2) NIS2 in a European country comparison: How are the member states implementing the new EU Cybersecurity Legislation? Led by Tobias Nitzsche, Cyber Security Practice Lead & Ragnar Schierholz, Global Cyber Security Portfolio Manager (ABB)
(3) Positive Disruptors: Advancing Water by Learning from Other Sectors Led by Geraint Jones, Global Service Delivery Director – Resilience D&E & Esteban Azagra, Senior Vice President (Arcadis)
(4) What Role can Generative AI Play in Understanding Customer Behaviour? Led by Andy Webster, Director Business Development (EXL Service)
(5) Making AI & Digitalisation Work in Practice: Beyond the Headlines Led by Glen Nivert, Head of Digitalisation (Sustainable Waste and Water, City of Gothenburg), Adam Cartwright, Industry Strategy Director & Peder Welin, Account Manager (Siemens)
(6) Choosing the Right Digital Path: Tailored vs. Scalable Platforms for Water Utilities Led by Toni Amenrud, Director, Vertical Marketing Municipal Wastewater (Xylem) & Jorge Helmbrecht, Business Development Director (Idrica)
(7) Water-Cooled New Customer You Have! Understanding Water Needs & Creating the World’s Most Sustainable Data Center Led by Jim Cooper, Global Director – Water Optimisation & Tanya McCoy-Caretti, North American Business Area Client Director (Arcadis)
(8) Digital Water Meters and NRW: Monitoring Big Water Users and Night Flows Led by Titti Wästlund, Customer Success Manager for Scandinavia (Smartvatten)
(9) Digital Integration of Analogue and Dirty Things – Managing Networks of Assets in Wastewater Networks Led by Phil Tomlinson, Digital Solutions Leader (Grundfos)
(10) What If the Sensors Are Wrong? Rethinking Data Assurance in the Smart Water Age Led by Adriaan van Horenbeek, Chief Product Officer (Timeseer.AI)
(11) No Smart without Start – Challenges facing Developing Countries to Adopt Smart Water Technologies Led by Pieter Wessels, Head of International Markets (GLS Consulting)
(12) Machine Learning or Human Intervention, Where do we Draw the Line? How to Responsibly Manage Incoming Data Led by David Hurley, Head of International Sales West (HWM Global)
(13) Scaling Smart Water: What If Sales and Procurement are the Problem? Led by David Kenny, Commercial Director (VAPAR)
(14) How to translate Engineer into Software without losing your mind! Led by Brynn Charles Williams, Head of Digital Solutions Design (GWF AG)
(15) How to Scale Water Digital Solutions to Meet Increasing Public Expectations Led by Samantha Sloan, Head of Operational Intelligence (United Utilities) & Shervin Tabatabai, Head of Network Systems and Solutions (Jacobs)
(16) Green, smart and vulnerable? The growing risks associated with the rise of Nature-Based solutions Led by Pascale Rouault, Managing Director & Nicolas Caradot, Head of Group, Smart City and Infrastructure (KWB)
(17) Smart Monitoring: Weather You Like It or Not Led by Phil Bennett, Managing Director (UDLive)
15:00-15:20 Networking & Refreshments Break
15:20-16:00 Speed Dating
Connect with conference attendees and water professionals whom you may not already know in this semi-structured session.
16:00-16:20 Keynote: “From Vision to Scaled Reality: Reflecting on Sabesp’s Digital Transformation Journey”
- Andre Salcedo, Independent Consultant – View Bio
16:20-17:10 Scaling through Co-Creation
Moderator: Anja Eimer, General Manager Global Water Industry (Siemens)
- Jeannette Henderson, Principle, Innovation (Ofwat)
- Bretton Davis, Associate – Digital Water (Arup) “Addressing the I&I Challenge – A collaborative journey with Severn Trent Water, Arup and InfoTiles”
- Victoria Edwards, CEO and Co Founder (FIDO Tech) “A new model to help scale smart technology in water utilities”
17:10-17:20 Summary and Conclusion
- Nadia Abboud, President (ENAY Group) & David Kenny, Commercial Director (VAPAR)
18:00-20:00 Networking Reception Hosted by GWF and GLS Consulting
Held at BRLO – an authentic brewhouse in the heart of Berlin. Over 200 attendees enjoyed an outdoor beer garden featuring craft beers and tasty food like bratwursts, mac & cheese, homemade jerky, and BBQ popcorn. You can’t scale without ale!
May 29th – Technical Tracks + Start-Up Masterclass
Water
(Sponsored by Xylem)
9:00-9:10 Welcome Remarks
- Manuel Parra, Vice President Strategic Partnerships and Alliances (Xylem)
9:10-10:00 Unlocking Human-Centered Leak Detection
Moderator: Bernard Luttikhuizen, Specialist Asset Management (Oasen Drinkwater N.V., Netherlands)
- Anna Klobut, Specialist (HSY, Finland) “Leveraging Real-Time Data to Reduce Non-Revenue Water and Optimise Distribution”
- Jarno Laine, Planning Manager (HS-Vesi, Finland) “Real-time integrated leak localisation system”
- Johannes Koslowski, Research Associate (KWB, Germany) “A Novel Human Centered Receipt for Sustainable Leakage Management in Water Distribution Networks”
10:00-10:45 Scaling Water Asset Data
Moderator: Michael Allen, Founder (TeamSolve)
- Anne-Marie Kirkman, Global Program & Commercialisation Lead – Future of Water (GHD) “Transforming Asset Data Management Through People-Centric Change at Tauranga City Council”
- Gerasimos Antzoulatos, Senior Research Associate (Centre For Research & Technology Hellas – Information Technologies Institute) “Unlocking Value-Added Services for Data Management in Water Sector: The WATERVERSE Case”
- Rick De Visscher, CEO (DALI Pipeline Monitoring) “Scaling real-time asset data through Fiber Optic Sensing (FOS): From concept to implementation of essential asset data technology at scale”
Wastewater/Environmental
(Sponsored by SUEZ)
9:00-9:10 Welcome Remarks
- Thomas Perianu, Head of International Business Development (SUEZ Digital Solutions)
9:10-10:00 From Inflow to Innovation: Scaling Smart Sewers
Moderator: Tracy Britton, Technical Director for Advisory Services (Stantec)
- Glen Nivert, Head of Digitalisation (Sustainable Waste and Water, City of Gothenburg, Sweden) “From inflow to ecosystem – The evolution of dynamic CSO Control in the City of Gothenburg”
- George Cowell, Operational Intelligence Manager (Yorkshire Water, UK) “People and Technology in Harmony: Yorkshire Water’s Journey to Scaling Smart Water”
- Gerhard Loots, CEO (Kallipr) “The early warning system for I&I”
10:00-10:45 Scaling on an Ecosystem Level
Moderator: Dr. Sonja Behmel, CEO and Cofounder (WaterShed Monitoring)
- Christian Montag, CEO (iFLUX) “MAR at a drinking water utility: Adding innovative real-time groundwater flux measurements to the equation for increased resilience and sustainability”
- Rob Passmore, CEO & Co-Founder (Additive Catchments/Additive Earth) “Transforming Compliance into Catchment Health”
- Bahareh Joharinad, Head Key Account Manager (NIVUS GmbH) “Real-Time River Flow Monitoring: Supporting the UK’s Hydrology Program to Adapt to Climate Change”
10:45-11:15 Networking & Refreshments Break
Water Track
11:15-12:00 Scaling the Value of Smart Metering
Moderator: Ashok Natarajan, Founder (Steady Taps Consulting)
- Humbelina Vallejo, Deputy Director – Commercial Services & Francisco Javier Fernández Delgado, Deputy Director – Telecontrol (Canal de Isabel II, Spain) “Canal de Isabel II Journey towards Smart Metering: Innovation and Success”
- Louise Vanysacker, Manager R&D (De Watergroep, Belgium) “The Roll-Out of Digital Meters at De Watergroep”
- Jacob Jasperson, Sr. Advisor (UMS) “Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Tailoring Smart Metering Architecture to Fit the Terrain in Rural Deployments”
Wastewater Track
11:15-12:00 Scaling AI’s Impact in Wastewater
Moderator: Joana Cassidy, Project Manager (AGS Water Solutions, Portugal)
- Neil Henshall, Operational Intelligence Solutions Manager (United Utilities, UK) “United Utilities’ Strategic AI Roadmap: Implementing Innovation Through AI-Driven Sewer Condition Assessment”
- John Brelsford, Business Development Lead – ANZ (Optimatics) “Optimising Infrastructure Provision for Infill Growth: A Case Study in Sewer Network Management Using Genetic Algorithms”
- Philip Schroeder, Hydroinformatics Engineer (Xylem Vue) “Optimisation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Process with the Help of Artificial Intelligence in Stadtwerke Trier”
Start-Up Masterclass
11:15-12:00 The Do’s and Don’ts of Scaling Startups
Join us for practical insights, tips and advice on what has worked (and not worked) for startups on their scale-up journey. Discover how strategic timing and sequencing drive impactful decisions for sustainable growth and what to look out for across sales, infrastructure development, channel partnerships and more.
- Kelven Lam, Senior Investment Manager (Emerald Technology Ventures)
- Christine Boyle, Partner (Burnt Island Ventures)
12:00-13:00 Networking Lunch Sponsored by Jacobs
Have Your Say: Catalysing Innovation, The Role of the Regulator
Join Ofwat, Jacobs and UK Water Companies to discuss barriers to scale and what can be done to overcome them.
13:00-13:25 Launch of SWAN Alliance Reports
Drawing upon insights from diverse water utilities and industry experts, the new, SWAN European and Americas Alliance research reports provide a foundational guide for improving water utility data management, climate resilience, and IT/OT convergence.
Access the new reports HERE.
13:25-13:45 Keynote: “Start Here: Driving Change Where You Are”
- Lena Reinhard, Engineering Leader, Organisational Developer, Coach, Facilitator – View Bio
13:45-14:35 Downscaling Smart Water
Moderator: Amir Peleg, CEO and Founder (TaKaDu) & SWAN Co-Founder
- Winston Yu, Water Practice Manager for the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region (The World Bank)
- Vikas Rajoria, Superintending Engineer & Project Administrator (Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Department, India)
- Therese Rossiter, Director of Impact (WaterConnect)
14:35-14:45 Summary and Conclusion
- SWAN RiSWP Young Professionals
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
