Water Sector Leadership Under Pressure: Global Lessons from Year One of the Exec Exchange

In this special end-of-year Water Action Platform broadcast, we take a deep dive into the first year of the Exec Exchange podcast—nearly 60 episodes capturing candid, often extraordinary stories from water sector leaders around the world.
From cities under fire in Ukraine to 20-year mega-droughts, climate shocks, grid failures, slum service innovation, bushfires, Day Zero crises, and transformative leadership in Australia, this episode showcases what resilience, decision-making and real-world leadership look like when the stakes are highest.
We also hear from Antarctic scientists working in some of the harshest conditions on Earth—and, in our “And Finally…” segment, an exclusive interview with the North Pole Utilities Authority (yes, really) on the operational realities of serving the world’s most seasonally stressed… community.
In this episode:
• Why Exec Exchange was created and what leaders have revealed over 60 episodes
• Lessons from Ukraine, South Africa, Pakistan, Portugal, Australia and the US
• What slow-burn crises and overnight shocks teach the sector
• How utilities are rebuilding trust, reforming institutions and using crises to accelerate change
• A look ahead to year two, including new technical story series and upcoming site visits
• A festive finale: wastewater operations at the North Pole
If you work in utilities, policy, technology, regulation or environmental resilience, this is a masterclass in leadership under pressure—and in the stories shaping the future of the global water sector.
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