James Williams, automation engineer with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, is a 2015 Rising Star. He talks to Utility Week:
Why did you want to work in water?
I always had an interest in the water industry – local to my hometown is the Elan Valley Estate and Reservoirs, and the engineering feat achieved in the Victorian age intrigued me.
Having a thirst to work directly for a water company, I applied for a temporary contract with United Utilities Operational Services when they were on the Welsh Water contract. That temporary job turned into a permanent career.
What’s your career ambition?
I’m passionate about working on the frontline of the industry, so would like to progress within a UK water and sewerage supplier, with the long-term goal of being an executive director. I think the coming year on the Rising Stars programme is really going to give me some excellent experiences to take away.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the UK water industry today?
It’s people. We are changing as an industry, and although some companies are more advanced than others, we need to make sure our people are flexible and have the right transferable skills. With wholesale and retail competition, water trading, stricter regulation, an ageing workforce and new technologies, we need to ensure that colleagues can step up to new ways of working.
What have been the best and worst moments of your career to date?
The highlight of my career was being recognised as a 2015 Water Industry Rising Star – for me, this showed that I can achieve anything I put my mind to, and that my drive and ambition has made me stand out from the crowd.
The worse moments of my career are where my team and I haven’t been able to deliver a service – be it an interruption to supply due to a faulty valve component or failing to deliver a project milestone on time. Those incidents can really affect the team’s morale, especially if customers have been affected. But there’s always the high of turning that situation around to get that asset back into supply or getting a project back-on programme.
Do you have an industry/career role model/mentor?
I don’t have one person I can call an industry role model. I like to pick up on individual behaviours of colleagues, industry leaders and supply chain partners to improve my own performance and leadership style.
The 2015 Rising Stars started January off with a visit to Northumbrian Water to meet chief executive, and Institute of Water President, Heidi Mottram OBE. Heidi’s Innovation and Leadership Masterclass really gave me some excellent tips for the future.
Find out more about the Institute of Water’s Rising Stars programme at: