Six New Members Join GWP Steering Committee

In December 2020, GWP welcomed six new members on its Steering Committee, adding to seven members who have served longer. The Committee acts as a Board of Directors for the GWP Network and the GWP Organisation (GWPO). The members rotate every three or six years. Now, for the first time, a Permanent Youth Seat has been added. Jamilla Sealy from Barbados is the new representative on this seat. “Being the first youth, and also being a female of African descent and from the Caribbean, which are often under-represented in the global sphere, makes it a humbling experience”, she says about her appointment.

Jamilla SealyJamilla Sealy is an environmental professional, currently working as an Assistant Project Coordinator in the Biodiversity and Conservation Section of the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification in Barbados. “I'm looking forward to working with the team. As a member I would hope to see the youth strategy implemented and my inputs incorporated. I would like to provide a youth lens to the committee and try my best to pave the way for other youth to join the committee,” she says.

Pablo Bereciartua

Pablo Bereciartua is from Argentina, where he in 2017-2019 was Secretary of Infrastructure and Water of Argentina, and responsible for one of the main federal investment areas and the definition and implementation of the National Water Policies. "I'm very glad to join the board at GWP and I'm looking forward to collaborate in developing an effective global agenda for achieving sustainable development. We are going through an exciting and challenging time with still very high challenges for equity and sustainability and at the same time an increasing amount of innovation through new technologies, finance, and policies. I believe GWP has a unique identity, a wide set of diverse capacities and a global presence to play a central role," he says.

Atem Ramsundersingh

Atem S. Ramsundersingh is a Dutch national in Singapore, where he is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Board Director of WEnergy Global Pte Ltd - a one-stop provider of renewable energy solutions. "Papers or publications do not protect or produce any drop of water. While international talks are important in nice offices, as an independent Steering Committee member, I hope to facilitate and inspire GWP to focus on that drop and penetrate deep into the minds of corporate and public leaders to remove obstacles within their organisations and ensure a secure handling of Earth's water resources," he says.

Naima Siddiqi

Naima Siddiqi in the United Kingdom is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Europe at the International Rescue Committee – a global humanitarian and development organisation. To the GWP Steering Committee she brings a background in both corporate and non-profit sectors in European and global contexts, providing leadership on finance, resources, compliance, and regulatory functions. “GWP plays a key global role in supporting that most fundamental of rights – the right to water. The universality of this right, cannot be overstated. I am looking forward to working with fellow Steering Committee colleagues and the executive team to help fulfill GWP’s mission," she says. 

Tom Soo

Tom Soo is based in France and he is Executive Director of the International Association for Hydo-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR). He brings a combination of experience in global water leadership, institutional development, management, and policy expertise. "The world is facing such great and complex water challenges that they cannot be solved without better coordination between water stakeholders, across sectors, spanning geographies, disciplines and jurisdictions. GWP and its network of partners and members is uniquely positioned to help. This is an exciting time for me to join GWP's Steering Committee, where I look forward to contributing to GWP's knowledge of the water sector, as well as to its actions on water policy and management towards its vision for a water secure world."

Stacy Swann

Stacy Swann in USA is the CEO and Founding Partner of Climate Finance Advisors. She has more than two decades of international experience in finance, fund management, and development. She says, "Water issues are at the center of climate change issues, and our ability to both mitigate and adapt to already-locked-in warming will require us to manage all our resources more sustainably and equitably. I’m delighted to join the GWP Steering Committee and as part of GWP’s Board, am hoping to contribute my climate, finance and policy expertise to support its vision to advance a water secure world."

Longer bios of all the Steering Committee Members are available here.