SWIG Team

Andy is a Senior Lecturer in Water Engineering at The University of Sheffield. His research is dedicated to drainage infrastructure, with a primary focus on using novel flow sensing and AI-assisted asset management to enhance decision-making. He has been awarded over £1M in research funding, leading to the creation of new technologies for measuring flow rates, sedimentation, and biofilms in drainage systems. He has helped to develop new methods for asset management, designed to optimise maintenance and reduce whole-life costs. Andy has presented his work at various international conferences, published papers in reputable journals, and obtained multiple patents. As the SWIG Chairman, he is enthusiastic about using his experience to bring people from various sectors together and improving the organisation's offering to members.

Mike is a Water Industry Manager at ABB with over 30 years of experience in the field. After graduating with a Hons Degree in Applied Chemistry, he started at ABB as a Development Chemist in 1991, where he gained a deep understanding of electrochemical sensor technologies. In 1999, he transitioned to a role as an area sales manager, looking after the Water, Power, and Process industries. This provided him with a deeper understanding of the applications in both clean and waste water. In 2016, he was promoted to Water and Utilities Sales Manager, focusing on Flow, Analytical, and field Instrumentation products with a team of 8 people serving the Water, Power Utility markets.

Andrew is a Technical Advisor for the Environment Agency and has been specializing in water monitoring instruments since 1991. Based in Reading, Andrew is the water instrument lead for MCERTS, including “self monitoring of flow”, event monitoring (EDMs), water quality, and auto-samplers. He provides guidance on instrument use for field teams and previously operated a small instrument test lab assessing equipment for field use. Andrew holds a BSc in Physics with Astrophysics from Leicester University and previously worked at Sira (now CSA) and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

Sarah Brooks is an intrepreneur, innovator and originator with a diverse career generally based in commercialisation and business development. Following a degree in International Relations and German, she has worked in engineering and technology for much of her career, interpreting and translating challenges and solutions according to customer need and gain. She has a depth of energy, curiosity and understanding for customer problems and where tech solutions might be able to fix these. This feeds her creativity and her passion for innovation, collaboration and diversity of thought. Experience in the corporate, spinout and academic world has allowed her to work collaboratively and creatively to develop innovation and long-term growth, and she has deep experience in knowledge exchange and tech transfer. In 2023 Sarah successfully led a winning Ofwat Discovery Challenge project and has taken full advantage of the excellent skills and knowledge development through that programme. Returning to the water sector has brought her full circle to her first job after graduating. She is a proud ally for LGBTQ+, ND and BME networks.

Alex Gray is a highly skilled and experienced chartered electrical and control systems engineer in the water industry. He has a degree in power engineering and has recently completed his Ph.D. from Brunel London, which focused on optimising wastewater pumping asset base to reduce energy consumption. Alex started as an electrician and moved into the water utility sector, where he worked on electrical control systems engineering, software automation, and leadership. He has led significant delivery programmes that involved complex upgrades in electrical, control, and automation. Currently, Alex is the Head of Operational Technology at Thames Water, where he leads the team responsible for the entire automation layer at the UK's largest water company. Alex also contributes to the IET's Electrician Competence Programme, which aims to improve competence in the UK electrical industry. He is passionate about adopting professional registration for engineers working in high-risk buildings and has been appointed as the chair of the IET working group to achieve this goal. Alex's expertise and experience make him a valuable member of the SWIG community.

Leo Carswell is a principal consultant in instrumentation with over 20 years of experience in sensors and instrumentation for water, wastewater, and environmental applications. He is a Chartered Scientist with a PhD in instrumentation for water quality monitoring. Leo provides expert advice on instrumentation to a wide range of Water Utilities, private companies, and public agencies. He is also an experienced project manager and leads the Technology and Innovation business area at WRc, where he is responsible for testing and evaluating a wide range of technologies. Additionally, Leo runs the UK Instrument User Group (IUG), which he founded in 2009.

Mike is a highly experienced business leader with over thirty years of expertise in the water industry. He has successfully started and grown businesses in highly competitive marketplaces, with a deep understanding of global water industry challenges. Mike's proficiency in clean and wastewater treatment markets, from design to monitoring applications, has helped small businesses transition to thriving SMEs. As a SWAN Forum ambassador and Non-Executive Director, Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and diverse contacts to the table. Recently appointed as SWIG Deputy Chair, Mike's contributions will undoubtedly help SWIG to continue growing and improving. His commitment to excellence and expertise make him an invaluable member of any team.

Katherine leads Anglian Water's Strategic Optimisation team, steering a dynamic group of technologists, engineers, and project specialists. With a 13-year tenure in the industry, Katherine has expertise in fostering continuous advancements within water recycling. Her team's philosophy transcends mere technological innovation; it revolves around applying cutting-edge technology with resource reutilisation, transforming both infrastructure and non-infrastructure facets of water recycling.She advocates for combining innovation with sustainable water recycling practices to enable a transformative and embedded impact in our industry. She believes technological advancements are the “easy” part, only effective adoption and exploitation can transform the industry and that’s where we should be focused.

Tony Hoyle is an experienced leader in the water industry with a background in sales, marketing, and business management. He has also served as a Director for Danfoss and Wago. Tony's expertise in automation and electrical connection technologies has provided him with full P&L responsibility for flow instrumentation and analytical equipment businesses. He has worked with several global companies in product management and customer-facing roles, as well as developing framework agreements for water and industrial sectors. Tony is a talented recruiter and motivator, with a passion for streamlining operations to realise fixed cost savings and take businesses from loss to profit.

Susan Lee is the General Manager for Scientific Services at Scottish Water, where she is responsible for their scientific activities, namely in the laboratory and technical logistics areas. Susan has 15 years’ experience in the water industry, starting her career as a Scientist in the Cryptosporidium laboratory and has worked her way up various leadership roles within the microbiological teams within Scientific Services. She was seconded to Uisce Éirrean (Irish Water) as the Principal International Consultant in 2018 to support and advise them with their laboratory rationalisation programme. Laterally, Susan has spent the last 3 years prior to the GM role as a Research & Innovation Programme Manager focused on Scottish Water’s strategic ambition to go Beyond Net Zero by 2040 with particular attention on how we transform our emissions. Susan is a chartered member of the Royal Society of Biology, a member of the Institute of Water and a BSI working group member of the technical committee EH/3/4 - Microbiological Methods.

Richard Luxton has over 25 years of experience in clinical chemistry, neuro-immunology, and developing new rapid detection technologies for point-of-care diagnostics, environmental analysis, food safety, and homeland defense applications. He has authored over 70 publications, research papers, books, and book chapters, and is the founder of the Institute of Bio-Sensing Technology and the International conference of Bio-sensing Technology.

Hannah, an integral member of the SWIG team, plays a pivotal role in organising events and serves as the Board Secretary, despite not holding a formal board position. With a background primarily rooted in the forensic field, Hannah brings a wealth of expertise in communication, organisation, team management, and administration to the SWIG board. Her commitment to ensuring the smooth execution of events and maintaining efficient administrative processes underscores her dedication to the success of the organisation. Though not occupying a board seat, Hannah's contributions significantly contribute to the collaborative and effective functioning of the SWIG team.

Oliver is a highly skilled water industry professional with expertise in process engineering, instrumentation, and water operations management. He has worked for companies such as Grontmij, Yorkshire Water, and Anglian Water, leading various programmes in wastewater compliance and flow. Oliver is also a fellow of the IWA, CIWEM and IES and has a particular interest in smart water technology. His specialties include water and wastewater analysis, experimental project design, process engineering, MCERTS flow measurement, and wastewater instrumentation. With his extensive experience and knowledge, Oliver is an invaluable SWIG Director.

With over 25 years of industry experience, Matthew has developed a unique set of skills and knowledge in catchment and asset management, remote monitoring, and telemetry systems. Matthew's expertise in providing end-to-end data solutions for the global M2M market based on technical satellite and wireless networks has been honed over his years as a Solutions Architect at Ground Control. Prior to that, he worked as an Adcon Business Development Manager at OTT Hydromet UK, where he acquired extensive knowledge in environmental monitoring, agricultural practices, and remote monitoring. As a Telemetry Manager at RS Hydro and Agrotechnologist at Plantsystems Ltd, Matthew gained experience in collecting reliable data for disease and irrigation scheduling models, and using Adcon Telemetry equipment for water and environmental monitoring applications. Matthew's new role at Kisters, where he supports water resource managers to ensure the water needs of the environment and optimize water resources for agriculture, further demonstrates his commitment to making a positive impact on the industry.

Dan Tree has dedicated 23 years to the engineering trade, progressing from an Instrumentation, Control, and Automation Technician to his current role as Operational Technology Regional Maintenance Manager. Commencing his career at IMERYS Mineral, Dan transitioned to South West Water in 2006, excelling in Reactive and Routine Maintenance on Process control systems in Devon and Cornwall. From 2014 to 2018, he honed his skills as an ICA Project Technician before assuming responsibility as an Operational Technology Engineer. Dan's leadership flourished as OT Field Delivery Manager, overseeing a team expansion from 4 to 16 engineers, and later as OT Regional Maintenance Manager, leading a 48-strong team. His focus on technical prowess, recruitment, and upskilling has been pivotal, evidenced by his sponsorship of apprenticeship programs and commitment to industry standards. Engaged with Water 4.0 initiatives and recently attaining NEBOSH certification, Dan Tree exemplifies leadership and innovation in engineering.

Richard Bragg is an accomplished Chartered Engineer and Principal Instrumentation, Control and Automation Engineer at United Utilities. With over 20 years of experience in the oil, gas, energy, and utilities industries, Richard has worked extensively in various sectors from design to commissioning and maintenance. He is responsible for UU's ICA standards and frameworks while providing ICA leadership to operations, engineering, and capital projects. Richard specializes in instrumentation, control, and automation systems design and management, functional safety, hazardous area design, condition monitoring hardware and software systems, plant design, risk reduction, commissioning, reliability, optimization, and performance. He is a member of the Institute of Engineering & Technology and the Institute of Measurement and Control with a BEng (Hons) in Systems Engineering.