SA Water has appointed a new CEO to head the company after current CEO, John Ringham, departs in July 2016.
SA Water Chairman, Lew Owens, announced Roch Cheroux, current Chief Executive of SUEZ South-East Asia, as SA Water’s new CEO.
Mr Owens said Mr Cheroux’s extensive water industry experience, understanding of the South Australian and international water sector, and stakeholder communication and management skills were key attributes that impressed the selection panel.
“Mr Cheroux has demonstrated a solid track record of driving efficiency and delivering service excellence in the water industry across a number of countries,” Mr Owens said.
“He showed a passion for working closely with our customers and stakeholders to ensure SA Water delivers the services our customers want at the lowest possible price, and contributing to the growth of the State.”
Prior to his South-East Asia role based in Singapore, Mr Cheroux was the CEO of SUEZ– Degremont in Australia and New Zealand and was based in Sydney.
Under his tenure, the group became a market leader in the region.
Before joining Degremont, Mr Cheroux was Managing Director of United Utilities Australia, based in Adelaide, and was involved in the Riverland water treatment plants (now operated by TRILITY) and the Adelaide Desalination Plant project.
Mr Cheroux has also had considerable experience in European water utilities, having commenced his career in France and becoming the CEO and Chairman of Estonia’s Tallinn Water, which owns and operates water and sewage assets in the country’s capital. He has also served on a number of boards in Australia and Europe.
Mr Cheroux said he was looking forward to delivering value for money for the South Australian community, without compromising water quality, safety and reliability of supply.
“SA Water is a very important organisation for the people and businesses of South Australia, and I am honoured to be given this opportunity,” Mr Cheroux said.
“I intend to continue the work of recent years in driving efficiency, reducing costs, and supporting the growth of industries and employment across the State.
“We have a wealth of technical and operational knowledge to draw upon from within the business, and we will continue to strive to be a more customer focused organisation.”
