As the company moves to implement its new long-term strategy for furthering commitment to customer and community, South East Water (SEW) welcomed two new members to the executive leadership team.
Image L-R: Lara Olsen, Managing Director, Karen Lau, General Manager Strategy and Stakeholder, and Lara Salembier, General Manager Customer Experience. Courtesy of South East Water
Karen Lau has been named as SEW’s new General Manager Strategy and Stakeholder and will start with the organisation on 19 June. Lara Salembier, who has been with the organisation for almost eight years, has been appointed as General Manager Customer Experience.
The new-look executive leadership team will lead the organisation towards its new long-term strategy to ‘Innovate with purpose. Act with care’ to deliver healthy water for life for customers, community and environment, now and into the future. SEW said it is committed to delivering for its community and has identified five strategic focus areas to help drive the most impact: empower its people, deliver for its customers, protect the environment, optimise its operations and innovate at scale.
Managing Director, Lara Olsen, is delighted with the addition of Ms Lau and Ms Salembier to the organisation’s executive leadership team.
“We’ve been privileged to have Lara Salembier on our team for some time now in various senior roles, so it’s exciting to be able to welcome her officially into the General Manager role,” Ms Olsen said.
“Karen brings a wealth of experience from the public sector and the development and implementation of public policy, so we look forward to the skills and experience she brings to the South East Water team.”
SEW Board Chair, Lucia Cade, said the right recruitment choices were vital to the success of the organisation’s strategy.
“One of our strategic focus areas is to deliver for our customers. Lara has the experience, enthusiasm and insight to drive positive change in this area so that we get the basics right and make our customers’ experiences better every time,” Ms Cade said.
“Karen’s extensive expertise in policy, regulatory initiatives, strategy and program delivery will be a real asset to the teams within the Strategy and Stakeholder portfolio and across the whole business. Karen’s impressive background will help to enrich the executive team so we can continue to build on supporting a thriving, more liveable community.”
Lara Salembier’s role will include overseeing and managing the Affordability and Payments, the Contact Centre and the Customer Strategy Insights and Experience teams. Karen’s portfolio includes Marketing Com
munications and Engagement, Regulations and Planning, and Water Portfolio Management.
SEW’s strategy builds on the organisation’s long history of innovation and care for 1.77 million people across Melbourne’s south-east.
