Agenda 2015

Session Categories

STRANDS 2015

Corporate Water Strategy

Water strategies for the triple bottom line

Valuing water risk in resilient companies: from invisible to visible. Industrial water users are widely accepting that a sustainable approach to water management is more than just a corporate social responsibility initiative; managing water risk will also make a significant impact on the bottom line.

The objective of this session is to discuss how water stewardship initiatives can enhance profitability rather than detract from it. Our panel of corporate sustainability leaders will look at water throughout the value chain, from suppliers to direct operational users. End-users share their water strategies and future outlook on integrating water strategy and stewardship on a day-to-day basis.

Scheduled Speaker(s)

Moderator: Hervé Buisson, P. Eng., Vice President (Process Engineering), Veolia Water Technologies, Inc.

• Dr. Elaine Dorward-King, Executive Vice President Sustainability and External Relations, Newmont Mining Corporation

• Dr. Shihab Kuran, President, Strategic Development, NRG Energy, Inc.

• Karl Fennessey, Director, Strategic Engagement, ConocoPhillips Co.

• Joe Rozza, PE, Global Manager, Water Sustainability and Natural Capital, The Coca-Cola Company

Utility Finance

P3 Workshop

1.1 Bringing public and private together

P3s are moving up the agenda in the North American water market but the gap in understanding between private companies and public entities needs to be addressed for the market to take flight and for P3s to deliver value to both parties. This is an interactive workshop session aimed at bridging the communication barriers that exist between stakeholders in the public and private sectors. Representatives from the public and private sector will comment on the factors that create gaps in understanding and hinder the uptake of P3s.

Scheduled Speaker(s)

Moderator: Francesca McCann, President and Founder, Global Water Strategies

• Adel Hagekhalil, Assistant Director, Los Angeles Sanitation

• Brian Hoelscher PE, Executive Director, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District

• Thomas L. Frederick, Jr., Executive Director, Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority/Rivanna Solid Waste Authority

• Patrick R. Cairo, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Suez Environnement North America

• Megan Matson, Partner, Table Rock Capital LLC

• Mike Orth, Executive Vice President, Black & Veatch

Technology & Innovation

Unlocking innovation – lessons to learn from early adopters

There are barriers to innovation in any organization, and utilities are no exception. Yet some water utilities are overcoming the stereotype and embracing new technologies, business models, and management processes. Through case studies and discussion with leaders in the field, this panel will explore how some of America’s most innovative utilities are overcoming resistance to change, and share lessons for others seeking to drive adoption of new technologies and approaches in the industry.

Scheduled Speaker(s)

Moderator: Albert H. Cho, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, Xylem Inc.

• Sally C. Gutiérrez, Director, Environmental Technology Innovation Cluster Development and Support Program, US EPA

• George S. Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, DC Water

• Debra Shore, Commissioner, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

• James P. McQuarrie, PE, Chief Innovation Officer, Metro Wastewater Reclamation District, Denver, Colorado

One-2-One Meetings

Schedule private meetings with other delegates via the web application. Now you can guarantee to shake the hands you need to shake and ensure your ROI.

Insight Exchange – Roundtables
Insight leaders will lead tightly focused Round Table discussion groups on trends and developments in water, wastewater and industrial water treatment, water re-use, desalination, produced water, public-private finance, project delivery, and more. Each delegate will be able to participate in four 20-minute discussion groups to engage with the top minds in the water market.

Topics for Round Tables

1. Evaluating the Impact of long-term investments in water assets by industry: the industrious partnership between ConocoPhillips and Colorado School of Mines
– Professor Terri Hogue, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines
– Karl Fennessey, Director, Strategic Engagement, ConocoPhillips Co.

2. Water-energy nexus: the integrated challenge and opportunity space
– Dr. Andrew Benedek, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Anaergia Inc.

3. Commoditization of MF/UF membranes: will it follow the fate of the RO membrane
– Jim Lozier, Global Technology Leader, CH2M
– Guillaume Clairet, Chief Operating Officer, H2O Innovation

4. National efforts to integrate alternative finance in wastewater infrastructure development
– Dr. Andrew D. Sawyers, Director, Office of Wastewater Management, US EPA

5. Trends in technology investment over the next decade: how accelerating technology will change the market and our expectations of it
– Thierry Noel, Founding and Managing Partner, Amane Advisors

6. Which P3 formats would work in the USA: longer-term concession, O&M agreements or others
– Jeff Hughes, Director, Environmental Finance Center, University of North Carolina
– Brian D. Cullen, President, Director and Shareholder, PERC Water Corporation

7. Funding the smart grid for water: innovation in finance and delivery
– Trevor T. Hill, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, FATHOM

8. Impact of drought on water rights market
– Clay Landry, Managing Director, WestWater Research, LLC

9. The role of the mining industry in regional water supply sustainability
– Sandy Fabritz-Whitney, Director of Water Resources, Freeport-McMoRan Inc.

10. Gulf coast desalination opportunities
– Michael J. Irlbeck, Business Development Director, EPCOR Water USA

11. Closing the finance gap for infrastructure growth
– Kent Rowey, Partner, Allen & Overy LLP

12. Insights into long term O&M contracts: Nassau county O&M contract
– Rob Walker, Chief Deputy County Executive, Nassau County
– Patrick R. Cairo, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Suez Environnement North America

13. Key rating factors for private project debt financing of water infrastructure assets
– Christopher Joassin, Director, Fitch Ratings

14. The importance of water quality for agriculture: the case for cannabis
– Dr. Rick Stover, Executive Vice President, Desalitech, Inc.
– Michael Williamson, Co-Owner, Greenhaus Industries

15. Seawater desalination: assessing the new facility standards in California’s Ocean Plan
– Tam Doduc, Board Member, State Water Resources Control Board, California

16. Facilitating the development and application of USBR’s advanced water treatment program
– Yuliana Porras-Mendoza, Water Treatment Coordinator, Research and Development Office, US Bureau of Reclamation

17. Flowing from linear to a circular water economy
– Jennifer Gerholdt, Director, Environment Program, US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Corporate Citizenship Center
– Snehal Desai, Global Business Director, Dow Water & Process Solutions

18. Economics and regulations: competing drivers in the O&G market downturn
– Drue Ann Whittecar, Director, Environmental and Sustainability Engineering, National Oilwell Varco

19. Water rights for fracking
– Paul L. Noto, Shareholder, Waterlaw – Patrick, Miller & Noto

20. Water policy in Colorado
– Doug Flanders, Director of Policy and External Affairs, Colorado Oil & Gas Association

21. Challenges of communicating the value of water to the ratepayers: Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority
– Tim Boyle, Executive Director, The Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority

Opening Plenary: Scalable Solutions

The American water market is on the brink of dramatic changes. There is greater agreement within the sector that a change in policies, practices and processes is a necessity for water security, sustainability and well-being. The sector has demonstrated great creativity in the past 24 months, developing new approaches to project financing, service delivery and operations and rising to a range of challenges that it faces. For the industry to really thrive, however, it is critical that we can move beyond having to continuously reinvent the wheel. We need to create and adopt scalable solutions.

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