Meet Jo Lim, CEO VicWater

IWN is a program of VicWater, and this month we meet Jo Lim, the CEO of VicWater and a member of the IWN Executive Group.

LET’S START WITH THE PERSONAL - TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF

I’m Melbourne born and bred and have lived here all my life, apart from 5 years in Canberra where I started my career as a graduate in the federal public service.

I’m married with two teenage daughters, and a highly neurotic but very lovable rescue greyhound. As a family we love to travel whenever we can, whether it’s dog-friendly long weekends in regional Victoria, or dog-free holidays overseas. Singapore is our favourite and most frequent destination, partly because of my family heritage, but mostly because of the fabulous food and shopping!

WHAT’S YOUR CURRENT WATER CORPORATION ROLE?

I have the very good fortune to be the CEO at VicWater, leading a wonderful team who are dedicated to helping the Victorian water sector be “better together”. There are only seven of us in total, but I like to think we punch above our weight when it comes to delivering value and beneficial outcomes for our members.

WHAT’S YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND?

My professional background is law and public policy, with executive roles in management consulting and the IT sector. I joined VicWater from outside the water sector, and I often wish I had discovered this sector much earlier in my career as it has been by far my most enjoyable and rewarding professional experience to date.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE WHAT YOU DO EACH DAY (BUT TO YOUR GRANDMA)?

The great thing about my job is that each day is different, and I have the opportunity to be involved in a wide range of issues and activities across the sector. I tend to go to a lot of meetings! On a given day I might attend meetings with government advisors and officials to advocate our members’ position on a particular policy or regulatory matter; committee or working group meetings with our members on specific projects; meetings with other industry stakeholders to share knowledge and discuss opportunities for collaboration; meetings of our key governance groups the VicWater Board, MDs Forum and the Chairs Forum; you get the picture...

WHY DID YOU JOIN IWN?

In my role as CEO of VicWater, I have a seat on the IWN Executive Group and I am ultimately responsible to the VicWater Board for the proper governance and operations of the IWN program.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE WITH IWN?

For the industry?

IWN is one of the great success stories of the Victorian water sector, and I want to see it continue to grow and deliver real value for our members. While our main focus is rightly on running trials and supporting adoption of new technologies, we also need to promote the work we're doing to develop the next generation of industry leaders through the IWN Champions program and other volunteer opportunities.

For yourself?

As I’ve not worked in a water corporation, IWN gives me the chance to learn more about the ‘pipes and pumps’ side of the industry and how new and emerging technologies can improve operations and service delivery.

WHAT GETS YOU OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING?

At the moment I’m finding it very hard to get out of bed on these chilly winter mornings!

The reason I love my job is the work we do through IWN and VicWater to harness all the positive energy, good will, talent and expertise in our sector and help drive more innovation and collaboration to deliver great customer and community outcomes.