Meet Sarah from our Executive Group

She’s Gippsland Water’s Managing Director and one of our newest Executive Group members. She’s also a Post Malone and K-Drama fan. Meet Sarah Cumming in this quick Q&A, and find out more about her quirky music taste and reason for joining IWN.

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

I live in Traralgon, Gippsland and I’m fortunate to serve my own community.

Outside work, I love music. I have some quirky music taste and I’m fortunate to share it with my 16 year old daughter – we have a lot of fun going to concerts! Recently we’ve seen Dua Lipa and Post Malone and soon we’ll see Ice Cube and Cypress Hill. I can’t wait.

I’m also into K-Drama and am currently learning Korean.

WHAT’S YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND?

I’m a lawyer by trade with an employment law and personal injuries background. I also worked for more than a decade with ASIC, cutting across regulatory compliance, information management and sale to the public, as well as implementing large law reform programs as a subject matter expert and in lead business technical roles. This means I gained considerable experience in IT, which I’m grateful for.

I also spent some time in local government, and I was a Board member and Deputy Chair of the Board for Gippsland Water before becoming Managing Director.

I have an executive MBA as well as arts and law degrees. I’m a Board member of the International Water Association (IWA), and serve as the independent member of a private charitable trust.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TAKE UP THE ROLE ON OUR EXECUTIVE GROUP?

I took up the Executive Group role in late 2022 to support Gippsland Water’s engagement with IWN and also to better understand and shape IWN’s future.

We’re fortunate to have IWN’s successful model of sector-funded collaboration for innovation. I want to help it thrive.

WHAT ARE YOUR HIGHLIGHTS HERE SO FAR?

There have been several highlights so far but the brightest has been the people I’ve met. I’ve been in the sector for 6 years now and feel I have good networks, but it has been fabulous to meet and to get know a new group of people. IWN’s Executive Group has a mix of managing directors, executives and senior people from across the sector.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ANYONE CONSIDERING JOINING US?

Don’t hold back! It’s interesting, you’ll meet great people and you’ll help shape the future focus of our sector. You’ll also learn about all the innovative work we’re doing together.

WHAT GETS YOU OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING?

Coffee!

Sarah with her daughter, at a music concert.