Gavin van Tonder brings a truly global outlook on water utilities, challenges and solutions to his role as Managing Director of Water Sector at NEOM, having worked for over two decades in some of the world’s largest markets, including Australia, China, India, Singapore and the UK. At NEOM, he is charged with developing a greenfield water infrastructure, implementing leading-edge, high-recovery desalination and wastewater technologies. They include zero liquid discharge strategies that eliminate liquid waste and maximize water efficiency when managing wastewater. In addition, he is leading plans for the creation of a smart water distribution and transmission network for NEOM. Van Tonder’s career includes having held senior engineering, field service and C-suite positions with water utilities and companies around the globe. His expertise spans energy and utilities sectors, including oil, gas and water, focusing on innovative, smart solutions, systems and products that deliver efficiency and performance. Van Tonder has started factories, facilities and water infrastructure from the ground up in China, India, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia and Mexico, and he presently serves on water technology company advisory boards in Europe and the Americas. He has also served on boards in China, Indonesia, India, and Australia.