Sarah McMath, CEO of MOSL, has been appointed as the new President of the Institute of Water’s South East Area. Sarah, who has worked in the water industry across a range of executive roles for over 25 years, will officially take on the role from April 2022.
The Institute of Water is a professional body that exclusively supports the careers of anyone working in the UK water industry. The South East Area is the largest of the eight geographical areas covering the UK and the committee runs a varied programme of events, webinars, and technical lectures across the year.
In taking on the role, Sarah said “I am delighted to have accepted this position to make a positive contribution to the water industry. The Institute of Water has a great reputation and a strong track record of supporting water industry professionals to develop themselves and their careers within the sector. I look forward to working with the Committee as we look for further opportunities to build our network, share best practice, and support diversity and new ways of ways of working in water.”
Incoming Chair of the South East Area Committee, Anna Boyles, Head of Performance, Risk and Optimisation at Thames Water, said “We are thrilled to have Sarah join us as President of the committee. Her leading contribution in the industry and the impact she has made in the non-household market as CEO of MOSL made her a natural choice for the role. As a committee, and as part of the wider Institute of Water community, we have big ambitions for 2022. With Sarah’s strong background in the water industry and her commitment to creating supportive and inclusive work environments, she is well placed to lead the Committee in the next step of its journey.
“In welcoming Sarah, I would also like to thank Alison Hoyle for her fantastic leadership as President of the Committee over the past two years.”
Sarah will take on the role from 1 April 2022. For more information or if you have any questions, please email
Notes for Editors:
About the Institute of Water
The Institute of Water, founded in 1945, is the only professional body that exclusively supports the careers of anyone working in the UK water industry. It is an inclusive, non-hierarchical, supportive, sociable and sustainable organisation.
Its objectives are to:
- Engage and inspire individuals
- Partner with employers on professional development
- Collaborate with others to gain an external perspective which adds value
Members are drawn from water companies, suppliers, contractors, consultants, regulators and academia. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the water sector, from any discipline and at any stage in their career.
The Institute of Water offers a range of services including events (learning and social; in-person and remote), professional registrations and publications. You can find details on its services on the Institute of Water website https://www.instituteofwater.org.uk/ or by emailing
Sarah McMath biography
Sarah has vast experience of the water industry, having worked in a variety of roles across a number of technical, asset management and operational teams at Thames Water.
Sarah was previously Managing Director of Water at Thames, before becoming Managing Director of Strategic Planning and Investment in April 2018. Sarah started her career at Thames in the innovation team, working as a research scientist, where she completed her doctorate in Environmental Engineering. Here, she headed up the Water Quality team, before taking on a number of operational and technical roles and from 2008.
In 2011, Sarah moved to the Strategy and Regulation team, leading the preparation and submission of Thames Water’s business plans for PR14 and held the responsibility of Programme Director for Competition 2017 ahead of the opening of the water retail market on 1 April. She is an advocate for innovation in the utilities sector and has been the driving force behind many large investment projects.
Sarah joined MOSL as Chief Executive in June 2019. In this role, she continues to focus on driving innovation and collaboration to ensure the open market delivers on its commitments to customers and tackles some of the biggest challenges facing the wider water industry.
Sarah is a trustee of the Don McMath Foundation, a charity which provides free schooling to children in the Gambia, and also sits on the Board of Trustees for the National Oceanography Centre. She is a mentor for the Moving Ahead 30% Club mentoring programme and works with colleges to encourage young girls to consider careers in STEM subjects.
