Our governance model
EIT Water operates through a governance model that ensures transparency, accountability and independence while enabling agile delivery. This model supports collaborative problem‑solving, systems thinking and coordinated action across Europe’s diverse water ecosystems. Strategic oversight is provided by the Supervisory Board, supported by dedicated committees. Day‑to‑day operations are managed by the Interim Management Team.
Interim Management Team (IMT)
The IMT oversees the operational setup of EIT Water during 2026, including governance, partnerships, operations, finance and programme design.
Senior leader with over 30 years of experience in the water and climate sector. Has held director-level roles at EIT Climate, Deltares, and within the Dutch government, bringing deep expertise in policy, research, and sector leadership.
Operations leader with 25+ years’ experience in water and cleantech commercialisation. Has held executive roles and advised over 100 startups and SMEs, with a strong track record in scaling innovation and business growth.
Finance executive with 15+ years of experience in finance and audit. Former COO and CFO at EIT Food, with strong expertise in financial management, governance, and organisational operations.
Commercial leader with 35+ years of experience across finance, technology, and sustainability. Previously held leadership roles at EIT Health, including Managing Director of InnoStars CLC and RIS hubs, with a focus on growth and innovation ecosystems.
Over 30 years’ experience as an academic and research leader in international environments, with specific expertise in the food and water sectors. She has held leadership roles in major EU initiatives, including the EIT Food Supervisory Board. She is employed as Vice-Dean in Technical Sciences at Aarhus University, Denmark.
Supervisory Board (SB)
The SB provides strategic guidance and ensures the organisation acts in the best interests of its mission.
Overview of the Supervisory Board of EIT Water
The Supervisory Board of EIT Water consists of nine members, five of whom, including the Chair will be appointed from non-member organisations. The Supervisory Board will oversee the strategic direction of EIT Water, approve Business Plans, and appoint the Chief Executive Officer alongside other leadership team members. As a founding board, its members will play an exceptional role in shaping EIT Water’s direction from the outset.
Chair (Independent)
The Chair will lead the Supervisory Board and represent EIT Water at the highest levels of European stakeholder engagement. We are looking for an individual with demonstrated board leadership experience and a strong pan-European network, who is motivated to help build a new institution from its inception.
Supervisory Board Members (8 seats; 4 member representatives & 4 independent)
Board members contribute strategic oversight, sector expertise and governance experience. Together, the board must reflect the breadth of EIT Water’s mission spanning water, marine and maritime innovation and meet EIT’s requirements for gender balance, geographic diversity across Europe, and Knowledge Triangle representation across industry, research and society.
General Assembly (GA)
The GA is the highest decisionmaking body of the Forening (association), representing all EIT Water partners.
Committees
Ethics & ELSI Committee
Full mandate will be added soon
Nomination & Remuneration Committee
Full mandate will be added soon
Financial Sustainability Committee
Full mandate will be added soon
Role of regional hubs
Our work is delivered through a network of strategically located regional hubs across Europe, connecting regional strengths to pan-European impact through place-based innovation ecosystems.