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.
Management Team
Senior leader with more than 20 years of experience in the water, marine and environmental sectors. Former Managing Director of DHI subsidiaries and Executive Vice President for global business units within offshore energy, ports and water resources. Brings extensive experience in EU innovation frameworks.
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.
Chief Executive Officer, International Banking Federation, representing the global banking industry to bodies including the G20, Financial Stability Board and European Commission. Chair of European Women on Boards, where she played a decisive role in the adoption of the landmark 2022 EU Directive on gender balance on corporate boards. Chair of E3G, the global climate change think tank. Former Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer at major European banks.
President and CEO of ARCOWA, an impact advisory firm specialising in water, climate adaptation and innovative financing. Former CEO of the International Water Association and Director General of the World Water Council. Co-Founder and COO of Nature Analytics, an AI-driven natural hazard risk start-up.
Former Director General of the Irish Environmental Protection Agency, where she led the organisation for fifteen years, growing staff from 324 to 550 and was accountable for a budget of €93m. Former Chair of the European Environment Agency board across 33 member countries and former President of Engineers Ireland. Chartered Director.
Senior development economist and board executive with over 20 years of leadership across government, banking, sustainable finance and institutional reform. Former Deputy Prime Minister of Albania, where she chaired the Water and Dam Management Board and National Civil Protection Committee. Member of the EC High-Level Expert Group on Scaling Up Sustainable Finance. Advises GIZ, OECD/SIGMA and the Council of Europe on policy and governance.
Managing Director of the SUBMARINER Network, which she has built into a European organisation with over EUR 260 million in project volume, with a leading role in the EU Mission Ocean & Waters. Member of the European Ocean Board, the High-Level Expert Group advising the European Commission on the European Ocean Pact. Former member of the EIT Water Steering Committee.
Group Vice President, Corporate Affairs at Grundfos, bringing experience in water, governance, sustainability and public policy. She has helped advance Grundfos’s water stewardship agenda and build partnerships across the European water ecosystem, with a focus on stakeholder alignment, institutional collaboration and long-term impact.
Professor and Board Member at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Former Vice Rector for Research and Lifelong Learning. Coordinator of 12 EU-funded research projects and currently leading three EIT HEI Initiative projects. Former Member of the EIT Water Steering Committee.
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.