Meet our executive leadership team
Sarah Cumming
Managing Director
B.A., LLB (Hons), EMBA, GAICD
Sarah commenced as Managing Director of Gippsland Water in April 2017.
Sarah has extensive experience in successfully leading transformational change and implementing large scale technology solutions across multiple tiers of government. Her expertise is in governance, strategic leadership, complex problem solving, business transformation and creating enabling cultures to drive sustainable futures.
An experienced litigation lawyer and business leader, Sarah also holds a Director role and is former President of the Institute of Water Administration (IWA), is an Executive of the Intelligent Water Networks (IWN), and is an Independent Trustee of a private charitable trust.
Sarah lives in Gippsland and is passionate about driving change that will build a sustainable future for her region, and State.
Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts (ANU), Bachelor of Law (Honours) (ANU), and a Master of Business Administration (Executive) (Mt Eliza/Melbourne Business School). She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has completed further study at both the Cambridge Judge Business School, and the Kennedy School of Government.
Sarah has extensive experience in successfully leading transformational change and implementing large scale technology solutions across multiple tiers of government. Her expertise is in governance, strategic leadership, complex problem solving, business transformation and creating enabling cultures to drive sustainable futures.
An experienced litigation lawyer and business leader, Sarah also holds a Director role and is former President of the Institute of Water Administration (IWA), is an Executive of the Intelligent Water Networks (IWN), and is an Independent Trustee of a private charitable trust.
Sarah lives in Gippsland and is passionate about driving change that will build a sustainable future for her region, and State.
Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts (ANU), Bachelor of Law (Honours) (ANU), and a Master of Business Administration (Executive) (Mt Eliza/Melbourne Business School). She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has completed further study at both the Cambridge Judge Business School, and the Kennedy School of Government.
Simon Aquilina
General Manager Commercial Business
(MAICD), B.App. Sci. (Major Chem.), Post Grad. Cert. Environmental Eng., Cert. Lab. Tech.
Simon is responsible for leading the commercial and operational management of our Gippsland Regional Agribusiness, Gippsland Regional Organics, and Property Services streams. The focus is to achieve the required safety, financial, business and environmental outcomes, whilst enhancing the customer experiences, meeting their product expectations, and enabling and supporting regional growth.
Simon has a broad background with experience in both the private and public sector, which has focussed on product quality, operational efficiency, economic viability and customer satisfaction. His experiences range from the power industry, laboratory, chemical manufacture, and for the past 16 years, in the water industry.
Simon has a broad background with experience in both the private and public sector, which has focussed on product quality, operational efficiency, economic viability and customer satisfaction. His experiences range from the power industry, laboratory, chemical manufacture, and for the past 16 years, in the water industry.
Michael Crane
General Manager People and Customer
B.Bus, MAICD
Michael is a seasoned leader with a passion for enhancing the employee and customer experience. He is responsible for organisational development, safety, customer service and communications and engagement. With a diverse background spanning leadership roles in public and private sectors, Michael has a proven track record of delivering transformational change and inspiring performance.
Renowned for his ability to transform organisational culture, Michael fosters a positive and constructive culture that promotes collaboration, accountability, and innovation – inspiring teams to embrace change and work together towards a shared vision. He is passionate about developing capability and empowering leaders to reach their full potential. He places the highest priority on safety, recognising that all injuries can be prevented and fostering a culture of safety in the workplace.
Michael champions a customer-centric approach to enterprise leadership, which builds and maintains customer trust through transparent communication, meaningful engagement, genuine customer care and responsiveness to customer feedback.
Renowned for his ability to transform organisational culture, Michael fosters a positive and constructive culture that promotes collaboration, accountability, and innovation – inspiring teams to embrace change and work together towards a shared vision. He is passionate about developing capability and empowering leaders to reach their full potential. He places the highest priority on safety, recognising that all injuries can be prevented and fostering a culture of safety in the workplace.
Michael champions a customer-centric approach to enterprise leadership, which builds and maintains customer trust through transparent communication, meaningful engagement, genuine customer care and responsiveness to customer feedback.
Nic Moss
General Manager Assets
B.Eng. (with Honours) (Mechanical)
Nic is passionate about creating a culture where people achieve great outcomes that are strongly focused on looking after each other, positive customer experiences, and a sustainable future.
Nic is responsible for strategic asset management, asset and project planning, and major capital projects that result in sustainable asset operation, performance, replacement, and augmentation. Nic has experiences in both the private and public sector in operations and maintenance, asset management, production, and major capital projects.
Nic has a Bachelor of Engineering (with Honours) (Mechanical) from Monash University.
Nic is responsible for strategic asset management, asset and project planning, and major capital projects that result in sustainable asset operation, performance, replacement, and augmentation. Nic has experiences in both the private and public sector in operations and maintenance, asset management, production, and major capital projects.
Nic has a Bachelor of Engineering (with Honours) (Mechanical) from Monash University.
Leanne Williams
Chief Financial Officer
CA, B.B.Com (Accounting), GAICD
Leanne leads the Finance and Corporate Services teams, focusing on empowerment and a human-centred culture to enable people to thrive.
Leanne is an experienced C-Suite Executive, Non-Executive Director and Chartered Accountant. Prior to joining Gippsland Water, Leanne was the CEO of a for-purpose charity and led its significant transformation. This included its transition from a statutory body of Local Government to a not-for-profit (NFP), the merger and acquisition of another entity in a statutory enviornment, system transformation, financial sustainability, growth strategy and being named as one of Australia’s Best Places to Work in 2024.
Leanne has over 20 years’ experience in finance, initially as an auditor, then as a Finance Manager within Local Government before becoming CEO of an NFP. Leanne is an experienced Audit and Risk Committee Chairperson and has been a Non-Executive Director for over 12 years.
Leanne was named in the Victorian Top 50 Public Sector Women in 2019, was the winner of the Public Leader category for a national Outstanding Leadership Award in 2020 and was a semi-finalist in the Leadership Innovation Award for the Regional Victoria Community Achievement Awards in 2021.
Leanne is a Graduate of the Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and a Graduate of Melbourne Business School’s Leading Transformational Change.
Leanne is an experienced C-Suite Executive, Non-Executive Director and Chartered Accountant. Prior to joining Gippsland Water, Leanne was the CEO of a for-purpose charity and led its significant transformation. This included its transition from a statutory body of Local Government to a not-for-profit (NFP), the merger and acquisition of another entity in a statutory enviornment, system transformation, financial sustainability, growth strategy and being named as one of Australia’s Best Places to Work in 2024.
Leanne has over 20 years’ experience in finance, initially as an auditor, then as a Finance Manager within Local Government before becoming CEO of an NFP. Leanne is an experienced Audit and Risk Committee Chairperson and has been a Non-Executive Director for over 12 years.
Leanne was named in the Victorian Top 50 Public Sector Women in 2019, was the winner of the Public Leader category for a national Outstanding Leadership Award in 2020 and was a semi-finalist in the Leadership Innovation Award for the Regional Victoria Community Achievement Awards in 2021.
Leanne is a Graduate of the Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and a Graduate of Melbourne Business School’s Leading Transformational Change.
Chris Wood
General Manager Operations
B. App. Sci. (Major Chem.), Post Grad.Cert. Environmental Eng., Cert. Lab. Tech.
Chris is passionate for the management and leadership of the organisation’s operational areas from catchment to environment from 30 years’ experience in both the private and public sector extending across the water, power and technical services, environmental and public health fields.
Chris is responsible for all operational service delivery from bulk water and waste transfer systems, water and wastewater treatment, potable water distribution, sewer reticulation, service contract and operational capital delivery, environment and healthy country to ensure reliable, efficient and effective outcomes for our customers, community, and the environment.
His commitment and passion to safety, innovation, and employee development fosters positive experiences for our customers and community.
Chris is responsible for all operational service delivery from bulk water and waste transfer systems, water and wastewater treatment, potable water distribution, sewer reticulation, service contract and operational capital delivery, environment and healthy country to ensure reliable, efficient and effective outcomes for our customers, community, and the environment.
His commitment and passion to safety, innovation, and employee development fosters positive experiences for our customers and community.
Tanya O’Shea
Chief Technology & Strategy Officer
Phd, MPolSci, LLB, App Sci.
Tanya leads our Business Transformation department, which includes Technology and Corporate Strategy and Planning.
She previously led the Victorian Government’s digital services division as Director of Strategy and Portfolio Delivery, Enterprise, as well as digital and regulatory departments of Health, Justice, Transport, and held senior roles at EPA Victoria.
Tanya has worked as a senior journalist and broadcaster for the ABC and completed a doctoral thesis in Anthropology with a focus on how access to strong, local leadership addresses complex environmental, social and economic challenges.
She was a proud member of the Olympic Solidarity Women in Sport Committee, visiting and working with women in communities all over the world to increase their access to clean water, health, education and opportunities.
She previously led the Victorian Government’s digital services division as Director of Strategy and Portfolio Delivery, Enterprise, as well as digital and regulatory departments of Health, Justice, Transport, and held senior roles at EPA Victoria.
Tanya has worked as a senior journalist and broadcaster for the ABC and completed a doctoral thesis in Anthropology with a focus on how access to strong, local leadership addresses complex environmental, social and economic challenges.
She was a proud member of the Olympic Solidarity Women in Sport Committee, visiting and working with women in communities all over the world to increase their access to clean water, health, education and opportunities.
Danny McDonald
Executive Manager Corporate Governance & Risk - Corporate Secretary
FAMI, CPM, MCPRA, GradCert Mgt
Danny leads our Corporate Affairs workgroup, which is responsible for media and corporate communication; government and stakeholder relations; risk, emergency and crisis management; security and insurance.
He is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute; Deputy Chair of Communication and Public Relations Australia’s Victorian Local Network Committee and a member of RMIT University’s Undergraduate Professional Communication Programs Industry Advisory Committee.
Danny has extensive senior leadership experience in public affairs, reputation, issue and crisis management and stakeholder relations across all levels of government and the private sector, including as an independent consultant and former Associate Director of Melbourne-based issue and crisis management advisory consultancy SOCOM.
He is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute; Deputy Chair of Communication and Public Relations Australia’s Victorian Local Network Committee and a member of RMIT University’s Undergraduate Professional Communication Programs Industry Advisory Committee.
Danny has extensive senior leadership experience in public affairs, reputation, issue and crisis management and stakeholder relations across all levels of government and the private sector, including as an independent consultant and former Associate Director of Melbourne-based issue and crisis management advisory consultancy SOCOM.