Watercare appoints Martine Watson as Chief Digital Officer

Watercare has appointed Martine Watson as Chief Digital Officer. She will join the Auckland water utility from Urban Utilities.

Watson will take up the role on 1 February 2027. She is currently Chief Digital and Information Officer at Urban Utilities, one of Australia's largest water utilities, and has also held senior leadership roles at Sydney Water and Unitywater.

The appointment comes as Watercare prepares to oversee a large infrastructure pipeline across Auckland. The utility plans to invest $15.2 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure over the next decade through more than 1,000 projects across nine major programmes.

The programme includes renewing ageing assets, improving resilience and water security, lifting services and environmental outcomes, and supporting population growth in the region. Digital systems and data will help Watercare plan, prioritise and deliver that work.

Jamie Sinclair, Chief Executive at Watercare, linked the appointment to those operational demands.

"Martine understands both the complexity of delivering essential water services and the opportunities that technology, data and innovation can create.

"We have a significant programme ahead of us. We're changing the way we plan, prioritise and deliver, and digital capability will be an important part of helping us make better decisions and deliver better outcomes for Auckland.

"With more than 30 years' experience across infrastructure, including senior leadership roles with Sydney Water and Unitywater, Martine brings a valuable combination of experience, and we're looking forward to having that expertise around the executive table," Sinclair said.

Watercare provides water and wastewater services to 1.8 million people across Auckland. It delivers about 440 million litres of drinking water and collects more than 400 million litres of wastewater each day.

Digital focus

Sinclair said utilities were facing a wider set of pressures that made digital leadership more important, including customer expectations, ageing infrastructure, climate-related pressures and technological change.

"Digital capability is becoming increasingly important for infrastructure organisations around the world as they manage growing customer expectations, ageing assets, climate-related pressures and rapid technological change," he said.

"Martine understands how technology can support frontline operations, long-term planning and organisational performance. That experience will be valuable as we continue building a modern, resilient and future-focused organisation."

For Watson, the move marks a shift from the Australian sector to New Zealand's largest city. She described the role as both a professional and personal step.

"Water is life. It sustains our communities today and shapes what they can become. Watercare's significant programme is helping shape Auckland's future, and I'm excited by the opportunity to contribute to it.

"Digital has a role across that whole programme, from how infrastructure is planned and delivered to how it is operated and how customers experience our services. Thinking about those connections early can help create value throughout the life of those investments.

"Digital transformation is an opportunity to rethink how an organisation works and what its people can achieve together. The value comes from connecting people, business processes and technical systems in ways that strengthen the whole organisation and the services it provides.

"In water, those connections matter because the choices we make about planning, investment and operations shape the services communities rely on every day. There is enormous knowledge across our sector. Combining that experience with data and digital capability can help us understand our systems more deeply, anticipate challenges and create new ways of working across the organisation," Watson said.

Watson also pointed to workforce involvement as central to digital change within infrastructure organisations. She said operational teams needed room to shape new approaches if change was to last.

"Our teams understand the realities of delivering essential services. Creating the space and support for them to contribute their expertise, explore new approaches and develop their capabilities is central to making transformation meaningful and lasting.

"Done well, it expands what we can achieve together and enhances what we deliver for our communities. That means empowering our people to make better decisions, optimising our technology and making work easier, so we deliver better outcomes for our customers.

"Water utilities across Australia and New Zealand are grappling with many of the same questions about how we plan for future growth, make the most of our infrastructure and harness new and emerging platforms and technology. I'm looking forward to sharing my experience from the Australian water sector and learning from the knowledge and expertise already within Watercare.

"There is real value in exchanging ideas across New Zealand and Australia, and building on the strengths of both.

"My ambition is to help strengthen Watercare's ability to adapt as Auckland grows, so our people can achieve more together and deliver lasting value for the communities we serve."