Gavin Stonard
Gavin drives innovation and the development of leading-edge services for the water market as Costain works to deliver a positive impact for water customers, society and the environment.
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Water technical development director
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Project delivery and operational excellence, civil engineering
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Collaborative teamwork, operational excellence, infrastructure solutions
About Gavin
Gavin has a degree in civil engineering, is a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and is an ambassador of the profession, with 25 years’ experience in the UK and European water sector. He combines an understanding of the sector, its regulation, and the commercial realities to work collaboratively to solve water sector challenges and develop strategic solutions to help improve water supply and protect the environment.
What's the most common misunderstanding of Gavin's role?
That complex project delivery is simply about “building stuff” and providing a physical asset. Gavin believes that success relies on having the very best leadership and project management skills, which goes beyond technical competence. In his role Gavin joins the dots between the technical viability of solutions and the commercial, operational and regulatory barriers.
Gavin on the biggest challenges for the water sector
The role of water is to sustain society (life and the economy) however this is hugely under stated, with very little appreciation of its value.
Water should be considered as another utility and resource, valued the same as energy. However, there are many challenges in the sector, with no incentive to use less and underfunding to improve assets, processes and systems.
How Gavin thinks this challenge can be overcome
Gavin believes a collaborative model, one that brings in a wider stakeholder community, will help to understand the real challenges facing the sector. Viewing the water industry and users as a whole ecosystem enables greater visibility of challenges and a greater source for solutions.
Infrastructure delivery needs to be faster –construction sites run by robots or autonomous machines controlled via AI or remotes is an exciting prospect and one that Gavin believes isn’t too far away!
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