Admin, Author at WaterConnect

Brad Fierstein

Partner, Apollo Global Management Inc

Brad is a Partner at Apollo Global Management, Inc., where he serves as Co-Head of Corporate Solutions, Americas, and Head of Origination for Apollo Infrastructure Group. In his role, Brad focuses on large-scale investments in the global energy and infrastructure sectors. Prior to joining Apollo in 2016, Brad worked at GE Capital, Energy Financial Services. Prior to GE, Brad worked in business development and engineering at an energy technology company.

Brad serves on the board of directors of Apollo origination platform, Apterra Infrastructure Capital; LNG vessel platform, Energos Infrastructure; offshore wind developer, US Wind Inc.; European bioenergy leader, AS Graanul Invest; Abu Dhabi Property Leasing Holding Company RSC Ltd, among others.

Brad graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College with an AB in Engineering Sciences, a BE in Mechanical Engineering, and a Master of Engineering Management degree. During graduate school at Dartmouth, Brad led a clean water project in Kenya for Dartmouth HELP Worldwide and Engineers Without Borders, leading to a lifelong passion for water and infrastructure in the developing world. He lives in New York City with his wife and two daughters.

Prasad Akella

Commercial Advisor

Prasad Akella is an energy and infrastructure executive with over 20 years of experience building and developing businesses across South Asia and Asia-Pacific. His expertise spans market entry, project development, commercial structuring, project finance and investment mobilization in emerging markets.

At SunEdison and AES, Prasad held leadership roles in renewable energy development, establishing new market operations, structuring strategic partnerships and joint ventures, and advancing projects from origination through financing, construction and commissioning. At SunEdison, he helped establish the company’s presence in Thailand and the Philippines, including a landmark joint venture with a leading Philippine conglomerate.

More recently, Prasad has led commercial development across distributed renewable energy and investor-backed platforms, originating C&I opportunities, pioneering innovative business models, mobilizing investment and structuring long-term revenue contracts in evolving regulatory environments across India, the Philippines and Myanmar. His experience also spans renewable energy digitalization, leveraging digital tools and integrated workflows to improve operational visibility and enhance asset-management efficiency.

Prasad brings a strong track record of creating opportunities in nascent markets, aligning diverse stakeholders and building scalable, investment-ready businesses. He holds an MBA from the Indian School of Business Hyderabad and a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras.

Leo Williams

Regional Director, Africa

Leo oversees WaterConnect’s project development initiatives and infrastructure services in the Africa region and is tasked with identifying opportunities for project development and fostering partnerships with technology-based solution providers.

Leo brings over 10 years of experience in renewable energy and infrastructure development across Africa and Central and Eastern Europe, taking projects from origination through commercial close and implementation. Prior to joining WaterConnect, he worked at Photon Energy and Emergent Energy. Over the course of his career, he has led the development of commercial, industrial, and utility-scale projects, including solar PV, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and concentrated solar power (CSP), and built deep experience in structuring power purchase agreements, negotiating land and grid agreements, raising development and project finance, and managing complex stakeholder environments across the public and private sectors. His work increasingly focuses on applying these capabilities to water and sanitation infrastructure in markets across Africa, where innovative financing and delivery models are required.

Leo holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of the Western Cape in South Africa.

Subsea Desalination Project in the Maldives

Location: Maldives

Project type: Preparation and technology deployment for subsea desalination project

Project details: Partnered with Flocean, a Norwegian water technology company, to advance a subsea reverse osmosis desalination project in the Maldives, with the support of Malé Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC), the national utility. The project will deploy Flocean’s deep-ocean reverse osmosis technology, which draws seawater from depth and uses natural hydrostatic pressure to drive the desalination process, significantly reducing energy consumption compared to conventional desalination, limiting brine discharge into the marine environment, and removing the need for scarce coastal land.

Once operational, the project is expected to strengthen long-term water security for the population of Malé and Hulhumalé, a community entirely dependent on rainfall and desalination, and demonstrate a replicable model for sustainable desalination in island and coastal locations globally.

Scope: Co-financing and supporting project preparation activities such as the feasibility study, technical surveys, environmental and social impact assessments, capital raise, and project structuring.

Climate-Resilient Water and Sanitation Infrastructure

Alyssa Boyer

Co-founder, Apita SALA

Alyssa Boyer currently works as an independent consultant in water and sanitation finance and leads a property development company that she founded with her husband.

Alyssa has 18 years of experience in the engineering consulting industry, having delivered multi-billion-dollar infrastructure program management and project finance engagements for a diverse range of clients globally.

Alyssa received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a Master of Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University.

Andy Sareyan

Former CEO, Andrews McMeel Universal

Andy Sareyan is a highly experienced media executive with an extensive background building and leading national brands. He retired in 2024 as CEO of Andrews McMeel Universal where he led the company to a highly expansive decade in publishing, digital media, and content syndication.

Prior to that Andy served as President and Publisher at numerous media companies including Atlantic Media, Meredith Corporation, and Time Inc. with leadership roles at a wide array of businesses including Time Magazine, Time International, Better Homes and Gardens, and National Journal. During that time, Andy was a key member of the founding teams at Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, and Real Simple.

In 2008, Andy joined the board of Water.org, where he has remained active as a director (and past Chair) ever since. Upon retirement, Andy became a fellow at Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative studying a breadth of social impact areas with a focus on how technological change can advance the efficacy of nonprofits.

Andy holds a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College and a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Business School.

Bulk Water Supply and Wastewater PPP Project in Kenya

Location: Kenya

Project type: Project preparation for bulk water supply and wastewater PPP project

Project details: Partnered with Haskoning, RebelGroup, Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), and Africa Water Infrastructure Development Ltd. (AWID), to advance the Naivasha Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Domestic Bulk Water Supply and Wastewater Project in Kenya. The project will include the design, financing, construction, and operations of potable water supply and wastewater treatment infrastructure. Once operational, the project is expected to benefit more than 270,000 people with improved water and sanitation services by supporting the transition of households from water kiosks to household connections, bolstering drinking water quality, enhancing services for industries in the SEZ, and improving surface water quality via wastewater treatment and reuse in one of Kenya’s fastest-growing regions.

Scope: Co-financing project preparation activities including environmental and social impact assessments, feasibility studies, technical design, and financial structuring.

Ina Dalosa

Regional Director, East Asia and the Pacific

Ina leads WaterConnect’s project development and infrastructure services across East Asia and the Pacific and is tasked with identifying opportunities for project development and fostering partnerships with technology-driven solution providers.

With over 16 years of experience in operations, project development, and general management, Ina brings extensive expertise in water and sanitation systems.

She has held key leadership roles at Manila Water and Metro Pacific Water, where she oversaw the operations and rehabilitation of some of the Philippines’ largest water treatment plants and sources. Her regional experience includes leading a water loss management company in Vietnam and advising on multiple project development initiatives across Southeast Asia. As head of Mizu Resources, a water investment firm, she successfully operationalized its first province-wide concession in the Philippines. She also led ENGIE Services Philippines’ commercial and industrial renewable energy operations, aligning clean energy investments with sustainable development in the country.

Ina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of the Philippines.

Apoorva Balivada

Operations Manager

Apoorva assists in overseeing the day-to-day operations at WaterConnect, including human resources, IT, and administration. She focuses on streamlining processes, enhancing communication, and driving operational efficiency to meet the company’s strategic objectives.

With over 7 years of experience in operations management, Apoorva has developed expertise in optimizing workflows and delivering results across multiple sectors. Before joining WaterConnect, she worked at Ace Pro Services Ltd., a UK-based facilities management company, where she managed operations across client sites, improved payroll systems, and implemented cost-reduction strategies. She also worked as a freelance business consultant, assisting organizations in the education, health and fitness industries to improve operational efficiency and streamline business processes.

She holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA, and a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) from GITAM University, India.

Mini-grid powered water supply initiative in Malawi

Location: Malawi

Project type: Project preparation support for water supply mini-grid project

Project details: Partnered with Impact Water Solutions, a private developer, to assist with the preparation of a proposed water mini-grid project. The project is expected to provide piped water access to 15,000 people and 26 tourist lodges in Malawi.

Scope: Co-financed the acquisition and installation of data collection devices, impact assessment, and project legal structuring as part of the project’s feasibility study.

Solar-powered water supply initiative in Southern Africa

Wastewater treatment & reuse for commercial and industrial sectors in Indonesia

Location: Indonesia

Project type: Technology deployment

Project details: Partnered with Absolute Water, a wastewater treatment technology provider, and BCL Synthesis, a local engineering firm, to demonstrate a low-cost, wastewater treatment technology in a new market. The project demonstrated the versatility and effectiveness of the technology in treating effluents from a mixed-use commercial mall and a slaughterhouse, to meet regulated discharge standards. The treated water is being reused for various purposes such as horticulture, irrigation, and toilet flushing.

Scope: Facilitated the cross-border opportunity and co-designed and financed the demonstration project.

Nature-based wastewater treatment & reuse for commercial and industrial sectors in Indonesia

Smart water management solution for public utilities in the Philippines

Location: Philippines

Project type: Technology deployment via performance-based contract

Project details: Partnered with Hiraya Water, a smart water management company, to demonstrate its offering to a local utility in the Philippines. The project demonstrated both the potential for the technology to reduce water losses and to improve energy efficiency, as well as the viability of an innovative contracting and payment structure.

Scope: Both organizations collaborated on contract design and co-financed the technology deployment cost.

Smart water management solution for public utilities in the Philippines

Sanjit John

Regional Director, Central and South Asia

Sanjit oversees WaterConnect’s project development initiatives and infrastructure services in the Central and South Asia region and is tasked with identifying opportunities for project development and fostering partnerships with technology-based solution providers.

With 17 years of experience in both project sales as well as global business development for engineering and construction companies, Sanjit brings a wealth of market expertise to WaterConnect.

He has worked with Thermax Ltd., VA Tech Wabag Ltd., and Holtec International, gaining valuable insights across the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Sanjit’s extensive experience in the municipal and industrial water sectors allows him to effectively manage complex projects.

He holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Pune University and an Executive Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from Symbiosis International University.

Konstant Bruinette

Regional Director, Africa

Konstant oversees WaterConnect’s project development initiatives and infrastructure services in the Africa region and is tasked with identifying opportunities for project development and fostering partnerships with technology-based solution providers.

Konstant has more than 20 years of professional experience in the complete value chain of water infrastructure development from project conceptualization, project preparation and the financing of the project implementation phase, gained through his career with leading infrastructure developers in the region, including the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the Bigen Group.

Konstant holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), and a Master of Engineering (Technology and Engineering Management) from the University of Pretoria, as well as an MBA from the University of Stellenbosch.

Hugo Contreras

Regional Director, Latin America and the Caribbean

Hugo oversees WaterConnect’s project development initiatives and infrastructure services in the Latin America and the Caribbean region and is tasked with identifying opportunities for project development and fostering partnerships with technology-based solution providers.

He brings more than 25 years of experience in business development and strategy, policy design and operations in the water and sanitation, and the environmental sectors.

Prior to joining WaterConnect, Hugo led The Nature Conservancy’s water security strategy for LATAM, where he was instrumental in the growth of the Latin American Water Funds Partnership. Before this, Hugo was Business Development and Institutional Relations Director for Bal-Ondeo, a joint venture between the Bal Group and Suez Environment, where he played a key role to position the company as the leading private water operator in the Mexican market. Prior to this, he led the environment and good government practice at Thesis Consultores, before which he served as Chief of Staff for the Under Ministry for Planning and Director for Natural Resource Economics at the Ministry of Environment in Mexico.

Hugo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from ITAM, Mexico, and a Master of Science in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics from UCL, London. He also has diplomas in Management and Environmental Economics from Cambridge University, the IPADE, Berkeley University and the World Bank.

Christine D’sa

Director, Market Intelligence & Communications

Christine leads the assessment of policy and market trends and manages the design of business development strategies and WaterConnect products to reach target partners.

Christine brings over 12 years of experience in urban development related advisory work with a keen focus on water supply and sanitation infrastructure. Prior to joining WaterConnect she was Head of Infrastructure Policy and Regulation with the Infrastructure Services team at Water.org. Before this, she spent over a decade with the Urban Practice at CRISIL Ltd. working across several countries in Asia and Africa on water and sanitation related laws and regulations, several flagship national urban development missions, institutional and regulatory reform, city development planning, PPPs in urban infrastructure, land value capture, municipal finance, affordable housing, and urban economics.

Christine holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in International Housing and Urban Development from IHS, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, a Master of Arts in Habitat Policy and Practice from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Political Science and Sociology from St. Joseph’s College of Arts and Science, Bangalore.

Bing Rhodes

Director, Infrastructure Development

Bing oversees WaterConnect’s global infrastructure project development. She is responsible for identifying and nurturing investment opportunities and providing advisory services for infrastructure projects.

Bing has over 16 years of experience in project development, bid management, operations, and technical services in the water and sanitation sector. Before joining WaterConnect, she worked with Water.org, Mowah, and Manila Water, where she headed market and opportunity screening, risk assessment, and bid/proposal development for small to large-scale water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. She also oversaw the project delivery performance of multi-million dollar capital expenditure projects and provided technical leadership to enhance the quality, efficiency, and innovation of water and wastewater operations.

Bing holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Environment and Natural Resources Management from the University of the Philippines.

Therese Rossiter

Director of Impact

As Director of Impact, Therese leads on integrating resilience, impact, and environmental and social risk management into the project development process.

Therese brings over 10 years of experience in impact management, finance, and resilient infrastructure development. Prior to joining WaterConnect, she was an Impact Manager at the UK DFI British International Investment, where she developed impact- focused infrastructure investment strategies and ensured impact was a priority throughout the investment process. In prior roles, she supported sustainable development in the public and private sectors, including in Vivid Economics/ McKinsey’s infrastructure and energy practice, the South African National Treasury’s municipal infrastructure team, and GIZ’s policy forum for infrastructure development in emerging economies.

Therese holds a Masters in International Trade, Finance and Development from Barcelona Graduate School of Economics in Spain and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Daniel Ogembo

Director of Finance

As Director of Finance, Daniel manages and oversees WaterConnect’s corporate finance functions as well as the financial management of the portfolio of infrastructure projects.

Daniel has over 19 years of experience in financial management, modeling, data analytics, and financial structuring in both corporate and project finance. Most recently he led the finance function for Population Services International during a period of rapid revenue and profit growth. Previous stints include Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Amtrak, and Constellation Energy.
Daniel holds a Bachelor’s and an MBA degree from the University of New Hampshire, as well as a Master of Corporate Finance and Investment Banking from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

Christina Tecson

Senior Director of Legal

Christina oversees WaterConnect’s legal, governance, and regulatory affairs, and leads its operational and compliance matters.

Christina brings over 12 years of experience in project development in the energy and infrastructure space, with a focus on landmark cross-border transactions and transformative projects in emerging markets, gained through in-house experience with Vestas Development, where she advised on the full lifecycle of development of wind projects in Asia, and in Ayala Corporation, where she managed flagship PPP projects for the conglomerate. She also spent 8 years as a corporate attorney in private practice, and worked as a consultant with the Governance Global Practice in the World Bank, Washington, D.C.

Christina is a New York and Philippine qualified lawyer. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Management, majoring in Legal Management, and a Juris Doctor from the Ateneo de Manila University. She also holds a Master of Laws from Columbia University.

Pieter Tobing

Chief Infrastructure Development Officer

Pieter Tobing leads a global team of infrastructure project developers with the task of originating, developing and cultivating opportunities for investment in the water and sanitation sector.

Pieter has over 30 years of experience in water utility infrastructure investments and operations in Southeast Asia, MENA, Africa, Europe and Latin America. He has experience in full-cycle infrastructure development – from early stage to commercial operations – gained through significant involvement with various high-profile pioneering public-private-partnership schemes, structuring deals, raising project finance and managing partnerships with multiple stakeholders. Within utility operations, he is a subject matter expert in utility asset management and capital expenditure programming.
Pieter holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) from Parahyangan University in Indonesia and a Master of Science in Construction Economics and Management from the Bartlett School of Graduate Studies, University College London, United Kingdom.

John Moyer

President

As President of WaterConnect, John Moyer leads all aspects of the business to successfully develop resilient water and sanitation infrastructure projects and catalyze investment in the sector. Previously, John led Water.org’s market entry into Southeast Asia before serving as a founding employee and the Chief Investment Officer of asset manager WaterEquity.

John brings to the role 20 years of experience in the financial services, impact investment, and water and sanitation sectors, with emphasis on financing emerging markets.

John received his Bachelor of Arts in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University and holds a Master of International Economics and Development from Johns Hopkins University.

Catherine Colyer

Chief Operating Officer, WaterEquity

Catherine Colyer provides operational and compliance oversight of WaterEquity’s business and its funds. She manages teams that are collectively responsible for maintaining WaterEquity’s status as a Registered Investment Adviser with the SEC, domestic and international regulatory compliance, fund management, operational strategy, corporate governance, HR, and systems. Catherine brings to her role 25 years of experience in regulatory compliance, financial services, fair lending, and balancing business and legal objectives.

Catherine’s prior work experience includes working as a lawyer in an international law firm, a consultant in an international accounting firm, and overseeing compliance for a nationwide mortgage lender.

Catherine received a Bachelor of Arts with honors in Political Science and English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Gary White

CEO and Board Chair, WaterConnect

Gary White is an observer, an innovator, and a passionate problem-solver. He has created solutions that have empowered millions of people in need with access to safe water and sanitation.

Gary is the CEO and Co-founder of Water.org, WaterEquity, and WaterConnect, three nonprofit organizations dedicated to empowering people in developing nations to gain access to safe water and sanitation.

Bringing more than 30 years of experience to work on solving the global water and sanitation crisis, Gary is a leading advisor in the water and sanitation space, counseling organizations such as the IKEA Foundation, Inditex, Reckitt, AB InBev, Amazon Web Services, the Water Resilience Coalition, and Bank of America on responses to the global water crisis. He is also a founding board member of the Millennium Water Alliance and Water Advocates.

Alongside co-founder Matt Damon, Gary has been recognized through TIME magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people and the Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneurship. Gary has also been named to the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Water and selected as Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur and a Skoll Foundation Social Entrepreneur.

Gary’s educational credentials include three degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Missouri University of Science & Technology.

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