Curriculum Vitae

Ian Dunsmore

Strategic Water Infrastructure Leader

Professional Profile

Strategic infrastructure leader with 25+ years delivering complex water programmes across Scotland and New Zealand. Proven expertise managing £100M+ CAPEX portfolios, leading distributed teams, and pioneering innovative solutions including the UK's first Heat from Wastewater scheme. Combines deep technical knowledge in hydraulic modelling, asset management, and network operations with strong commercial acumen and stakeholder engagement skills.

Key Achievements

  • Innovation Pioneer: Delivered the UK's first Heat from Wastewater scheme at Borders College.
  • Portfolio Leadership: Managing £100M+ capital investment portfolios for strategic trunk main, aqueduct, tunnel, and subsea pipeline infrastructure.
  • Network Resilience: Confirmed and enhanced backfeed capabilities across Scottish water networks.
  • Technology Champion: Driving GenAI adoption and digital transformation for productivity and operational innovation.
  • Leakage Transformation: Led creation of over 100 District Metered Areas serving 150,000+ properties.
  • International Experience: Managed hydraulic modelling and daily water operations at Timaru District Council, New Zealand.

Professional Experience

Technical Team Manager - Strategic Water Infrastructure

Scottish Water

July 2021 - Present
  • Lead a team of seven planners delivering strategic planning and capital investment programmes for trunk mains, aqueducts, tunnels, subsea pipelines, and critical valve infrastructure across Scotland.
  • Direct consultant resources and external partners across a £100M+ portfolio.
  • Collaborate with UK water industry partners on research initiatives, best practice, and emerging technology evaluation.
  • Champion GenAI adoption within the team and wider organisation.

Strategic Planner - Water Resilience

Scottish Water

May 2018 - July 2021
  • Analysed and confirmed network backfeed capabilities to strengthen supply resilience.
  • Delivered capital projects from targeted interventions to £50M strategic investments.
  • Developed methodologies for assessing infrastructure criticality and investment priority.

Project Manager - Business Development

Scottish Water Horizons

April 2015 - May 2018
  • Pioneered the UK's first Heat from Wastewater scheme at Borders College.
  • Led stakeholder engagement, funding, and commercial contract negotiation for energy recovery solutions.
  • Supported new business development initiatives using Scottish Water assets and expertise.

Water Balance Planner - Leakage Planning

Scottish Water

May 2014 - April 2015
  • Managed national water balance and leakage reporting, ensuring regulatory compliance and data accuracy.
  • Analysed system inputs and outputs to drive targeted leakage reduction strategies.

Operational Risk and Service Analyst - Control Centre

Scottish Water

June 2013 - May 2014
  • Delivered real-time risk analysis and service impact assessments during operational events.
  • Developed risk models and dashboards to support incident response.

Asset Management Planner - Hydraulic Modelling

Scottish Water

April 2012 - June 2013
  • Worked in the hydraulic modelling team cataloguing Scottish Water models and improving visibility of available modelling capability.
  • Used hydraulic models to support capital intervention planning and diagnose issues across water networks.

Network Analyst - Leakage Delivery

Scottish Water

March 2008 - April 2012
  • Led the creation of over 100 District Metered Areas serving 150,000+ properties.
  • Managed £1M+ annual metering contracts and coordinated field delivery teams.

Asset Planner - Leakage Planning

Scottish Water

July 2007 - March 2008
  • Developed asset plans and investment cases for leakage infrastructure.

Water Engineer

Timaru District Council, New Zealand

September 2005 - July 2007
  • Managed daily water supply operations and hydraulic modelling for the district.

Earlier Career

Scottish Water and RPS Water Services

1998 - 2005
  • Progressive roles spanning network analysis, hydraulic modelling, and water infrastructure consultancy.

What I Bring

A rare combination of deep technical water industry expertise and forward-thinking leadership. I thrive on finding innovative solutions to complex infrastructure challenges, building high-performing teams, and championing technologies that deliver tangible value.

References available on request.