Jo Murdoch appointed new Managing Director for North East Water

The Board of North East Water has announced the appointment of Jo Murdoch as its new Managing Director from 20 January 2022. The appointment came following an extensive recruitment process.

“Jo has more than 20 years of experience in the water, local government and media sectors, with the last four years as an executive at Barwon Water in Geelong. At Barwon Water, Jo was responsible for the critical strategic and service functions that strengthened customer and community experiences, trust, reputation, value and overall performance. The Board identified her servicing of regional communities and her focus on customer engagement as major strengths in the interview process,” said North East Water Chair Cath Botta.

“We are confident that Jo has the experience to lead North East Water’s evolution and will help guide the corporation through unprecedented regional growth and the impacts of climate change. We are looking forward to welcoming Jo to the Corporation early in the new year.”

“I am excited to be relocating to the beautiful north-east region to take up the leadership role at North East Water,” said Ms Murdoch. “It will be a great privilege to lead a skilled and talented team as it supports the health and prosperity of the region. I also look forward to engaging with local communities to continue to build trust and confidence in North East Water and the vital services it provides.”

Jo’s appointment coincides with the upcoming departure of long-serving Managing Director Craig Heiner, who leaves on 1 December after 13 years as leader and 30 years with North East Water.

“Craig will leave behind a strong legacy including major improvements to water quality across the region, the installation of drinking water and sewer systems to our smaller towns, and changes to environmental practices that will lead to a massive reduction of the Corporation’s carbon footprint,” said Ms Botta. “The Board would like to thank Craig for his outstanding leadership and contribution to North East Water, and we wish him the very best for the future.”