Ms Diane D'Arras

She is a civil engineer from the “École des Ponts ParisTech” and graduated from the Paris Institute of Politic Sciences.

She began her career in 1977 at the French Public Water Authority where she was in charge of the water quality research programs.

In 1981, she joined Suez - a Water and Solid Waste Company (which she just retired from after 37 years of career).

After an initial experience in Suez in water operations in the western part of Paris (population: 1 million), she had the opportunity to join Aguas Argentinas in Buenos Aires in May 1993, becoming the Operations Manager (Network and Customers management, 7 million inhabitants, 2.5 million clients served, 2,000 employees).

In 1998, she became the Research Senior Vice-President at Degrémont, the infrastructure company of Suez, and then, joining the Comex of Suez, she was in charge of the Technology, Research and Innovation at the group level. She implemented a broad innovation strategy for the group, developing a wide research network and investments (Suez Ventures). She developed the concrete and day-today technical support to Suez operations.

From 2011 to 2017, coming back to field business, she was the Suez Water Western Europe Senior Executive Vice-President.

Parallel Commitments:

• President of the International Water Association since October 2016
• Member of the French Technology Academy since 2014
• Board member of the “Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées” since 2013

In the past:

• Board member of ACEA spa, an Italian listed company
• 1st President of the European Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform, an association focused on Research gathering members from more than 20 European countries
• President of the Environmental Strategic Committee of the French Standards National Agency.
• Member of the Environmental Advisory Committee of Singapore Research Agency