Webinar | Data Governance: The Foundation or the Bottleneck for Digital Utilities?

17 Nov, 2026

1.00pm - 2.00pm AEDT |

Webinar

Presented by: AWA Victoria Branch and the SWAN APAC Alliance

What does it take to build the data foundations of a digital utility - and where should you start?

Many utilities run on hundreds of disconnected systems, legacy assets, inconsistent naming standards and a growing divide between IT and OT. Often, the real question isn't which technology to buy, but whether the data foundations can support it.

Co-hosted by AWA and SWAN, this interactive panel brings together utility, technology provider and specialist perspectives from across the Asia-Pacific. Attendees will leave with practical lessons and a clearer view of where approaches differ, and where they align, across the region.

We’ll explore:

How Australian and Asian utilities are building data governance and system foundations, and the lessons from their journeys

Explore the tough choices: fix the data or modernise systems first, build in-house or partner, and who should own data governance

What utilities should prioritise in the next 2-3 years to become AI-ready

Speakers

	Pamela Grundel \| Barwon Water Pamela leads digital business transformation at Barwon Water, driving the organisation's evolution into a digital, data-driven utility. With experience spanning global digital transformation programs, product development and organisational change, she brings a practical perspective on delivering complex transformation initiatives in regulated environments. She is passionate about building digital capability and creating lasting organisational change.
	Puranut Wisutjindaporn (Pong) \| Yokogawa Pong is a water industry professional with over 19 years of international experience spanning water and wastewater infrastructure, utility transformation, and digital innovation. He currently serves as Regional Business Development Manager at Yokogawa, leading water sector initiatives across Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand. Since joining Yokogawa in 2022, Puranut has been working closely with water utilities, governments, and industry partners to drive operational excellence, sustainability, and digital transformation. His expertise covers a broad range of areas, including water loss management, smart metering, SCADA and operational technologies, IT/OT integration, advanced analytics, and utility modernization strategies. Prior to Yokogawa, he held various roles with leading international water companies, including project engineering, consulting, and business development. His experience encompasses the planning, design, and implementation of major water infrastructure projects, public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives, sewer rehabilitation programs, and digital solutions for water utilities. Puranut is passionate about helping utilities enhance resilience, improve efficiency, and deliver better outcomes for customers through innovation and technology.
	Bill Robinson \| Beca Bill is Beca's AI and Automation Lead for Water and a member of the Governance Institute of Australia's AI Governance Expert Advisory Panel. He helps utilities adopt AI in ways that are practical, safe and aligned with regulatory, operational and community expectations. At Beca, Bill has led the deployment of more than 20 AI agents used by hundreds of staff and established governance frameworks that enable responsible adoption at scale. He is currently contributing to national guidance on data and AI governance for executives and boards through the Governance Institute. Drawing on his experience with multiple utilities, Bill brings a practitioner’s perspective on how effective governance can accelerate, rather than hinder, digital transformation and AI-enabled outcome
	Ramdhan Purnama \| Perumda Air Minum Tirta Raharja Ramdhan Purnama is an Indonesian water utility professional with a background in information technology, water utility operations, and digital transformation. He currently serves as NRW Management Manager at Perumda Air Minum Tirta Raharja, Indonesia. His work focuses on bridging business strategy, information systems, and field operations through digital technologies, including SCADA, automation, IoT, and data analytics, to support integrated, data-driven, and intelligent water utility management. He is the Founder of WOMS (Water Operational Management System) and Komunitas Otomasi Tukang Ledeng, initiatives promoting innovation, knowledge sharing, and digital technology adoption in the water sector. Recognised as Young Water Professional Indonesia, he has spoken at international water industry forums and contributed to national technical standards, Smart Building regulations, and smart infrastructure initiatives. He is passionate about connecting people, processes, data, and technology to improve operational efficiency, service reliability, and long-term business value in water utilities.
	Chris Lee - Moderator Chris is a water policy advisor dedicated to providing strategic advice, policy analysis and unpacking regulatory frameworks for the water sector and the interrelated fields of environment, energy and urban planning. He brings an interdisciplinary approach and experience in high-level policy decisions through governmental roles and on-the-ground operations through emergency management deployments. As a keen advocate for the water sector, Chris also strongly believes in giving back to the water community of which he was recognised as 2025 Victorian Young Water Professional of the Year. He is also a committee member across the Australian Water Association and International Water Association, and also an academic tutor for Trinity College. Having seen and worked across the Australian, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Hong Kong water sectors, Chris is passionate about comparing the different approaches to digitisation of water utilities and how we need robust data governance to capture the benefits of AI while mitigating the risks.

Event Details

Date	Tuesday 17 November 2026
Time	1:00pm - 2:00pm AEDT
Webinar Link	Register below - webinar link will be sent via email the day prior

Registration Costs

	Online
AWA and SWAN Members	$25
Non AWA Members	$50

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E: nsharrock@awa.asn.au

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	Pamela Grundel \| Barwon Water Pamela leads digital business transformation at Barwon Water, driving the organisation's evolution into a digital, data-driven utility. With experience spanning global digital transformation programs, product development and organisational change, she brings a practical perspective on delivering complex transformation initiatives in regulated environments. She is passionate about building digital capability and creating lasting organisational change.
	Puranut Wisutjindaporn (Pong) \| Yokogawa Pong is a water industry professional with over 19 years of international experience spanning water and wastewater infrastructure, utility transformation, and digital innovation. He currently serves as Regional Business Development Manager at Yokogawa, leading water sector initiatives across Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand. Since joining Yokogawa in 2022, Puranut has been working closely with water utilities, governments, and industry partners to drive operational excellence, sustainability, and digital transformation. His expertise covers a broad range of areas, including water loss management, smart metering, SCADA and operational technologies, IT/OT integration, advanced analytics, and utility modernization strategies. Prior to Yokogawa, he held various roles with leading international water companies, including project engineering, consulting, and business development. His experience encompasses the planning, design, and implementation of major water infrastructure projects, public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives, sewer rehabilitation programs, and digital solutions for water utilities. Puranut is passionate about helping utilities enhance resilience, improve efficiency, and deliver better outcomes for customers through innovation and technology.
	Bill Robinson \| Beca Bill is Beca's AI and Automation Lead for Water and a member of the Governance Institute of Australia's AI Governance Expert Advisory Panel. He helps utilities adopt AI in ways that are practical, safe and aligned with regulatory, operational and community expectations. At Beca, Bill has led the deployment of more than 20 AI agents used by hundreds of staff and established governance frameworks that enable responsible adoption at scale. He is currently contributing to national guidance on data and AI governance for executives and boards through the Governance Institute. Drawing on his experience with multiple utilities, Bill brings a practitioner’s perspective on how effective governance can accelerate, rather than hinder, digital transformation and AI-enabled outcome
	Ramdhan Purnama \| Perumda Air Minum Tirta Raharja Ramdhan Purnama is an Indonesian water utility professional with a background in information technology, water utility operations, and digital transformation. He currently serves as NRW Management Manager at Perumda Air Minum Tirta Raharja, Indonesia. His work focuses on bridging business strategy, information systems, and field operations through digital technologies, including SCADA, automation, IoT, and data analytics, to support integrated, data-driven, and intelligent water utility management. He is the Founder of WOMS (Water Operational Management System) and Komunitas Otomasi Tukang Ledeng, initiatives promoting innovation, knowledge sharing, and digital technology adoption in the water sector. Recognised as Young Water Professional Indonesia, he has spoken at international water industry forums and contributed to national technical standards, Smart Building regulations, and smart infrastructure initiatives. He is passionate about connecting people, processes, data, and technology to improve operational efficiency, service reliability, and long-term business value in water utilities.
	Chris Lee - Moderator Chris is a water policy advisor dedicated to providing strategic advice, policy analysis and unpacking regulatory frameworks for the water sector and the interrelated fields of environment, energy and urban planning. He brings an interdisciplinary approach and experience in high-level policy decisions through governmental roles and on-the-ground operations through emergency management deployments. As a keen advocate for the water sector, Chris also strongly believes in giving back to the water community of which he was recognised as 2025 Victorian Young Water Professional of the Year. He is also a committee member across the Australian Water Association and International Water Association, and also an academic tutor for Trinity College. Having seen and worked across the Australian, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Hong Kong water sectors, Chris is passionate about comparing the different approaches to digitisation of water utilities and how we need robust data governance to capture the benefits of AI while mitigating the risks.