Daniel Lambert is a senior water sector executive and advisor with more than 25 years of experience across infrastructure, asset management, sustainability, governance, innovation and organisational leadership.
Daniel specialises in helping utilities, governments and infrastructure organisations translate long-term strategic objectives into practical investment, governance and delivery outcomes. His expertise spans infrastructure strategy, strategic asset management, capital investment, governance and assurance, sustainability and climate resilience, organisational transformation, innovation and executive decision-making.
Throughout his career, Daniel has held Chief Executive Officer, executive leadership, Chair, Non-Executive Director and senior advisory roles across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. He has led large multidisciplinary teams, overseen significant infrastructure and investment portfolios and advised Boards, executives and governments on complex strategic and organisational decisions.
Daniel is recognised for his ability to bring together strategic, engineering, commercial, sustainability and governance considerations to support clear decision-making. He combines senior executive experience with practical infrastructure expertise, enabling him to understand both the decisions organisations need to make and the governance, capability and delivery arrangements required to implement them successfully.
Daniel has held senior leadership roles with Unitywater, Arup and WaterStart Australia and has served as Chair of the Australian Water Partnership. His experience also includes leadership of the Sydney Water Planning Partnership and Board and advisory roles across the water, infrastructure, innovation and community sectors.
During his career, Daniel has:
- led strategic asset planning, asset management and capital investment functions within major water utilities;
- advised Boards, executives and governments on infrastructure strategy, investment, governance and organisational performance;
- led major multidisciplinary water and infrastructure teams in Australia and internationally;
- developed and overseen long-term infrastructure, sustainability and organisational strategies;
- led governance, assurance and regulatory-readiness reviews;
- advised on asset management frameworks and infrastructure planning approaches;
- led organisational transformation, innovation and capability development initiatives;
- overseen sustainability, climate resilience, research and innovation portfolios;
- led and supported major infrastructure planning and delivery initiatives;
- chaired Boards and advisory bodies operating across the water and infrastructure sectors;
- worked across government, private-sector, not-for-profit and international development environments;
- established partnerships between utilities, government, industry and technology providers;
- supported organisations to strengthen accountability, decision-making and performance; and
- integrated strategic, technical, sustainability and governance considerations into practical delivery frameworks.
Highlighted Experience
Daniel has extensive executive leadership experience across the Australian and international water sector.
He works with Boards and executive teams to translate organisational strategy into clear priorities, governance arrangements, investment programs and delivery outcomes. His experience gives him a practical understanding of the challenges facing senior leaders as they balance service delivery, infrastructure investment, financial sustainability, regulatory requirements, innovation and long-term resilience.
Representative Experience
Unitywater – Executive Manager, Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions
Led functions encompassing strategic asset planning, asset management, capital investment and sustainable infrastructure, supporting long-term infrastructure and organisational decision-making.
Sydney Water – Planning Partnership
Co-led the Sydney Water Planning Partnership involving Arup and Aurecon, bringing together multidisciplinary capability to support strategic planning and infrastructure outcomes.
Arup – Australasia Water Leader and Global Water Executive
Held senior regional and global leadership responsibilities across Arup’s water business, leading multidisciplinary teams and major strategic and infrastructure assignments.
WaterStart Australia – Chief Executive Officer
Led an organisation focused on accelerating innovation and connecting utilities, technology providers and industry partners to address water-sector challenges.
Australian Water Partnership – Chair
Provided Board-level leadership to an organisation supporting Australian water expertise and partnerships internationally.
Daniel has extensive experience in infrastructure planning, strategic asset management and investment decision-making across the water sector.
He helps organisations align infrastructure requirements with long-term strategy, service outcomes, sustainability objectives and practical delivery considerations. His experience includes both organisational leadership of asset planning and investment functions and direct involvement in complex infrastructure projects and strategic planning assignments.
Representative Experience
Unitywater – Strategic Asset Planning and Investment
Led teams responsible for strategic asset planning, asset management and capital investment, helping translate organisational priorities into long-term infrastructure requirements and investment programs.
Icon Water – Asset Management Framework Assessment
Led the team undertaking an assessment of Icon Water’s Asset Management Framework, reviewing the arrangements supporting infrastructure planning and asset management decision-making.
Auckland Water Strategy 2050
Led and managed advisory teams supporting development of long-term water strategy and infrastructure planning.
Victorian Desalination Plant PPP
Contributed senior water-sector and infrastructure leadership to work associated with one of Australia’s most significant water infrastructure investments.
MCG Sewer Mining Scheme and Melbourne Park Stormwater Harvesting
Led teams delivering innovative water infrastructure initiatives demonstrating alternative approaches to water supply, reuse and sustainable infrastructure.
Daniel supports organisations to establish governance and assurance arrangements that provide clear accountability, appropriate oversight and confidence in major strategic and investment decisions.
His experience as an executive, Chair and Board advisor enables him to consider governance from both management and governing-body perspectives. He works with organisations to clarify roles, decision rights, assurance requirements and reporting arrangements without unnecessarily duplicating management responsibilities.
Representative Experience
Mount Barker District Council / GMB Water – Governance Framework Development
Providing expert advice on the development of a governance and assurance framework clarifying shareholder, Council, Board and management responsibilities and strengthening accountability and oversight arrangements.
Seqwater – Regulatory Preparedness Review
Providing senior expert advice as part of a regulatory-readiness assessment examining the systems, processes, governance and supporting arrangements used to prepare for Seqwater’s submission to the Queensland Competition Authority.
Board and Advisory Roles
Has held Chair, Non-Executive Director and advisory Board roles, providing strategic oversight across water, infrastructure, innovation and community-sector organisations.
Australian Water Partnership – Governance and Strategic Oversight
As Chair, provided governance and strategic leadership to an organisation operating across government, industry and international water-sector stakeholders.
Daniel has made a significant contribution to leadership and capability development across the Australian water sector.
His career has included senior executive, industry leadership, Chair and advisory roles spanning utilities, professional services, innovation organisations and international water-sector partnerships.
He is a Chartered Professional Engineer, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Member of the Order of Australia, reflecting his contribution to the water, infrastructure and broader community sectors.
Daniel oversaw the development of Wamuran Irrigation Scheme for Unitywater and has undertaken audits for NVIRP, provided irrigation advice to the ESC regarding the Murray Darling Basin, and advised utilities including Sunwater and Water Corporation on the planning and delivery of major irrigation projects.
Sustainability and resilience have been central themes throughout Daniel’s career.
He has led sustainability, research and innovation portfolios and advised organisations on integrating long-term environmental and resilience considerations into infrastructure strategy and investment decisions.
Daniel brings a practical infrastructure perspective to sustainability, focusing on how organisations can convert long-term objectives into investable programs, operational improvements and measurable outcomes.
Representative Experience
Unitywater – Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions
Led infrastructure and asset functions with a focus on sustainable long-term service delivery and infrastructure investment.
Singapore 2030 Sustainable City Blueprint
Led and managed teams contributing to strategic sustainability and infrastructure planning in an international urban context.
Auckland Water Strategy 2050
Supported long-horizon planning incorporating future service needs, infrastructure requirements and sustainability considerations.
MCG Sewer Mining Scheme
Led work on an innovative recycled-water solution demonstrating the integration of infrastructure planning, sustainability and alternative water sources.
Melbourne Park Stormwater Harvesting
Led teams delivering innovative stormwater infrastructure supporting improved resource efficiency and sustainable water management.
Daniel has significant experience helping the water sector identify, evaluate and adopt innovative solutions.
He understands that successful innovation requires more than new technology. It requires a clear problem to solve, an appropriate business and investment case, organisational ownership, effective governance and a practical pathway from demonstration to scaled implementation.
Representative Experience
WaterStart Australia – Chief Executive Officer
Led collaboration between water utilities, technology providers and other partners to identify sector challenges and accelerate the adoption of innovative water solutions.
Arup – Water Innovation and Strategic Advisory
Led multidisciplinary teams undertaking innovative infrastructure and sustainability initiatives across Australia and internationally.
Research and Innovation Leadership
Held executive responsibility for research and innovation portfolios alongside strategic planning, infrastructure and sustainability functions.
Industry Partnerships
Developed and supported partnerships involving utilities, governments, industry and technology organisations to facilitate knowledge transfer and practical innovation.
Daniel advises senior leaders on complex decisions where infrastructure, organisational strategy, governance, sustainability and delivery considerations intersect.
His combination of engineering expertise, executive leadership and Board experience allows him to work across strategic and operational perspectives and provide practical advice that is appropriate to the organisation’s operating environment.
Representative Experience
Water Utility Executive Advisory
Advises executives on strategic asset planning, infrastructure investment, governance, organisational performance and sustainable service delivery.
Government and Public-Sector Advisory
Has worked with government and public-sector organisations on infrastructure, sustainability, governance and strategic planning matters.
Sydney Water Planning Partnership – Strategic Leadership
Co-led a multidisciplinary planning partnership supporting one of Australia’s largest water utilities.
International Water and Infrastructure Advisory
Has worked across major international strategy, infrastructure and sustainability initiatives, including assignments in New Zealand and Singapore.