This was a particularly complex and niche search as Water UK was seeking a combination of skills that rarely sit within one individual. Candidates needed to demonstrate:

A MULTI-STAGE RIGOROUS PROCESS.

• Genuine policy development experience with strong analytical and strategic thinking
• Experience operating within complex infrastructure or regulated environments
• Understanding of resilience, risk and system-wide challenges
• Capability to operate across both strategic and practical resilience challenges
• Ability to engage credibly and influence across complex stakeholder environments

The search extended well beyond the water sector to identify candidates with transferable resilience expertise. The longlist was developed from candidates across the water industry, government, regulators, healthcare, financial services, energy, infrastructure and national resilience functions.

Murray McIntosh worked closely with Water UK's senior leadership team, including the Director of Policy, Deputy Directors for Water and Wastewater, and the Deputy Chief Executive, to define the role's requirements and refine the brief as priorities evolved. The process consisted of:

• Longlisting and qualification: 75+ individuals identified and reviewed, with 40+ formally qualified against the brief.
• Shortlisting and interviews: 6 candidates shortlisted, taken through 6 first-stage and 4 second-stage interviews.
• Assessment and alignment: candidates tested against true policy ownership rather than stakeholder engagement alone, with detailed candidate preparation and market insight provided throughout.

A multi-stage assessment process, including strategic presentations and executive interviews, meant the final appointment was tested against the full range of the role's strategic and practical demands before an offer was made.

The successful appointment emerged from a highly competitive field, with candidates identified well beyond the traditional water-sector talent pool.

The hire provides Water UK's growing policy team with a senior lead responsible for resilience risk across the sector, addressing a gap that previously lacked dedicated ownership.

Water UK described the shortlist as exceptionally strong, advancing several candidates from outside the water sector through a rigorous, multi-stage assessment process. This demonstrates that the search accessed high-calibre talent that a conventional sector-focused approach would likely have overlooked.

The engagement reflects Murray McIntosh's approach across policy, public affairs and strategic communications: prioritising capability wherever it is found, rather than relying solely on direct sector experience.

This search points to something building across trade bodies and infrastructure organisations more broadly. Critical infrastructure challenges increasingly demand policy capability, not just stakeholder engagement: identifying emerging risks, developing robust policy positions, and influencing decision-makers across industry, government and regulators at once.

The strongest resilience leaders often come from adjacent sectors, and restricting a search to direct sector experience can significantly narrow access to that talent. Organisations best placed to respond to future resilience challenges will be those willing to broaden their talent pools and focus on capability over familiarity with the sector.