“We are delighted to congratulate Kate Simmonds on her appointment as Chief Executive of Northland Waters. Kate impressed the board with a deep knowledge of the water sector globally, transformational leadership on significant scale, a ‘lived’ commitment to the Northland region and an ability to forge strong relationships across diverse communities. We wish her and the board every success.” - Ian Taylor, Managing Director, Sheffield North Island.
Kate Simmonds appointed Chief Executive of Northland Waters
Respected water sector leader Kate Simmonds has been appointed Chief Executive of Northland Waters, where she will lead the establishment of Northland’s new water services organisation and help shape its future direction.
Simmonds brings more than 20 years of experience delivering major water and infrastructure projects across New Zealand and Australia, and has been recognised internationally through industry awards and leadership roles across the global water sector.
Born and raised in Northland and now based in Kerikeri, Simmonds combines extensive international experience with a strong connection to the region she will serve when she commences her role on 5 October 2026.
She joins Northland Waters from a senior leadership position with a global professional services organisation, where she currently leads operations for the Australia and New Zealand water business.
Northland Waters Board Chair, Murray Bain, said Simmonds stood out as an exceptional leader with a deep understanding of the water sector, strong local connections and a proven ability to lead organisations through growth, transformation and change.
“Kate brings an impressive combination of strategic leadership, operational expertise and sector knowledge. She has built a highly respected career delivering outcomes for communities, clients and stakeholders across New Zealand and Australia, and we are delighted to welcome her as Chief Executive of Northland Waters,” said Bain.
Northland Waters is being established by Northland’s district councils to provide a regionally coordinated approach to water services, helping ensure infrastructure can meet the needs of growing communities while maintaining affordability and service quality into the future.
From July 2027, the new organisation will be responsible for delivering drinking water and wastewater services to more than 120,000 customers across Te Tai Tokerau and managing approximately $1.4 billion in public water assets.
“Northland Waters will be responsible for infrastructure and services that are essential to the health, wellbeing and prosperity of our region. Kate’s proven leadership of large-scale water operations across New Zealand and Australia means she is exceptionally well placed to lead an organisation of this scale and importance,” said Bain.
Simmonds said the opportunity to lead Northland Waters was both professionally and personally meaningful.
“Northland has always felt like home, and I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to lead an organisation that will play such an important role in the future wellbeing of our communities,” said Simmonds.
“Northland Waters presents a unique opportunity to take a long-term, region-wide approach to water services, helping ensure our communities have safe, reliable and sustainable infrastructure to support future generations.”
Sheffield team: Ian Taylor, Rebecca Jamieson, Tash Wilson, Kelly Smith