Project Flow: A Flowing Fund for Clean Water in Camps to Communities with Kim Skibsted, Grundfos Foundation

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Kim Skibsted, CEO of the Grundfos Foundation, about Project Flow and its role in improving water access in refugee settlements and communities. Kim shares his unconventional path from studying Scandinavian literature and serving briefly in the Danish Parliament to leading the foundation that owns Grundfos, the world’s largest pump manufacturer. He explains the foundation’s purpose, scale, and philanthropic work, and describes how Project Flow was inspired by high water costs and failing pump systems in camps. Developed with UNHCR, the initiative installs suitable technologies such as solar-powered water systems to replace diesel generation and reduce costly water trucking, reinvesting savings to fund systems in additional locations. With 26 systems in six countries, the project aims to scale by attracting more funders to reach far more people by 2030.00:00 Welcome to Exec Exchange00:22 Meet Kim Skibsted01:35 Grundfos Foundation Origins03:47 Scale and Funding04:55 Project Flow Explained05:05 Refugee Water Reality07:24 The Flow Fund Model10:43 Politics and Local Buy In12:31 Scaling to Version 213:43 Advice and Closing