Towards Operational Excellence: TasWater's Transformation with Brendan Windmeyer

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Brendan Windmeyer, General Manager for Operations at TasWater, about the operational transformation underway at Tasmania’s statewide water utility. Brendan outlines his path from safety and contracting roles into operations leadership, then describes TasWater’s scale and challenges, including dispersed assets and legacy performance issues tied to its history. He shares progress on employee engagement, safety performance improvements, increased diversity in operations, better customer KPIs, and reduced water quality complaints, alongside strengthening regulator trust. The conversation also covers ongoing priorities such as aging plants, long-term consolidation via master planning, and delivering efficiencies amid cost pressures. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:41 Brendan’s Career Path01:30 What TasWater Does02:26 Joining Amid Challenges03:13 Safety and Engagement Turnaround03:55 Culture Shift and Diversity05:35 Customer KPIs and Regulators06:38 Why TasWater Was Fragmented07:48 Next Operational Challenges08:50 Small Plants and Consolidation10:11 Bringing Private Sector Efficiency11:32 Future Targets and Cost Pressures12:47 Time Machine Career Advice13:30 Wrap Up and ThanksAll information is correct as of the recording in March 2026.