Nicci Russell

Nicci has been Managing Director of Waterwise, the UK’s dedicated not-for-profit campaigning organisation on water efficiency, since March 2017. She co-founded Waterwise in 2005.

As a Director at Ofwat, Nicci led work on resilience and independent regulation and Ofwat’s relationship with the UK and Welsh Governments.

As Special Adviser at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Nicci was appointed by the Prime Minister to advise the Secretary of State on environmental issues.

Nicci is a CIWEM Honorary Fellow and a long-time judge for the Institute of Water’s Innovation Awards and the Water Industry Awards. In 2022 she received the Future Water Association’s ‘People’ Award for her work on diversity and inclusion and water efficiency. In 2023 she received a British Water Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Water and Wastewater Industry, for championing water efficiency along with diversity and inclusion.

Nicci is an active mentor in the water sector. She chaired Defra’s Senior Water Demand Reduction Group and sat on Defra’s Expert Group on water targets for the Environment Act and sits on ACEVO’s Climate Crisis Working Group.

Nicci is Chair of national young people’s development charity Power2 and a school governor.