As Chief Executive, Adrian Sym leads the pioneering work of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), a global membership-based collaboration that ignites and nurtures global and local leadership in credible water stewardship. Adrian has led AWS since 2011, ensuring that the International Water Stewardship Standard is recognised globally both for its credibility and its ability to inspire water users and managers to be responsible stewards of our freshwater resources. A development and sustainability professional, Adrian has extensive international experience ranging from Fairtrade International in Germany to grassroots NGOs in Nepal and Bangladesh.
His diverse experience, together with his academic background (Masters in International Policy and Diplomacy), has helped to shape Adrian’s view on sustainable development, believing that this can only be achieved through relationships built on trust and respect amongst and between stakeholder groups.