Why working in the water sector became a calling, not just a career

A love of big infrastructure projects led Giovanna Tiboni to pursue a career in civil engineering in Brazil. However, discovering that millions of Brazilians still lacked access to safe water and sanitation transformed how she viewed both engineering and the role of water in society.

Bringing international perspective to water infrastructure projects

Giovanna, now a civil engineer at RSK Group company Binnies UK, said that change in perspective has stayed with her throughout her career.

She added: “I understood water engineering’s connection to dignity, opportunity, environmental care and community development. What motivates me most is that water sits at the centre of many interconnected challenges, from climate resilience and biodiversity to food systems, public health and social equity. It’s a complex sector, but one that feels meaningful every day.”

In 2021, Giovanna moved to the UK to complete a master’s degree in water resources management at the University of Southampton. She joined Binnies UK two years later, an experience she said has introduced her to another side of the water sector.

“Brazil is a country with extremely different climatic, environmental and social realities depending on the region. As a result, much of my work there involved assessing water demand and availability and environmental pressures at a regional scale to support public policy.

“In the UK, much of my work has been closer to water infrastructure, treatment works and environmental performance within highly regulated systems. My experience working in both countries strongly informs the way I contribute to projects.”

Supporting water companies in the south of the UK, Giovanna coordinates technical information, manages project delivery and brings together inputs from different disciplines and stakeholders. She has also started taking on more leadership responsibilities, which has developed her understanding of how technical delivery, communication and decision-making all influence one another within large infrastructure projects.

The role of Binnies UK in supporting technical and personal development

One important milestone of Giovanna’s career was achieving chartered status with the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), as it represented much more than just a professional qualification.

She said: “As I am an international engineer building my career in the UK, chartered membership has given me a sense of professional belonging. The process allowed me to reflect on what I have achieved so far and how it’s shaped my judgement and approach to engineering.

“My development has been shaped significantly by Binnies UK. The business’s mentoring and development initiatives connected me with colleagues who are also CIWEM mentors. They supported me in very practical ways, whether it was challenging me, reviewing my submissions or organising mock interviews.

“Their guidance helped me appreciate the relevance of my own experience, addressing a common hurdle for early career professionals who often doubt whether their work is ‘enough’ for chartership.”

Representing the next generation of water professionals

Earlier this year, Giovanna became CIWEM’s Early Careers President Elect. The role focuses on representing and supporting early and mid-career professionals within the water and environmental sectors, while helping create spaces where younger professionals feel confident contributing ideas, asking questions and engaging with the wider industry.

Giovanna said: “Early and mid-career professionals are building their careers at a time when the challenges facing water and environmental management are becoming increasingly complex. Climate change, pressure on natural resources and advances in technology are reshaping how we work and make decisions. That can feel overwhelming, but it has also created a generation that is adaptable, collaborative and open to innovation.

“Professional institutions should not only be pathways to chartership but also communities where people exchange ideas, build networks and learn from one another. Part of the reason I wanted to become the CIWEM Early Careers President Elect was to strengthen this dialogue and ensure early career voices are heard more consistently.”

Diverse perspectives drive innovation in the engineering sector

For Giovanna, encouraging more women and younger professionals into engineering is not only about visibility and fairness but also about improving how we understand problems and develop efficient solutions.

“When I was studying for my masters, I researched how climate change affects the water cycle and, consequently, society, revealing that environmental impacts are experienced unequally across gender, race, age and socio-economic lines.

“As the engineering profession becomes more diverse, it gains a wider range of perspectives and lived experiences that strengthen decision-making. That diversity fuels creativity, drives innovation and deepens our understanding of how engineering choices shape society.

“Progress has been made in recent years, especially through mentoring, professional networks and greater visibility of women and younger professionals in technical and leadership positions. Seeing people who look like you or share similar experiences genuinely changes how accessible the profession feels.

“At the same time, there is still work to do. We need to continue breaking down perceptions that engineering is only for a certain type of person and ensure that talented people from all backgrounds can see a place for themselves in the profession.”

Giovanna’s career reflects a belief that water engineering is at its best when it is inclusive, globally informed and grounded in social purpose. As she advances her work at Binnies UK and supports early career professionals through CIWEM, she plans to continue helping build a sector that embraces diversity, nurtures talent and delivers resilient, sustainable water systems for the communities it serves.