IWA LeaP Leadership Programme for Young Water Professionals

IWA LeaP is the International Water Association’s Leadership Programme for Young Water Professionals. It is currently underway for the 2024-2025 cohort of participants.

This initiative is a gateway to professional empowerment, allowing participants to realise their potential and expand their horizons. IWA LeaP allows 12 exceptional young water professionals from diverse backgrounds and regions to rise to the leadership challenge. Fuelled by curiosity and courage, they take part in a transformative journey.

Over 12 months, participants forge robust professional networks and enhance their leadership skills to become the leaders that they want to be. It is not just about learning – it is about living the experience. Participants will be challenged, rewarded, and empowered as they elevate their strategic vision and leadership capabilities

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Who is it for?

High-potential emerging Young Water Professionals who are looking to:

Transform their leadership – empowering them to think and act globally.
Build confidence to inspire and influence others – accelerating their impact at a local, societal and global level.
Learn how to adapt and thrive in ambiguous, complex, fast-changing environments.
Strengthen their foundations for future success, overcoming personal or professional barriers.
Raise their impact and visibility within IWA with the potential to take on leadership roles in the organisation in the Association over the coming years.

What will the candidates gain?

Clarity and understanding of your leadership purpose, strengths and legacy.
Develop your leadership qualities such as compassion, courage and curiosity.
Expand your influence and impact to effect change locally, systemically and globally.
Greater clarity and confidence in how you lead and how you inspire and enable others.
Be part of a diverse group of Young Water Professionals, united by shared purpose within the IWA community

What do the candidates do?

4 days of retreat in a remote setting in November 2024. Read the blog about the retreat here.
4 hours a month of preparation and project time.
5 hours a month in virtual learning, coaching or project team meetings.
1 virtual session in September 2025.
Attendance at the 2026 IWA WWCE in Glasgow, Scotland, UK

2024-2025 IWA LeaP Cohort

Bénigne Ishimwe Mugwaneza

Rwanda

Chotiwat (CJ) Jantarakasem

Thailand

Federick Pinongcos

USA

Igor Luketina

Austria

Laurence Strubbe

Switzerland

Linda Li

Canada

Matthew MacRorie

United Kingdom

Natalie Páez-Curtidor

Colombia

Oscar Timothy Balongo

Tanzania

Shivon Mehta

India

Yaw Abrampah

Ghana

Yumeng Zhao

China

Hear from the candidates

The IWA LeaP has given me a true sense of belonging. It created a safe space for us to share openly, and that has been life-changing for me. Knowing that I’m not alone in the challenges I face or the questions I ask myself as a young leader—and being inspired by the bold steps my peers are taking—h...

I used to believe that leadership was reserved for older, more experienced people. But being part of this programme has shown me otherwise. Despite our youth and relative inexperience, we are given a voice through the LeaP programme, and that’s empowering. Leadership is not about age or status; it's...

The IWA LeaP has provoked me to understand myself better than I have ever before. Our coaches have created an open and safe environment to really explore who we are and what motivates everything we do. I have come to believe that understanding this deep source of inspiration is crucial to growing, n...

Being accepted into the LeaP has been life-changing for me, especially after attending the retreat with my cohort. One of the most valuable aspects has been meeting incredibly capable coaches and outstanding YWP leaders from diverse cultures around the world. Listening to their stories has inspired ...

Being chosen to participate in LeaP has been such a privilege. Through the program, I built valuable leadership skills, genuine connections with other global young water professionals, and learned so much about my own potential to foster change in my own field. The collaboration project has been a h...

Being part of the IWA LeaP Programme has been nothing short of transformational. Coming from the frontlines of rural water supply in East Africa—where challenges are complex, resources limited, and voices often unheard—I entered this journey feeling unsure of my place in the global water conversatio...

Being part of the IWA LeaP has been such an inspiring and empowering experience. I've grown a lot—especially in feeling more confident about how to lead and make a positive impact. The program really helped me develop practical leadership skills and gave me the space to reflect on the kind of leader...

IWA LeaP Leadership Programme for Young Water Professionals

Who is it for?

What will the candidates gain?

What do the candidates do?