Blanca Antizar is an accomplished water and environmental sector leader with over 20 years of international experience spanning strategic leadership, infrastructure innovation, sustainability integration, investment oversight and corporate governance. She holds a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering and has directed multimillion-pound programmes embedding environmental, social and customer-focused outcomes in regulated and international settings. Blanca is a Fellow of the International Water Association (FIWA) and the Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE), a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in Environmental Sustainability and Resilience at University College London, a Member of the IWA Strategic Council, and serves on multiple strategic advisory boards across Europe and the UK.
Blanca’s previous roles include senior leadership positions across consultancy, academia and the non-profit sector. As Director of Consultancy for Europe, Africa and Latin America at Isle Utilities, she led innovation and digital adoption programmes, oversaw major EU and World Bank initiatives, and strengthened global collaboration platforms connecting more than 700 utilities worldwide . Earlier in her career, she held academic posts at the University of Edinburgh, UCL and Imperial College London, building strong industry–academic partnerships and contributing to research strategy and impact agendas . She has also founded and chaired non-profit organisations, served as a board member for environmental NGOs, and provided governance oversight for major European innovation programmes, reinforcing her expertise in strategy, risk, public value and stakeholder engagement.
Blanca is recognised internationally for her work at the interface of innovation, policy and practice, and for her commitment to advancing sustainable, resilient and nature-positive water systems. She is an active contributor to global water dialogues, including the Inter-American Development Bank and ECLAC, and plays a leading role in shaping sector agendas through the International Water Association and Water Europe.
