In her new role, Cindy Wallis-Lage will focus on global water infrastructure needs for Black & Veatch. Aging infrastructure, economic challenges and increasing demand are factors currently driving growth for service providers going forward.

“We will see increased investment in water and electric infrastructure throughout the world. This will have a rippling effect in the water industry on supply and demand, quality and reliability and flood control. It will also impact environmental and security issues,” said Wallis-Lage. “We know that investment in infrastructure creates jobs and boosts the economy. In the US, the New Deal in the 1930s and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 shared a goal of increasing jobs and improving the economy through public works spending on construction. Today, the world needs a ‘new deal’ type of approach for aging infrastructure,” she said.

Wallis-Lage added that Black & Veatch plans to increase its market share as it expands further globally and penetrates adjacent markets where its operating capabilities provide a competitive advantage.

Wallis-Lage recently served as the company’s executive managing director of technical solutions. She was the recipient of the Top 100 under 50 Diverse Emerging Leaders awards from DiversityMBA Magazine in September 2009. She serves on several committees for the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the International Water Association (IWA).