Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, the not-for-profit water company serving over three million people across Wales, Herefordshire, and parts of Deeside, has confirmed the appointment of Roch Cheroux as its new Chief Executive.
Roch has held senior operational and leadership roles across Europe, Asia and Australia and was Chief Executive at Sydney Water, Australia’s largest water utility between 2019 and March 2025. With over three decades of experience in the water industry, he is widely respected for his focus on sustainability, customer service, and operational excellence. His appointment comes at a critical time for Welsh Water as the sector responds to growing public expectations, environmental pressures, and regulatory reform.
During his time at Sydney Water, Roch oversaw a four-and-a-half-fold increase in capital investment; customer complaints dropped significantly despite challenging operational circumstances such as Covid, bushfires, floods and drought; and considerable improvement in both employee engagement and recordable health and safety incidents; and last year Sydney Water was named the most trusted utility company in Australia.
Roch succeeds Peter Perry, who has served as Chief Executive of Welsh Water since 2020. Having worked in the water industry for over 45 years, Peter Perry announced in April this year that he plans to retire in Spring 2026.
Prior to his role at Sydney Water, Roch was Chief Executive at South Australia Water Corporation, and prior to that held senior executive roles at SUEZ (in Australia and Asia), United Utilities Australia (in Australia and Asia), Tallinn Water (Estonia) and with the Bouygues Group in France.
Roch will join the company on October 6th and formally take on the role of Chief Executive in the New Year. Pete Perry will retire in spring 2026.
Speaking about his appointment, Roch Cheroux said: “It is a real privilege to be joining Dwr Cymru – a company with a clear public purpose and a unique not-for-profit model that puts customers and communities first. Its unique model was a significant factor in my decision to move to Welsh Water.
“It is a pivotal time for the company and the sector. The far-reaching reforms proposed by the Independent Water Commission together with Dwr Cymru’s ambitious investment programme for the next five years means it’s an exciting time to join the company. I’m looking forward to working with the team, Governments, regulators and our customers, to deliver the best possible outcomes for our customers, communities and the environment.”
Jane Hanson CBE, Chair of Glas Cymru, said: “Roch brings a strong international track record of leading high-performing, customer-focused water companies. His experience will be invaluable as we navigate significant change both in terms of the reform of the water sector, but also by working closely with the Board to ensure a laser-like focus on performance improvement and that every penny of our customers’ bills is used for greatest impact.
“We are delighted to welcome Roch to Dwr Cymru at such a critical time for the company. Our rigorous recruitment exercise involved an extensive selection process – and considered high-quality candidates from Wales, the rest of the UK and from around the globe, ensuring that we appointed the best possible candidate to deliver our most ambitious business plan ever.
“I would also like to pay tribute to Peter Perry, whose leadership has been instrumental over the past five years. Under his guidance, Dwr Cymru has remained resilient through the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the most challenging operational incidents in decades and also increasing environmental pressures—all while delivering for customers and staying true to its not-for-profit values. On behalf of the Board and the wider business, I want to thank Peter for his exceptional contribution and wish him every success for the future.”
