It is with great pleasure that Osmoflo announces the appointment of Mr Neil Palmer to the position of Chief Technology Officer. From the 9th June 2020, Neil will lead Osmoflo’s Technology and Innovation Division based at its global headquarters in Adelaide and will lead Osmoflo’s research and development program.
Neil is very well known throughout the global water and desalination industry sectors. He brings with him more than 40 years’ experience in the water industry in Australia covering both public and private sectors and working in design, construction, operations, project development, regulation, research and executive management. In 2015, in acknowledgement of his enormous contribution to the global desalination and water sectors, Neil was voted No.1 in World Water International Magazine’s survey of the top 25 water industry leaders of the world.
Most recently, Neil has worked with Tonkin Consulting on the Northern Adelaide Irrigation Scheme from 2016 to 2019 which in its original concept included an advanced reuse plant with a capacity of 35 MLD. He provided technical leadership of the design team, consisting of a diverse group of 40 engineers with the goal of delivery of detailed design, whilst working closely with the primary stakeholder, SA Water.
Prior to this, Neil was the Chief Executive Officer at the National Centre of Excellence in Desalination Australia where he was responsible for managing a joint venture of 13 Australian Universities and CSIRO to deliver a research program supported by $23 million of Government funding focussed on innovations in desalination and RO technology.
Neil’s recent appointment as Osmoflo’s CTO follows a long and successful association with Osmoflo dating back more than a decade. In 2016 he acted as Osmoflo’s Project Lead in the conceptual development and technical design of a large scale 270MLD seawater RO plant in Turkmenistan located on the Caspian Sea, for the Turkmenistan Government. Prior to that, between 2008 and 2010, Neil had also been employed as Osmoflo’s National Operations and Technical Manager, a role in which he was responsible for technical development of desalination processes as well as oversight of the company’s operational obligations and management systems.
Takayuki Inoue, CEO and Managing Director of Osmoflo said “We are extremely pleased to have someone of Neil’s calibre and global reputation joining Osmoflo. With extensive industry experience, he will provide strong leadership and strategic direction for Osmoflo’s Technology and Innovation Division, which already enjoys a world-class reputation. I am confident that with the support of Osmoflo’s global team, our parent company Hitachi Zosen and our industry stakeholders and supporters, Neil will take Osmoflo’s technical expertise and reputation for innovation to new heights.”
