Getting to know Ayisha Khurshid, Group Commercial – Gas and Electricity

What was your background before joining Aqua Consultants?

I have 15+ years of experience in the utilities sector and previously led an emerging talent digital consultancy, where I successfully built a utilities division, supporting the sector in building workforce resilience.

I also worked for Energy & Utility Skills Group, where I was instrumental in developing new national training standards and supported members to attract, develop, and maintain a sustainable, skilled workforce.

What do you do at Aqua Consultants?

Currently, I lead on all things gas and energy for Aqua Consultants and Adler & Allan.

My area of expertise includes business development, strategy development, change and transformation, and digitalisation.

What excites you about coming to work?

I'm passionate about future-proofing the sector in the new digital and AI era with diverse emerging talent.

I am a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and have served as a mentor for the Women Utilities Network for over five years.

What motivates me each day is knowing that I am helping to develop individuals who will continue our work and create positive, lasting change.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Those who know me will probably agree that I love developing and connecting people.

I enjoy being involved with and learning from industry associations and initiatives and helping to facilitate opportunities to collaborate and share knowledge.

I also have a 4-year-old daughter who keeps me on my toes, and together we are enjoying learning mixed martial arts.

What are you looking forward to over the next 12 months?

I am excited about taking on two new roles: Non-Executive Director and Board Member at Future Water Association, and Vice Chair of the UK Forum at British Water.

I am also excited about our future contributions supporting the UK gas sector.

What is the biggest challenge you see in the environmental sector in the next 10 years?

One challenge I foresee in the environmental sector over the next decade is the integration of digital and AI technologies to drive sustainable practices while ensuring workforce resilience.

As the sector evolves, there will be a critical need to balance technological advancements with the development of a skilled and diverse workforce.

This includes not only attracting and retaining talent but also providing continuous training and development to keep pace with rapid changes.