6 women leading the way to solve water in China

Nearly one-fifth of the global population lives in China, yet the country holds less than 10% of the world's renewable freshwater resources. Xylem's team in China collaborates with municipalities, utilities and commercial water users nationwide, leveraging cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions to tackle critical water issues, from scarcity to pollution.

Through Xylem Watermark, our corporate social responsibility program, Xylem China also provides humanitarian support and solutions to help communities in need combat water challenges and water-related health issues. For example, in 2023, Xylem China launched sewage treatment projects in the rural villages of Shangen and Anlong in Qingyuan County, enhancing living conditions for over 2,600 residents through advanced sewage treatment processes and upgraded local terminals.

To learn more about Xylem China's efforts to build a more water-secure world, Making Waves spoke with six women from our Xylem China team about their impactful work in the water sector:

1. Fang Li: Application Manager, Public Utility Team

What inspired you to work in the water sector?

My journey in the water industry started during university, when I learned about the severity of water challenges facing China and the world, and the new opportunities now available to solve them. In China, issues like extreme weather, rapid urbanization, aging infrastructure and environmental degradation are increasingly pressing problems, especially given the size of our population. Innovative technologies, like the digital and energy-efficient solutions that Xylem provides, hold the key to turning the tide. I wanted to work in a sector - and at a company - that's making a positive societal impact.

Why is working for a company that focuses on sustainability important to you?

Helping businesses and communities become more sustainable is essential to protecting human health and the environment, addressing climate change and maintaining stable economic growth. Water plays a critical role in sustainability, so the work we do at Xylem is central to helping the world build a more water-secure and sustainable future.

2. Julie Luo: Building Information Modeling manager & Product Data and Life-cycle Management Administrator

What's your favorite part of working for Xylem?

This year, my group and I started to work on AI-generated content. Our research focuses on digital art and film generation related to water plants, sewage treatment plants, airports and underground pipelines. Essentially, we're discovering new ways to use innovative technologies to help visualize water issues and Xylem's solutions to help our customers address them. Since our work focuses on exploring new technologies and applications of technologies, there are many challenges and setbacks, but also exciting breakthroughs.

Why is working for a company that focuses on sustainability important to you?

Being part of a company that provides innovation and technology to promote sustainability motivates me to think outside the box and come up with new ideas to address complex environmental issues. I can't think of a more exciting or meaningful way to apply my technological expertise and creativity than working to protect the planet!

3. Lisa Li: Standard Pump Development Manager, China RDE

What's your favorite part about working for Xylem?

What I enjoy most is my volunteering activities with Xylem Watermark. The program offers so many different and inspiring ways to help people and the planet. You can provide equipment and technology to provide schools and communities with access to clean water. You can educate young people on how to prevent water-related illnesses, or how to conserve water or protect their local ecosystems. You can get together with your colleagues and partners to clean local waterways and parks. I'm proud to work for a company that prioritizes employee volunteer work and leaving a positive impact.

Why is it so important to encourage women leadership in the water sector?

To solve the world's growing water problems, the water sector needs bold new ideas. And the way to encourage fresh thinking is to ensure we have a greater cross-section of voices - including more women leaders. I'm proud to work for Xylem China and to have a leader like Shuping Lu, who oversees our business in China and Asia, and is a powerful woman role model. Her vision and the work she's doing to help Xylem solve water challenges across Asia is incredibly inspiring. We need to encourage more women to join the water sector and give them more opportunities to learn and lead. One great way Xylem is doing this is through our employee network, Xylem Women's Network, a global effort across our company to champion women solving water. (Learn about Xylem Women's Network.)

4. Betty Liu: Senior Application Engineer, Building Service Application Team

How does your work help Xylem solve water for our customers and communities?

I work with Xylem colleagues and customers to ensure we're looking at customer challenges through their eyes - understanding their unique needs from their perspective - and putting their needs first. I do this by learning everything I can about our customers' water management problems and sustainability goals, then collaborating with my colleagues to offer solutions that utilize our technologies, expertise and strong local Research, Development and Engineering team to implement solutions that make a difference.

What's your favorite part of working for Xylem?

My favorite activity is volunteering with Xylem Watermark, our corporate social responsibility program. I believe the work that we do for communities facing dire water and humanitarian needs is especially meaningful. When we donate water technology to schools to provide clean water access, the smiles on the children's faces and the knowledge that we're making a difference in their lives makes me incredibly proud to work for Xylem.

5. Agnes Wang: Senior Business Growth Manager, Industrial Applications Engineering Team

What inspired you to work in the water sector?

As one person, working alone, I'm limited to what I can do to protect the world's water resources. By working at a global water technology company like Xylem, I can have a much greater impact. At Xylem, we are very focused on collaboration - within our local teams and across our global footprint. This allows us to tap into our collective expertise and experience and really move the needle. It's exciting to work for a company that's making the world more water-secure and helping shape a better future.

What would you say to a young person thinking about working in water?

There are still many global water challenges to be solved, where the next generation can make a real difference - from helping communities become more water-secure through water reuse, finding new solutions to address PFAS and other kinds of water pollution, or inventing state-of-the-art technologies to make communities more resilient to climate change. Solving water is important, exciting and endlessly interesting work.

6. Xiaohua Guo: Application Supervisor

How does your work contribute to helping Xylem solve water for our customers and communities?

I work as a pre-sales technical support engineer within our Assessment Services and Decision Intelligence Solutions team in China. I provide technical expertise to customers who face a variety of challenges and require unique solutions. I take pride in the fact that I can utilize my technical expertise to help customers select our most suitable products or solutions, helping them solve water more effectively for their businesses and communities.

Why is working for a company that focuses on sustainability important to you?

I firmly believe that sustainability is essential to creating a balanced and prosperous world that meets the needs of people, while preserving the planet for future generations. Knowing that I work for a company like Xylem that's committed to sustainability gives me a profound sense of purpose and fulfillment in my work. I feel motivated to apply my talents and go the extra mile to achieve our company goals. Knowing that our collective efforts are not only achieving success for our business, but we're also making a positive and powerful impact on society.

Hear from Xylem's President of China and Asia, Shuping Lu, about Xylem's work to solve water in Beijing.

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