Simon Jabornig

Dr. Simon Jabornig is an experienced Austrian engineer and managing director of SFC Umwelttechnik GmbH specializing in water and wastewater treatment. He holds a state-certified engineering consultant license in biotechnology and environmental technology and earned a doctoral degree (Dr. tech.) from the University of Innsbruck. His expertise spans process design, plant engineering, and research and development, particularly in membrane technologies and environmental engineering. Dr. Jabornig has accumulated extensive international experience, working in countries such as Australia, India, Germany, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and China.

Beyond his professional responsibilities, Dr. Jabornig has contributed to numerous research projects, focusing on pollutant removal from water and wastewater, often utilizing innovative approaches like plasma technology and ultrafiltration. He has shared his findings through numerous publications, conferences, and presentations.

Syed Salahuddin

Mr. Salahuddin has been serving as the Managing Director/CEO of Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC) since September 2022. He is the first CEO following the corporatization of KW&SC. Before assuming this position, Mr. Salahuddin also served as Project Director of the World Bank-funded (USD 1.6 billion) Karachi Water & Sewerage Services Improvement Project, the largest ever undertaking by the Government of Sindh in the water and sewerage services sector.

With over 24 years of multi-sectoral experience, Mr. Salahuddin has proven himself as a reformist and a leader of meaningful reforms in the water industry of Pakistan. His core areas of expertise include infrastructure development, personnel administration, building and development control, municipal services, funds management, and local governance public policy. He has a track record of evaluating road maps and implementing innovative initiatives, always taking bold steps to drive progress.

Mr. Salahuddin also holds an honor of leading the most coveted field assignment of Sindh Province as Deputy Commissioner, District South, Karachi during the year 2018/19. He coined the concept of community-led solid waste management by introducing a “Blue Jacket Campaign” in District South. By virtue of this, many slums were cleaned on self-help basis through a volunteer corps raised from the locals.

Mr. Salahuddin is the author of two research papers: "Water and Sanitation Improvement Strategies in Pakistan" (2014) and "Growing Dangerous Buildings in Karachi: Challenges and Way Forward" (2020). He has been appointed as a member of the Steering Committee for the 300 Global Water Leaders Group, further solidifying his reputation as a leader in the field.

A firm believer in modern technological advancements, Mr. Salahuddin took on the remarkable challenge of successfully digitizing the entire legal hydrant operations. Under his leadership, KW&SC has benefited from spirited reform managers and innovative strategies to ensure water security for Karachi. He led the operation against the notorious nexus of water and tanker mafia in Karachi, digitized the entire service operations, and developed a hydrant management center. In addition, he has undergone training in Water Secure Cities at the Tokyo Development and Learning Center in Japan and Water Smart Cities at the Singapore Water Center, further enhancing his capabilities in addressing water security challenges.

Thais Lobato de Mello

Thais Mello is part of the Infrastructure Upstream LAC team participating of many Upstream projects such as the Upstream U4C LAC Scoping Platform, unlocking opportunities for IFC to partner with state-owned water and sanitation utilities offering a package combining technical advisory and investment with clients in the Water and Sanitation space. She also participates actively in development and coordination of studies and projects on Energy, Transport and Telecom sectors. 

Before joining IFC, she worked for more than 10 years across different infrastructure sectors in Brazil, having participated in expressions of interest, tenders and structuring financing together with Brazilian development and commercial banks. Thais’ experience includes due diligence, financial modelling, debt structuring and equity investments as well as experience as a financial advisor for PPPs and concessions for the private and public sectors.

She holds an MBA from INSEAD, a degree in Business Administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (EAESP-FGV) and a degree in Accounting from Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP). Thais speaks fluent Portuguese, English and advanced Spanish.