By the bubbler with Philipp Raichle

Philipp Raichle is the Product and Marketing Manager for the water and wastewater treatment product portfolio for Xylem Oceania and he engages in the water sector across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Raichle joined the water industry in May 2010 and has held various positions in the field of water and wastewater treatment within Xylem Inc. He started as a sales and application engineer for the Xylem Brand Wedeco in Germany and was transferred to Xylem Australia in October 2013, where he took a more sales orientated role as a business development manager focusing on Xylem’s treatment product portfolio.

In April 2017, Raichle commenced his current role as the Product and Marketing Manager. In his day to day duties he supports Xylem Oceania’s business activities as a subject matter expert with application and product knowledge in the water and wastewater treatment segment. He is also responsible for general marketing activities.

He has been a member of the Australian IWA committee since late 2019 and is also a judge on the panel for the Australian Stockholm Junior Water Prize.

What drew you to the water industry?

Rather by chance, I was offered an amazing personal and professional growth opportunity with Xylem in Germany working in the global WEDECO team straight out of university. It didn’t take me long to understand the significance of the water industry in the community and to develop a passion for it, which will keep me forever drawn to it.

Who or what do you draw inspiration from?

I am inspired by the actions of others that make a difference! This can be on a professional level or in my private life. Seeing a person doing an amazing job at work or giving back to his or her community through volunteering makes me reflect on myself and how I could do something similar. It helps me push myself further in my career in the water industry, which I feel has a positive impact on the wider community.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I am a lover of the great outdoors, staying active and surrounding myself with good company. A weekend away camping by the beach, exploring the natural surroundings and having a good time on the water is for me the perfect way to quickly recharge and briefly escape the 'big city' life.

If you were a breed of dog, which would you be and why?

I would be a German Shepherd Beagle. I love the energy of this mixed breed; they are constantly curious and very loyal companions. The individual traits of both breeds are already great and just amazing as a combination.

What do you believe is currently the greatest challenge for your part of the water industry?

Playing my part to support the water industry in its transformation to be more sustainable is one of the most important challenges we face. Water technology providers need to support the industry with innovative solutions aiming to reduce our overall impact on the environment. Such innovations can be disruptive, which in some cases poses a great challenge as it can be a lengthy process to gain the buy in of key industry stakeholders, but this is all part of the journey that I enjoy being a part of.

How does your organisation benefit from being a corporate member of the Australian Water Association?

Xylem Australia is and has been a great supporter and sponsor of the AWA over many years. Being a corporate member of the Association and having a constant dialogue with key industry stakeholders around the region gives us the benefit of understanding customer needs and industry trends in depth. Our membership also enables us to support the industry with education and the exchange of knowledge. Even in a competitive commercial environment this knowledge sharing helps drive technology providers to develop innovative solutions that benefit utilities and the community as a whole.

What messages would you like to give to your colleagues in the Queensland water sector?

It is now more important than ever to be a strong voice to highlight the challenges around water that we have here locally, both in Australia and in Queensland specifically. Particularly as drought and flooding events increase with climate change, we need to work with the entire industry to progress solutions to these challenges. We can all help to educate people around us, at work, at home and at community events. Many people are not aware of these challenges but are all impacted by them in some way. It doesn’t take much, just a conversation and a little repertoire of facts that can be put on the table for the community to become part of the conversation with the water industry.