Discover Xylem's leadership team, their strategic vision for water technology innovation, and how the company is transforming global water management.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Sun 4th January 2026
When one considers the most pressing challenges facing humanity, water scarcity rarely receives the attention it deserves. Yet behind the scenes, a Washington-based corporation with revenues exceeding eight billion dollars is quietly revolutionising how the world manages its most precious resource. Xylem leadership has positioned the company as the largest pure-play water technology enterprise globally, and understanding their strategic vision offers valuable lessons for executives across industries.
The name Xylem derives from the Greek term for the tissue that transports water through plants, a fitting metaphor for a company whose mission statement is refreshingly direct: "Let's Solve Water." This article examines the leadership team driving this ambitious undertaking and the strategic decisions shaping the future of water technology.
Matthew Pine assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2024, bringing more than twenty-five years of experience in general management, sales, marketing, and digital transformation. His appointment marked a strategic succession from Patrick Decker, who led the company for nearly a decade and transformed Xylem from an industrial products company into a technology-driven enterprise.
Pine joined Xylem in 2020 and previously served as Chief Operating Officer, where he led the Applied Water and Measurement and Control Solutions segments alongside the Americas region. His background includes senior leadership positions at United Technologies Corporation, Vestas Wind Systems, and Lennox International.
Pine's approach centres on what Xylem terms a "high-impact culture," built upon three core behaviours: Empowered to Lead, Accountable to Deliver, and Inspired to Innovate. His vision focuses on simplifying water management complexities whilst helping customers and communities achieve greater water security.
Notably, Pine champions diversity initiatives within the water sector. He has led employee network groups throughout his career and served as executive sponsor for Xylem's People of Colour and Allies Network. His membership in the U.S. Business Roundtable and the World Economic Forum's Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders further demonstrates his commitment to sustainable business practices.
Xylem's senior leadership comprises eleven executives who collectively bring more than 150 years of corporate experience. The team includes regional and business segment leaders alongside those guiding digital transformation, finance, innovation, legal affairs, human resources, strategy, supply chain management, and sustainability functions.
| Executive | Role | Key Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew Pine | President and CEO | Overall strategic direction and company leadership |
| William Grogan | EVP, Chief Financial Officer | Global financial strategy and value creation |
| Rodney Aulick | EVP, President of Water Solutions and Services | Critical water applications and operations |
| Albert Cho | EVP, Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer | Strategic roadmap and stakeholder engagement |
| Stacy Cozad | EVP, Chief Legal Officer | Legal, compliance, and enterprise risk management |
| Snehal Desai | EVP, Chief Growth and Innovation Officer | Innovation technologies and market growth |
| Meredith Emmerich | EVP, President of Applied Water | Global Applied Water segment performance |
| Mike McGann | EVP, President of Measurement and Control Solutions | Smart metering and analytics solutions |
| Thomas Pettit | EVP, Chief Operations Officer | Integrated operations and supply chain |
| Claudia Toussaint | EVP, Chief People and Sustainability Officer | Sustainability goals and workforce development |
| Hayati Yarkadas | EVP, President of Water Infrastructure | Water transport and infrastructure solutions |
The executive team's composition reflects Xylem's commitment to innovation-led growth. Snehal Desai, appointed Chief Growth and Innovation Officer in 2023, brings over thirty-five years of leadership experience in water and commercial technologies, including his previous role at Evoqua Water Technologies prior to its acquisition by Xylem.
Albert Cho, serving as Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer since 2022, leads the company's strategic roadmap and external partnerships. His background in advanced infrastructure analytics positions him to guide Xylem's digital transformation initiatives, including the deployment of artificial intelligence and machine learning across water management systems.
Perhaps no decision better illustrates Xylem leadership's strategic ambition than the May 2023 acquisition of Evoqua Water Technologies. Valued at approximately 7.5 billion dollars, this all-stock transaction created the world's largest pure-play water technology company with combined revenues exceeding seven billion dollars and more than 22,000 employees globally.
The acquisition exemplifies what management scholars might recognise as platform-building strategy. Evoqua's strengths in advanced water and wastewater treatment, coupled with its extensive service professional network, complement Xylem's established global distribution capabilities. The combined entity now addresses the complete water cycle, from extraction and treatment to distribution, analysis, and return.
The strategic rationale extended beyond mere scale. Evoqua brought particular expertise in emerging contaminant remediation, including PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), commonly known as "forever chemicals." Additionally, Evoqua's digitally-enabled offerings serve high-growth sectors such as life sciences, microelectronics, power generation, and food and beverage manufacturing.
From a geographic perspective, the merger enables Xylem to deploy Evoqua's treatment technologies across its global footprint. Evoqua's historical concentration in North America now benefits from Xylem's presence in over 150 countries. Leadership anticipated run-rate cost synergies of 140 million dollars within three years through procurement efficiencies, network optimisation, and consolidated corporate functions.
Sustainability at Xylem extends beyond corporate social responsibility initiatives; it forms the core of the business model itself. The company's products and services directly address environmental challenges, creating what leadership describes as alignment between commercial success and positive societal impact.
Claudia Toussaint, as Chief People and Sustainability Officer, leads execution of sustainability goals across all business functions. This integrated approach ensures environmental considerations inform decisions throughout the organisation rather than remaining siloed within a dedicated department.
Xylem's sustainability strategy focuses on three strategic pillars addressing areas where the company can create the greatest positive impact. Recognition from external bodies validates this approach: Newsweek ranked Xylem fortieth among America's 600 Most Responsible Companies, whilst Barron's positioned the company sixth in its 100 Most Sustainable Companies listing.
The company aligns its activities with six United Nations Sustainable Development Goals most relevant to its mission and capabilities. This framework provides measurable targets whilst connecting Xylem's work to broader global initiatives addressing water security, climate action, and sustainable infrastructure.
Xylem leadership recognises that solving water challenges increasingly requires digital innovation alongside traditional engineering excellence. The company maintains what it describes as the industry's most comprehensive portfolio of technology solutions, including more than eighty million connected assets generating operational data.
The Xylem Vue integrated software and analytics platform exemplifies this digital-first approach. Deployed across more than forty water utilities worldwide in recent years, the platform enables utilities to address water scarcity, manage aging infrastructure, and improve operational efficiency through data-driven decision-making.
Concrete outcomes demonstrate the value of Xylem's smart water solutions. In Buffalo, New York, a real-time decision support system reduced combined sewer overflows by 450 million gallons within twelve months, generating savings of 145 million dollars. Hot Springs, Arkansas, deployed Xylem's advanced metering infrastructure to identify and address sudden water losses approaching four million gallons daily.
The company's Innovation Labs operates a Partnerships Accelerator programme, selecting startups developing breakthrough water technologies. Recent cohorts have included innovations in advanced pathogen detection, novel leak detection materials, and artificial intelligence applications for flood prediction, pipeline inspection, and regulatory compliance.
Understanding Xylem leadership requires appreciating the company's origins and evolution. Xylem launched in October 2011 as a spinoff of ITT Corporation's water-related businesses, which had generated approximately 3.7 billion dollars in revenue the previous year.
The spinoff consolidated heritage brands with impressive pedigrees. Flygt, established in Sweden in 1901, pioneered electrical submersible pumps, launching the world's first electrical submersible drainage pump in 1947. Goulds Water Technology traces its origins to 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York, nearly two centuries of pump-making expertise now unified under the Xylem umbrella.
Patrick Decker's decade as CEO transformed this industrial products collection into an integrated technology enterprise. His strategic acquisitions expanded the portfolio into smart water infrastructure and advanced data analytics, whilst Xylem Watermark, the corporate citizenship initiative, extended clean water access to vulnerable communities globally.
Several principles emerge from examining Xylem's leadership approach that merit consideration by executives across industries:
Mission clarity drives alignment: "Let's Solve Water" provides unmistakable direction, enabling employees across functions and geographies to understand how their work contributes to organisational purpose.
Cultural behaviours operationalise values: The three core behaviours, Empowered to Lead, Accountable to Deliver, and Inspired to Innovate, translate abstract values into observable conduct expectations.
Sustainability integrates with strategy: Rather than treating environmental responsibility as peripheral, Xylem leadership embeds sustainability throughout business planning processes.
Acquisitions serve capability gaps: The Evoqua transaction illustrates disciplined acquisition strategy focused on complementary capabilities rather than mere revenue accumulation.
Digital transformation requires executive sponsorship: Senior leadership positions, including a Chief Strategy and Digital Officer, ensure digital initiatives receive appropriate resources and attention.
Matthew Pine serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Xylem Inc, having assumed the role in January 2024. He succeeded Patrick Decker, who led the company for nearly a decade. Pine previously served as Xylem's Chief Operating Officer and brings over twenty-five years of experience in general management across the energy and technology sectors.
Xylem Inc maintains its global headquarters in Washington, DC. The company operates in more than 150 countries worldwide with approximately 23,000 employees. Xylem was formed in 2011 as a spinoff of ITT Corporation's water-related businesses and has since grown through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions.
Xylem is a global water technology company providing solutions that transport, treat, analyse, and monitor water across public utility, industrial, commercial, agricultural, and residential settings. The company's portfolio includes pumps, treatment systems, smart metering, and digital analytics platforms designed to address water challenges throughout the complete water cycle.
Xylem reported revenues of approximately 8.6 billion dollars with a workforce of 23,000 employees globally. The company achieved Fortune 500 status and is recognised as the world's largest pure-play water technology company following its acquisition of Evoqua Water Technologies in 2023.
Xylem's mission is expressed as "Let's Solve Water," reflecting the company's commitment to helping customers address water challenges through innovative technology solutions. The accompanying vision states: "We devote our technology, time and talent to advance the smarter use of water. We look to a future where global water issues do not exist."
Xylem was not founded by an individual entrepreneur but rather formed through ITT Corporation's strategic spinoff of its water-related businesses in October 2011. The company consolidated heritage brands including Flygt, established in 1901, and Goulds Water Technology, which traces its origins to 1848, combining nearly three centuries of collective water technology expertise.
Xylem completed its acquisition of Evoqua Water Technologies in May 2023 through an all-stock transaction valued at approximately 7.5 billion dollars. The combination created the world's largest pure-play water technology company, bringing together Xylem's global infrastructure capabilities with Evoqua's advanced treatment solutions and extensive service network.