Acciona Agua has appointed Simon Hatcher as managing director the company in Australia, effective 8 August 2011. Hatcher will succeed Jose Maria Ortega, who will return to the Acciona head office in Madrid and retain overall responsibility for Acciona Agua’s business in Australia, which presently includes construction of the Adelaide Desalination Plant. Since joining the company in 2009, Hatcher has taken a lead commercial and financial role on several project development and acquisition opportunities. Most recently, he served as the commercial director for the Helena Water Consortium which achieved success with the recent financial close of the Mundaring Weir Water Supply PPP project in Perth. Hatcher spent 16 years as finance director of United Utilities in Australia.