Letter and social media post sent 1 January 2025

To friends and colleagues around the world: I am retiring.

After 44 years of professional work, 36 of them spent working to advance sustainability and sustainable development, it’s time for a rest. 

I had intended to continue working professionally a few more years, but in November, I developed an illness. It’s not life-threatening, but it impaired my ability to keep performing at top level. After conferring with health professionals and with my family, it became clear that I needed to make a big change. I realised I would not be able to go back to work fully and serve my organisation effectively for quite some time — and certainly not without taking a long break, which the organisation could not afford. Especially when that organisation, Global Water Partnership, is currently developing a new multi-year strategy, transforming its operations, and seeking a new home, outside of Sweden. 

To safeguard my health, and to allow GWP a chance to quickly identify a new long-term leader who can give the job everything it requires, I resigned my position as Executive Secretary & CEO in November, 2024, with the intent of planning a handoff of my formal duties and going into formal retirement by the end of the year. The GWP Steering Committee graciously accepted my request to be released early from my contractual obligations, and as of 1 January, 2025, I am officially retired. 

I continue to strongly believe in the great work that GWP is doing, and in its future. I’m very proud of what this extraordinary global network accomplished during my year at the helm, and it grieves me to have to leave such a great team of professionals, so soon. It was a tremendous honour to lead them, through what turned out to be an extremely challenging year, but one that once again proved the organisation’s resilience. I know that my GWP colleagues will carry on effectively, just as I know that the world needs their work — and needs to prioritise water security — more than ever. 

I intend to reflect on and write about my overall career later. But for now, let me just extend my enormous and deeply heartfelt gratitude to all those who have supported me, partnered with me, hired me, encouraged and inspired me, over all these years. The work of creating a sustainable world is far from finished, but I will step back from that work now, grateful in the knowledge that there are so many more people — literally millions more — working on these issues today, compared to when I started. 

My immediate priority is to recover and get back to normal health. What will I do then? Not sure yet. I do find myself writing (once a writer, always a writer), and I expect that there are several books that want to get written. If you’re interested to see how things develop, watch my personal blog or my social media. I’ll let you know. 

With my best wishes and fond hopes for the new year,

Alan AtKisson