Miguel Angel Sanz is currently Director of Strategic Development for Treatment Infrastructure Division of SUEZ.

He has 34 years of professional experience in desalination as well as in the drinking water and wastewater fields. Joining Degrémont group in 1983, in Spain, he has been in several positions as Technical and Project Director in Spain, Desalination Manager and Deputy Technical Director for Degrémont group, Business Development Director in Degrémont Iberia and Director of Development and Innovation of Degrémont based in France. As of January 1, 2015, Degrémont and all companies of the group became SUEZ.

Working with SUEZ group, he has a stake in promoting innovation in the field of membrane desalination, and he has taken part in the design, build or operation of more than 40 brackish or seawater desalination plants worldwide.

Mr. Sanz has been a member of the IDA Board of Directors since 2009. In previous terms he served as 2nd Vice President and served on several committees including the Technical Programs as Co-Chair. He has been session co-chair in four IDA World Congresses and was a member of the Technical Committee of the 2013 IDA World Congress in Tianjin, China.

He promoted the organization of the first IDA conference in Algeria in 2010; was chairman the first IDA conference in Morocco, held in Casablanca in 2012; and was co-chairman of the first IDA conference in Latin America, held in Rio de Janeiro in March 2015. In the last two World Water Forums, he has participated or co-organized the Desalination and Reuse sessions in Desalination representing IDA. To summarize, Mr. Sanz has participated as contributor, organizer, speaker or chairman in over 25 events organized or supported by IDA in the last years. He has published over 50 papers on desalination and water treatment.

Moreover, he has contributed to promote and create some desalination and reuse organizations such as the Latin American Desalination and Reuse Association (ALADyR). He is also active among IDA’s affiliate organizations, being for eight years a member of the Board of Directors of the European Desalination Society (EDS) and the Spanish Desalination and Reuse Association AEDyR, where he has been Vice President for four years. He is also a member of other desalination or water associations: CaribDA, ALADyR, IWA and WEF, and member of the Editorial Board of W.D+R.

Mr. Sanz received his Industrial Engineer Master degree in 1981 from Bilbao High Technical School of Engineers.