Eleanor Allen
CEO Water For People
Dr. Norm Evans Distinguished Lecturer

Eleanor Allen is the CEO of Water For People, a global nonprofit working in nine countries in Africa, Latin America, and India to help develop sustainable water and sanitation services. It is recognized as a leader in the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector through its innovative approach to development, which brings together local entrepreneurs, technology, governments, and communities to create quality, reliable, and lasting systems and services.

Prior to Water For People, Eleanor was the Global Director of Water at Arcadis and the Latin America Director of Water at CH2M. She is a professional engineer experienced in leading multi-cultural, global teams in delivering rural and urban infrastructure programs and managing regional and global operations. In 2016, Eleanor did a TEDx talk on Why Water Is A Women’s Issue. In 2016, Eleanor also won the Denver Outstanding Women in Business Award in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction. She is distinguished alum at the University of California at Berkeley Academy for Civil and Environmental Engineering and is on the advisory board at the University of Colorado Mortenson Center for Engineering in Developing Communities. She has lived and worked in many different countries and speaks four languages.