Osmo Seppälä has over 20 years of professional experience in the sector, including 8 years of experience from water and sanitation projects in East Africa. In recent years he has concentrated on matters related to institutional development and capacity building, policy and management, and the management and supervision of project implementation activities. Dr. Seppälä gained his doctoral degree (D.Tech. Civ.Eng.) from Tampere University of Technology, in April 2004. His doctoral dissertation focused on visionary and strategic management of water utilities and institutional reform in the water and sanitation sector, especially in developing countries.