About us
Strategic advisory for the water sector, grounded in 35 years of operational and leadership experience.
Our vision
The UK water sector is navigating its most significant period of change in a generation. New regulatory frameworks, intensified public and political scrutiny, and the demands of AMP9 are reshaping what water companies need from their advisors.
Our mission is straightforward: to help water company leadership teams and their supply chain partners make better decisions, faster, at the intersection of regulatory change, asset strategy, and capital delivery.
Our values
Grounded
Our advice is built on direct experience of how water companies operate — not theory. We've managed the programmes, chaired the meetings, and made the calls. That shapes everything we do.
Rigorous
We bring analytical discipline to complex problems. Whether it's a PR29 business plan or a major investment decision, the logic has to hold up — to boards, to regulators, and to reality.
Independent
We work with a small number of clients at any one time. That means honest advice, free from the conflicts that come with large consultancy practices, and genuine focus on your specific challenges.
Our team
Optopia is led by Mark Mills, supported by a trusted network of water sector specialists brought in where a project demands it. We work this way deliberately, giving clients senior expertise and direct access to the people doing the work, without the overhead of a large practice.
Let’s introduce you to some of the Optopia team…
Mark Mills
Founder/CEO
Mark is a Chartered Electrical Engineer with a MSc in Project Management and Leadership. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering Technology and brings 35 years industry expertise from the UK and internationally. When Mark is not working, he loves to be out mountain biking or running on the South Downs.
Caroline Pitt
Sustainability Associate
Caroline is an economic and regulatory expert who brings over 20 years’ experience directing and managing consulting projects in various sectors. With a strong track record in evaluating options and outcomes through qualitative and quantitative research. When not working, Caroline will be walking along the Thames soaking up the view.
Anna Delicata
Data Analyst
Anna has over 15 years experience in finance, HR and Reward specialising in large scale data reporting, process optimisation and data efficiency. She has gained experience within various large organisations such as Twinings, James Hay and Friends Life. In her free time Anna enjoys park runs and days out with her 3 young children.
Claire Atkins
Quality Manager
Claire brings over 20 years of experience in the Finance and IT training sector, with a strong focus on establishing company administration and quality management systems. She is dedicated to ensuring staff engagement, consistent adherence to professional standards, and driving continuous improvement—key elements that underpin our ISO 9001 accreditation. If she's not at her desk, Claire is wild swimming or hiding from her family with a good book.
Lizzie Tinwell
Administration Manager
Lizzie has over 20 years experience in the education sector which includes advisory, mentoring and training roles. Lizzie is highly organised and experienced, ensuring that we consistently deliver a quality product to our clients and has been instrumental in developed our quality management systems and ISO9001 accreditation. When not working, Lizzie spends time looking after her two young children and swimming & walking along the South Coast.
Our story
Optopia was founded because the most useful advice comes from someone who has lived the problem.
Mark Mills has spent the better part of three decades working in both the clean and wastewater sectors, in the UK and overseas. He brings a unique perspective having worked as a contractor, consultant and client side, with a breadth of experience having managed operational water production teams, asset management and capital investment planning as well as procurement, water quality and capital delivery. Transforming the development and delivery of business plans, ensuring these are effectively aligned and implications of strategy and delivery are taken into account throughout the process.
Optopia exists to bridge the gap between business planning and practical delivery. We work with water company leadership teams and their supply chain partners on the decisions that matter most, where business planning meets the realities of running complex infrastructure businesses under regulatory scrutiny.
The name Optopia blends 'optimise' and 'utopia' — a future where better decisions lead to genuinely better outcomes, for companies, for customers, and for the sector as a whole.
Focused on best practice protocols and standards
Our aim is to exceed our clients’ expectations for quality of service.
Our consultants and all the team follow best practices in project delivery by using an APMP project management approach, along with being committed to delivering a quality service through our ISO 9001:2015 certification.
