Steve Leigh

Founder & Managing Director

Formerly Manager of Developer Services and Key Account Manager at Anglian Water in Norwich, I founded Groundbreaker Systems to deliver water services to new and existing properties more efficiently than had traditionally been the case. Since then, we’ve developed, patented and brought innovative, cost-effective solutions to the water and construction industries—most recently tackling the twin challenges of meeting rising demand and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

From the outset, I’ve focused on building a small (but beautifully formed) team of the best and most experienced engineers and operators, committed to providing pragmatic solutions to any query, at any time.

I am a Fellow of the Institute of Water, having served on the Eastern Area Committee for over a decade, including three consecutive years as Chairman.

Dave Morris

Technical Adviser and Sales (South)

Roy Fretwell

Technical Director

As Technical Director and one of the co-founders of Groundbreaker Systems, I bring well over 40 years of experience in design and manufacture. Throughout my career, I’ve developed products not only for the water industry, but also for sectors such as medical, home appliances and industrial plant design.

My hands-on knowledge of manufacturing processes supports the application of good practice at every stage of the design process. My aim is to provide the industry with simple, robust solutions that benefit both the water sector and its consumers — making the best use of sustainable materials and helping to protect precious natural resources.

Ian Mitchell Eng Tech

Technical Consultant

I retired from Severn Trent Water after 41 years’ service, having started as an apprentice plumber in 1980. After several years working on the kit, I moved into regulatory enforcement and eventually became the Water Fittings and Regulations Manager, responsible for the company’s statutory duty to enforce the Regulations serving over 8 million customers.

Throughout my career, I worked across Water Quality and Regulations and represented Severn Trent Water on external industry groups, including WaterSafe (Non-Executive Director), WRAS Technical Committee (Deputy Chair), and the WRAS Product Assessment Group.

I now assist Groundbreaker with technical and regulatory guidance supported by my wide network in the water industry grown over decades.

Neil Harper

Technical Consultant

With over 40 years of experience in the water industry, I have a strong specialism in metering and water efficiency and a deep understanding of the challenges the sector faces. I spent the majority of my career at a major UK water company, leading the development, implementation and delivery of metering strategy.

Since becoming a consultant in 2021, I’ve supported a wide range of clients on smart metering, demand management and innovation projects. I’ve also delivered training on metering best practices.

Currently, I’m working with UKWIR in a project management role, using decades of experience to contribute to research and future-focused initiatives. I’m passionate about supporting the industry through collaboration and helping drive sustainable, efficient water use.

Richard Leigh CEng

Business Development Manager

I was delighted to join Groundbreaker Systems full time in April 2024 as Business Development Manager. I’m a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 25 years’ experience in engineering and project management roles.

This background enables me to work closely with all sectors of the water industry, as well as developers and our supply chain, to help deliver Groundbreaker’s range of innovative products. I particularly enjoy working on projects that make a difference to the world we live in—especially those that reduce our impact on natural resources: I love the challenge of developing sustainable solutions at Groundbreaker Systems.

Deborah Allard

Finance Manager and Company Secretary

Nicky James-Harley

Logistics Manager

As Logistics Manager, I’m responsible for the day-to-day activities within Groundbreaker Systems, making sure our customers are always valued and treated as we’d want to be treated ourselves.

My role covers everything from customer queries, sales orders, invoicing, and credit control through to stock management, product fabrications, and the coordination of free issue orders. Alongside this, I work closely with the admin team on front-line communications, and ensure our logistics, storage, and dispatch run smoothly and efficiently.

I also oversee account management and customer relationships and I genuinely enjoy being able to offer solutions, answer challenges, and resolve queries to make things as straightforward as possible for our customers.