Hannah Garrett has 10 years across both sides of data center delivery - five on the GC side at Hensel Phelps and Clark, and five more on the owner side at Meta, Aligned, Microsoft, and Oracle. She's a recognized voice in the industry, known for her LinkedIn post "You Can't Automate Chaos", and for saying out loud what most people in the room are thinking but won't say.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahegarrett/

What You'll Learn

1. The Symptom-Root Cause Gap

Delays, burnout, and cost overruns in data center delivery are symptoms - not the disease. Hannah makes the case that most operational pain points trace directly back to systems and structures that were never built for the scale being demanded of them. Until leadership treats the root cause, adding technology only makes the chaos faster.

2. The Amplification Principle

AI doesn't fix broken systems. It accelerates them. Hannah's framework: understand your operations end-to-end, map out the full complexity across 40-plus stakeholders, establish structure and only then let AI scale what's already working. Applied too early, it amplifies every gap you haven't dealt with yet.

3. The Simplicity Paradox

The smartest people in complex industries tend to build the most complex tools, but complexity degrades data quality, because people stop updating systems they find painful to use. Hannah argues that simpler, centralized platforms (she points to Asana and Monday as examples) produce far better information than the highly engineered tools leadership tends to prefer.

4. The Change Management Translation Problem

"Change order" is a career-defining term on a job site. In software, it barely registers. Hannah breaks down the language and cultural gap between tech and construction teams and why the absence of a shared vocabulary means billion-dollar decisions are routinely being made in Slack channels, with no one raising the downstream impacts until it's too late.

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Introduction: Hannah's 10 years spanning GC and owner sides of data centers

[00:02:00] What the boom felt like: "a meteor overnight" — and why the industry wasn't ready

[00:04:00] What five years on the GC side taught her about change management

[00:06:00] Tech vs. Construction: two different organisms forced to work together

[00:09:00] Why projects are delayed: the leadership-to-delivery disconnect

[00:15:00] Ford's automation lesson: why structure has to come before AI

[00:20:00] PM as "the domino for AI": challenging Jack Dorsey's hierarchy quote

[00:22:00] "Chaos is a report card": what happens when you scale without systems

[00:29:00] The burned-out PM problem and the doctor/EHR parallel

[00:33:00] Dashboard overload: why qualitative metrics often beat KPI tracking

[00:37:00] How Hannah takes over a portfolio: her framework for finding the gaps

[00:43:00] The case for a central source of truth (and why no one has built it yet)

[00:49:00] Final challenge to leadership: bold plans must look nothing like the last 10 years

Episode Resources

• Connect with Hannah Garrett on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahegarrett/ 
• Referenced: Ford's quality automation and rehiring case
• Referenced: Jack Dorsey — "Hierarchy is an obsolete information routing protocol"

If this conversation hit close to home, subscribe to the Major Project Podcast wherever you listen — and leave a review. Every rating helps more project leaders find conversations like this one.

Bruno Caldas is a project controls and business intelligence professional at Rio Tinto, sitting at the intersection of capital projects, finance, systems, and AI. With 16 years in mining across Guinea, Brazil, and Canada - and roles spanning site engineering, FP&A, and PMO leadership at Vale and Rio Tinto - he has built the reporting infrastructure behind some of the industry's most complex billion-dollar portfolios. He also teaches business intelligence in Northwestern University's MBA program.

Bruno Caldas is a project controls and business intelligence professional at Rio Tinto with 18 years of experience, 16 in mining. Having built PMOs for iron ore, copper, and nickel portfolios at Vale and Rio Tinto - across Africa, Brazil, and Canada - he now sits at the frontier of AI-driven portfolio management. He teaches BI in Northwestern University's MBA program.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brunodcaldas/

1. Start with your most mature data source - and earn every layer from there

Every PMO Bruno built began the same way: find the data that's already clean (usually SAP), build dashboards people actually want to see, and use that success to earn sponsors for the next layer. He didn't start with governance frameworks or org design. He started with what worked and let the wins spread organically. His rule: prove value with what's mature, then go to the piece that needs fixing. Bottom-up, always - even when top-down funding is available.

2. Two reports, not one: the 3-page executive version changes everything

On every major project Bruno worked, there were two deliverables: a 200-page full report and a 3-page visual executive summary. Leadership wanted fast, clear, and visual. That discipline - ruthlessly separating what the full team needs from what the boardroom needs - built trust with executives faster than any comprehensive report would have. The 3-page version was how Bruno got sponsors. The 200-page version was how the project stayed on track.

3. Mining operations are five years ahead of corporate on AI - and the math explains why

In iron ore, cutting unit cost by just $1 generates $400 million in EBITDA. That return on technology is why operations have been running AI teams, autonomous trucks, and sensor-driven predictive maintenance for years. The S11D project Bruno worked on is entirely truckless - conveyor belts run directly from the pit to the processing plant, no diesel, no CO2. Corporate PMOs are a year or two behind. The gap is real, and closing it is where the opportunity sits.

4. AI agents are only as useful as the data beneath them

Bruno is building a team of AI agents - one for risk, one for HSE, one for community relations - on a medallion architecture: raw data piped into a processed layer for agents, then a gold layer for Power BI dashboards. The Microsoft CEO said it plainly: your AI strategy and your data strategy are the same strategy. Bruno's been living that for a decade. His corporate training program teaches everyone up to the markdown level. The agent-building stays with the people who want to go further.

• 00:00 — Introduction
• 02:00 — Building computers at 14 to mechatronics engineering: Bruno's tech-first origin story
• 08:00 — The Simandou Project, Guinea: $20B iron ore, a railroad through 50% of a country
• 15:00 — S11D, North Brazil: drone photography, walking 1,500km of railroad, performance at scale
• 19:00 — FP&A at Vale: seeing billion-dollar projects through the finance lens
• 26:00 — Power BI, SAP, and the CFO meeting that moved Bruno to Canada
• 35:00 — Building a PMO from scratch: start with what's mature, earn sponsors, scale up
• 44:00 — Operations vs. corporate: why mining AI is years ahead - and the truckless mine
• 55:00 — AI agents, medallion architecture, and the one-stop-shop PMO control tower
• 1:00:00 — Teaching AI inside the company: level 1 chatbots to level 8 VS Code
• 1:10:00 — What PMO teams look like in five years - and why data is the only moat

• Primavera P6 / MS Project (scheduling tools)
• Power BI - Microsoft (launched 2017)
• SAP (PS, FM, MM modules)
• S11D - Vale truckless iron ore mine, North Brazil
• Simandou Project - Guinea, West Africa
• Medallion architecture (data engineering framework)
• Northwestern University MBA program (Bruno teaches BI)

Omer Iqbal is Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment PMO at Sydney Water, where he oversees a $30 billion capital program serving 6 million people. His career has run from site engineering on a $20M oil and gas job to board service, MBA, and portfolio leadership across some of Australia's most complex infrastructure. In this episode, he shares the frameworks he developed to help executives actually understand what's happening inside a billion-dollar portfolio - and make better decisions because of it.

Guest Bio

Omer Iqbal is Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment PMO at Sydney Water, managing a $30 billion capital portfolio serving 6 million people. With 20 years across oil and gas, mining, defense, and major infrastructure - and former president of PMI Sydney chapter - Omer bridges project delivery and board-level investment strategy.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/moigoheer/

What You'll Learn

1. The shift from "are we delivering right" to "are we delivering the right thing"

At the project level, success means managing scope, schedule, and budget. At the portfolio level, those metrics don't tell you whether the project should exist at all. Omer describes the moment this clicked - simultaneously managing a complex COVID-era project at Transport for NSW, earning an MBA, and serving on a board. The canvas of thinking, as he puts it, completely expanded. Zooming out that far is disorienting at first. Eventually, it's the only view that makes sense.

2. "The most expensive meeting is where everybody agrees"

When everyone in a room nods along, no one is doing their job. Omer's counter is psychological safety - which he calls 100% a leadership responsibility, non-negotiable. His personal rule with his team: "Your failure is mine, 100%. If we succeed, that success is your title, 100%." That one principle removes the fear that keeps people quiet in rooms where silence is expensive.

3. The difference between a dashboard and executive intelligence: What, So What, Now What

Dashboards tell you what is happening. Executive intelligence goes further: So what does this mean for our regulatory exposure, our asset condition, our risk appetite? And then: Now what action is required - and from whom? Omer's team built custom portfolio indicators (including a portfolio cost index that flags hidden cost blowouts before they surface) specifically to make what's invisible visible - and to frame it in a way that triggers decisions, not just awareness.

4. You cannot outsource accountability - including to AI

AI can run Monte Carlo simulations in minutes. It can draft schedules, surface trends, and produce beautifully formatted reports. What it cannot do is be held accountable when a decision goes wrong. Omer's governance rule for his team: whenever you use AI to produce an artifact, save the prompt too. The prompt is the scope of work for the AI - and tracing it back is how you keep humans in the loop where they belong.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 — Introduction

02:00 — From a $20M oil and gas job to billion-dollar infrastructure

05:00 — The portfolio mindset shift: board service, MBA, and COVID

08:00 — Full circle: what it actually means to be the project sponsor

13:00 — Sydney Water: 1.5 billion liters/day, $30B in the pipeline, 80 investment drivers

19:00 — Why earned value management breaks down at portfolio scale

25:00 — What executives should actually be asking before signing a business case

32:00 — "The most expensive meeting is where everybody agrees" — building psychological safety

40:00 — Portfolio Cost Index: the single number that surfaces hidden cost blowouts

49:00 — Dashboard vs. executive intelligence: What, So What, Now What

1:04:00 — Governance and AI: why you cannot outsource accountability

Resources Mentioned

• Atomic Habits — James Clear
• Rapid Transformation — Catriona Wallace
• Toby Ord — AI risk research (referenced in Rapid Transformation)
• PMI Sydney Chapter — pmi.org.au
• NEC Suite (contract framework used at Sydney Water)
• Tools referenced: SAP, Primavera P6, Maximo, Coupler

Iwona Wilson is co-founder and CEO of Wilson Biz Consulting and author of Where Projects Are Won or Lost: A Practical Guide to Early Decision Framing and Governance. With 20 years across oil and gas, mining, and capital projects in Australia, the UK, and the US - including over a decade teaching decision gate process at one of Australia's largest energy producers, she's built her career around the question most organizations don't ask until it's too late: are we making good decisions, or just passing gates?

Iwona Wilson is co-founder and CEO of Wolfson Peace Consulting and author of Where Projects Are Won or Lost: A Practical Guide to Early Decision Framing and Governance. With 20 years across oil and gas, mining, and capital projects in Australia, the UK, and the US, she specializes in decision gate process, opportunity framing, and building the organizational capabilities that separate projects that deliver from those that overrun.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/iwona-wilson/

What You'll Learn

1. Having a decision gate process is not the same as having decision-making capability Most organizations have phases, templates, and mandatory gate checklists. What they're missing is the ability to frame opportunities, challenge assumptions, align stakeholders across functions, and measure decision quality. When companies call Iwona for help, it's almost always after a major overrun or project cancellation - not before. The process without the capability is an approval system, not a governance system.

2. Projects are won or lost before the FID - and most organizations ignore this The final investment decision gets all the attention. But by the time it arrives, the team is emotionally, politically, and financially committed. Real leverage lives in the assess and concept phases, when assumptions are still negotiable and changes are cheapest. Iwona's rule: all decisions are equally important, but not all carry the same consequences. The early ones carry the most — because no one's watching yet.

3. Six dimensions of decision quality - and why commitment is always the weakest Iwona teaches the decision quality wheel: appropriate frame, creative alternatives, relevant information, values and trade-offs, sound logic, and commitment to action. The quality of your decision is only as good as its weakest dimension. Teams can produce brilliant analysis and clear options — and still have no one willing to own the outcome. Commitment is where good decisions die.

4. Opportunity framing workshops work because they're designed to be uncomfortable

Traditional meetings self-censor. When real disagreement surfaces — what researcher Sam Kaner calls the "groan zone" - most leaders schedule a follow-up and call it progress. Opportunity framing workshops use a neutral facilitator to carry teams through that discomfort intentionally. Teams that do the hard work early execute faster and encounter fewer surprises. "An opportunity framing workshop can be really messy," Iwona says. "But this is the cost of alignment."

Episode Timestamps

00:00 — Introduction 02:00 — Iwona's path from quality assurance and Young's Brewery to capital projects 05:00 — Decision gate process 101: phases, gates, FID, and post-investment review 10:00 — Why project compliance doesn't produce project confidence 17:00 — The owner's responsibility: who is actually accountable for project success 22:00 — Shifting teams from deliverables focus to decision-making focus 28:00 — Why early decisions matter more than FID — and cost the least to change 35:00 — Warning signs that your gate reviews are theater, not governance

44:00 — Opportunity framing workshops: the groan zone and the cost of alignment 58:00 — The Challenger disaster and what megaprojects still miss about frontline knowledge 1:02:00 — Six dimensions of decision quality and the commitment trap 1:09:00 — The billion-dollar math: $500M average overrun on a $1B project

Resources Mentioned

• Decision Analysis — David Skinner (founder, Society of Decision Professionals)
• Where Projects Are Won or Lost — Iwona Wilson and Austin Wilson (available on Amazon)
• Society of Decision Professionals — sdpro.org (Houston chapter, University of Houston student chapter)
• Wolfson Peace Consulting — www.wilson.biz
• Decision gate training and cohort — academy.wilson.biz
• Upcoming: Global Project Management Forum, Riyadh (September); PMI Houston Conference (August)

In this episode, Orion sits down with Matt Mitchell — a certified risk management professional with over a decade of experience across energy and industrial megaprojects — to go deep on one of the most underinvested disciplines in capital project delivery: risk management. Drawing on his time as risk lead for the Leviathan Project, a $3.9 billion offshore gas platform off the coast of Israel, Matt explains how risk management actually works at scale — from structuring workshops to running Monte Carlo simulations to navigating the political dynamics that keep real risks hidden. Whether you're a risk professional, a project manager, or an executive who's wondered what risk management is actually supposed to deliver, this is the most practical conversation on the subject we've had on the show.

Matt Mitchell is a certified risk management professional with over a decade of experience in risk and project controls across energy and industrial sectors. He served as risk lead at Noble Energy on the Leviathan Project — a $3.9 billion offshore gas platform in the Mediterranean — managing risk from FID through execution. He is currently building Electrical Grid Monitoring, a venture focused on innovative power line sensors, and is a member of Mints International. 🔗

LinkedIn

What You'll Learn

1. Split risk registers aren't a workaround — they're best practice On Leviathan, Matt maintained separate registers for different project levels and stakeholder groups. A single monolithic register collapses under the weight of a megaproject. Splitting by owner, contractor, and discipline keeps risk ownership clear and review meetings productive.

2. Risk workshops only work if contractors feel safe to speak The most dangerous risks on a megaproject live inside your contractors' heads — and they won't share them in a room full of owners unless you create the right conditions. Matt's approach: structured workshops with pre-work, clear ground rules, and a facilitator who knows when to push and when to hold back.

3. Monte Carlo isn't just for statisticians P50 means you have a 50% chance of finishing on time or on budget. P75 means 75%. Matt explains how to have that conversation with an executive who's never seen a probability distribution — and why choosing the wrong confidence level can sink your contingency strategy before the project starts.

4. Risk culture is built one conversation at a time

"One is greater than zero" — Matt's philosophy for getting risk identification started when a team is stuck. The risk champions program he describes is a practical model for distributing risk ownership across a large, multi-contractor project without creating bureaucracy.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 — Introduction 03:00 — Matt's background and path to megaproject risk management 07:00 — The Leviathan Project: $3.9B offshore gas platform overview 10:00 — Risk fundamentals: definitions, COSO framework, and black swans 18:00 — Designing and running effective risk workshops 22:00 — The valve example: one conversation that revealed a systemic risk 27:00 — Getting contractors to surface the risks they're hiding 30:00 — Monte Carlo simulation explained in plain language 34:00 — P50 vs. P75: choosing your confidence level and defending it 39:00 — Ancient artifacts on the seafloor: when risk becomes archaeology 40:00 — Risk champions program and building a risk culture across contractors

Resources Mentioned:

• ISO 31000 — International risk management framework
• COSO ERM — Enterprise Risk Management framework
• PMI (Project Management Institute) — project risk guidance
• PERT — Program Evaluation Review Technique (for smaller projects)
• Monte Carlo simulation — quantitative risk analysis methodology
• Noble Energy / Leviathan Project
• Electrical Grid Monitoring — Matt's current venture
• Mints International

If this episode gave you new frameworks for managing risk on complex projects, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And if you're building a risk culture in your organization, we'd love to hear what's working — drop a comment below or connect with Matt directly.

The megaproject industry hits cost, schedule, and production targets just 1% of the time. Martin Darley dropped this number mid-conversation and the panel barely flinched - because they've all seen it. The question isn't whether there's a problem. It's why, after 150+ combined years of experience, the same mistakes keep repeating. The panel's answer points to a gap that has nothing to do with technical skill.

The gap between a strong technical contributor and a trusted advisor isn't technical - it's soft skills. Martin put it directly: "The differentiator between doing the work and advising a GM at Chevron is soft skills. Cost engineers aren't wired that way." Chris Caddell echoed it with a paper he wrote on the "so what?" problem: too many project controls reports lay out numbers without making a recommendation. Learning to influence, communicate, and own a call is the career unlock most technical professionals never fully make.

Remote work works better for experienced practitioners than for people just starting out. The panel wasn't anti-remote, but the sharpest line came from Martin, quoting IPA's Ed Mirro: "If you're in your bedroom on a laptop, how do you manage your career?" Michael Bennick added a specific concern: new professionals starting out fully remote miss the informal learning, mentorship, and calibration that only comes from proximity to experienced practitioners. The consensus was clear - site presence builds instincts that can't be replicated through a screen.

AI won't replace project controls professionals - but it will change what the job looks like. As sitting AACE president overseeing 6,000+ members, Michael Bennick framed it as an opportunity, not a threat - and argued the association has an obligation to help members get out front on it. Martin's enthusiasm was the strongest in the room: "I've been waiting all my career for an enabler like this." Mike Nosbisch held the line on what won't change: someone still has to interpret the output, make the recommendation, and own the decision. The judgment-makers aren't going anywhere.

00:00 – Intro & Welcome to the LIVE AACE Panel

01:30 – How the Panelists Found Their Way into Project Controls

05:00 – Early Career Lessons & Megaproject Experiences

08:30 – Technical Skills vs Leadership Skills

12:00 – Why Communication Is Critical in Project Controls

16:00 – AI in Project Controls: Opportunity vs Hype

22:00 – How AI Could Change Reporting & Decision-Making

26:30 – Remote Work vs In-Person Collaboration

31:30 – International Projects & Cultural Differences

35:00 – Why Megaprojects Keep Repeating the Same Mistakes

38:30 – Advice for Young Professionals Entering the Industry

41:30 – Final Leadership Lessons & Closing Thoughts

• Michael Bennick — Current President of AACE International, Managing Director at J.S. Held
• Chris Caddell — Former AACE President, Director at Spire Consulting Group
• Martin Darley — Former AACE President, Former Senior Advisor at Chevron
• Michael Nosbisch — Former AACE President, Visiting Professor at Texas A&M University

In this episode, Orion sits down with Christina Robinson — founder of Henry Porter LLC and project controls advisor with 14 years across energy, utilities, and infrastructure — to diagnose a crisis that most industry leaders are misreading. The problem isn't a skills shortage: it's a culture and systems problem that's causing younger professionals to actively choose other paths. Christina makes the case that if organizations don't redesign how they work, how they lead, and how they treat people, no amount of recruiting will fix the pipeline.

Christina Robinson is a project controls advisor and founder of Henry Porter LLC, a consultancy helping organizations build stronger project controls functions across energy, utilities, and infrastructure. With 14 years of industry experience, Christina is a vocal advocate for modernizing workplace culture and building more inclusive, human-centered project environments — and she brings both the professional track record and the personal candor to make this conversation one of the most honest in the series. https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-robinson-128960383/

Key Takeaways:

• The talent pipeline problem is structural, not generational. Christina pushes back on the idea that younger professionals simply don't want to work hard. The real issue is that project controls is asking people to accept rigid systems, limited autonomy, and slow career progression at the exact moment that entrepreneurship, digital platforms, and the creator economy are offering faster rewards and greater flexibility. It's not a values gap — it's a rational calculation.
• Outdated workflows are your biggest retention risk. When new hires encounter legacy systems and manual processes that haven't evolved in decades, it doesn't just frustrate them — it signals something about the organization. That signal says: we don't change. And that's what triggers early exits before the organization even realizes it has a retention problem.
• Culture and inclusion aren't soft issues — they're project delivery issues. Christina draws directly on personal experience to connect how bias and exclusion affect retention, particularly for underrepresented groups. Teams where people don't feel valued or supported underperform on projects. The link between psychological safety and project outcomes is direct, not theoretical.
• You don't have to overhaul everything to start competing for talent. Christina's practical advice: identify one or two visible friction points — a rigid attendance policy, a broken workflow, a missing flexibility — and change them deliberately. Early, visible wins build organizational trust and send a signal to both candidates and current employees that the culture is actually moving.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Intro & Episode Setup 01:00 – Christina’s Career Journey into Project Controls 04:45 – Why Early Site Experience Matters 06:15 – Is There a Youth Engagement Crisis? 08:45 – Social Media, Expectations & Changing Motivations 10:15 – What Younger Professionals Actually Want (4 Key Drivers) 12:15 – Fixing Broken Workflows & Investing in Technology 13:45 – Flexibility, Remote Work & Mental Health 16:15 – Generational Shifts & Workplace Evolution 20:45 – Pay, Autonomy & the Breakdown of the Corporate Ladder 23:45 – ROI of a Happier Workforce 27:00 – How Leaders Can Attract & Retain Talent 34:30 – Workplace Culture, Discrimination & Retention Risks 49:15 – Remote vs. Onsite: Finding the Right Balance 57:30 – Advice for Young Professionals Entering the Industry 1:02:00 – Books, Resources & Final Takeaways

Resources Mentioned:

• Henry Porter LLC — Christina's consultancy
• Package Your Genius by Amanda Miller Littlejohn
• Good American / Emma Grede — entrepreneurship and leadership insights
• Texas Southern University — early pipeline partnership example

In this episode, Orion sits down with Ellie Moradinezhad, founder of tactHive Consulting and former Global Discipline Director at Hatch, where she oversaw project management development across 4,000+ projects in 70 countries - to unpack the most misunderstood concept in major project delivery: integration. Ellie introduces a practical three-part framework that separates vertical, horizontal, and cross-functional integration across three domains - systems, procedures, and people - and explains why organizations consistently misread integration failures as personality conflicts. If you've ever watched a project fall apart despite having all the right tools and talent in the room, this episode explains what was actually missing.

Ellie Moradinezhad is the President and Founder of tactHive Consulting, a Canadian advisory firm focused on business-driven PMOs, project governance, and performance improvement for complex capital programs. With 24 years of experience across infrastructure, energy, transportation, and industrial sectors — including Canada's Eglinton Crosstown LRT and GO Expansion — she most recently served as Global Discipline Director for Project Management Development at Hatch (70 offices, 150 countries). 🔗 LinkedIn | tactHive Consulting

Key Takeaways

• Integration is three things, not one. Ellie's framework distinguishes vertical integration (strategy connecting to field execution), horizontal integration (disciplines and functions aligned across the same organization), and cross-functional integration (separate organizations operating as one in JV or collaborative models). Most project teams are actively managing only one of these while the other two quietly break down.
• Your integration problem is being called a people problem. When cross-functional coordination fails, leaders default to blaming personalities. Ellie argues the root cause is almost always structural: role ambiguity, procedures designed for one team that everyone else is forced to use, and tools implemented without cross-discipline training.
• Change management failure starts at bid phase. By the time you're trying to align teams during execution, the structural misalignment is already baked in. Embedding change management from the earliest stages — when roles, norms, and working relationships are first being established — is the highest-leverage intervention available.
• In joint ventures, RACI isn't admin overhead — it's risk management. Ellie walks through how the absence of role clarity in collaborative delivery models creates the ambiguity that causes integration to collapse under schedule pressure and stakeholder conflict.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 — Introduction: Ellie's path from chemical engineering to systems thinking
• 08:15 — What "integration" really means beyond IT and systems
• 16:40 — The three-type, three-domain integration framework explained
• 24:30 — Why organizations misdiagnose integration failures as people problems
• 35:10 — Lessons from joint ventures and collaborative delivery models
• 44:20 — Role clarity and RACI as active risk management tools
• 55:00 — PMO design at scale: Hatch across 4,000 projects and 70 offices
• 1:05:30 — Why change management must start at bid phase
• 1:14:00 — AI's emerging role in planning, reporting, and risk analysis
• 1:22:00 — How systems thinking shapes the next generation of project leaders

Resources Mentioned:

• tactHive Consulting — Ellie's advisory firm
• PMI OPM3 — Organizational Project Management Maturity Model
• PRINCE2 / P3M3 — Project maturity frameworks
• Key concepts: Vertical/Horizontal/Cross-functional Integration, RACI, Systems Thinking, Change Management

In this episode, Orion sits down with Travis Arlitt, Senior Planning & Field Execution Specialist and co-founder of Day One Model, to unpack a fundamental gap in capital project delivery: the disconnect between planned schedules and field reality.

With over 25 years of experience across global megaprojects, from LNG facilities in Angola and Australia to refinery rebuilds and offshore platforms - Travis shares how traditional planning approaches often mask real risk instead of revealing it.

The conversation centers on two powerful ideas: execution realism and progress truth, a way of measuring performance based on actual production rates rather than static plans. Travis explains how focusing on real pace, rather than variance to plan, enables earlier decisions, clearer accountability, and dramatically better outcomes.

Through real-world examples, including decisions that saved hundreds of millions of dollars, Travis introduces the concept of “bow waves” (hidden schedule compression) and how his Day One Model reframes project forecasting into a forward-looking, action-driven system.

They also explore why incentives drive misalignment across projects, how reporting structures distort reality, and where AI is beginning to genuinely help project teams, particularly in reducing manual workload and improving planning speed.

If you’ve ever felt that schedules don’t reflect what’s actually happening in the field, this episode will fundamentally change how you think about progress, forecasting, and decision-making.

• Day One Model (Travis Arlitt) – Progress-based planning approach 👉 https://goforward.dayonemodel.com
• The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
• The Fountainhead – Ayn Rand
• Reality Transurfing – Vadim Zeland
• The Alter Ego Effect – Todd Herman
• Freakonomics – Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner
• AACE International – Project controls resources and recommended practices

Ahmed AbdelSalam shares hard-earned lessons on resource planning, building high-impact PMOs, and how AI is reshaping project controls.

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Ahmed AbdelSalam, a senior PMO and project controls leader who has delivered multi-billion-dollar programs across life sciences, healthcare, and technology sectors. With experience spanning CBRE, Turner & Townsend, and Fortune 500 portfolios, Ahmed shares practical insights from both the owner-rep and program leadership perspective.

The conversation begins with resource planning - why the right people determine project success, and how owners should think about insourcing vs. outsourcing, career paths, visa constraints, compensation strategy, and long-term retention. Ahmed outlines a structured approach to building a resource plan, from defining project complexity to aligning with client culture and long-term portfolio needs.

They then dive deep into PMO strategy, breaking down the difference between advisory, supporting, and controlling PMO models. Ahmed explains how modern PMOs create visibility, standardization, and accountability across large programs - covering cost, schedule, risk, procurement, finance, data analytics, document control, and communications.

The episode closes with a forward-looking discussion on AI in project controls. While AI is already transforming reporting, dashboards, and communication, Ahmed argues it’s not a replacement for human judgment - rather, it’s a productivity amplifier for teams navigating today’s tight talent market.

If you’re building or staffing billion-dollar programs, this episode is packed with practical frameworks and leadership lessons.

• How to build a structured resource plan for complex programs
• When to insource vs. outsource project controls functions
• The real differences between advisory, supporting, and controlling PMOs
• Why standardization (WBS, reporting, governance) is critical at scale
• How AI is impacting reporting, estimating, scheduling, and communication
• Why career growth - not compensation - is the #1 driver of employee engagement

Kim Essendrup, co-host of Project Management Happy Hour and founder of RAIDLOG.com, joins Orion for a practical Risk 101 breakdown - and how RAID logs help teams stay proactive instead of reactive.

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Kim Essendrup - co-host of the widely followed Project Management Happy Hour podcast and founder of RAIDLOG.com, a platform built around one of the most useful tools in practical project delivery: the RAID log. 

Kim brings the conversation back to fundamentals with a full Risk 101 walkthrough: what risk actually is, why projects are statistically more likely to struggle than succeed, and why risk management isn’t about pessimism - it’s about being honest and prepared. He shares research and real-world context showing how frequently projects face major overruns and failures, reinforcing why project leaders have to pause and ask: “Where can this go off the rails - and what can we do now to prevent it?” 

Kim explains that effective risk management starts at the source of the project itself - the charter, contract, statement of work, or initiation document - where assumptions, dependencies, and blind spots often begin. From there, teams should expand the conversation through workshops, lessons learned, and similar historical projects to build a realistic picture of threats and opportunities. 

He also digs into the culture challenge: why many organizations avoid risk conversations entirely, and how strong project leaders create psychological safety so teams can speak candidly about what might go wrong. One of Kim’s most practical tactics is a subtle language shift - using the word “obstacles” instead of “risks” -to help teams move from avoidance to action. 

A major highlight of the episode is Kim’s breakdown of what a RAID log really is: an integrated way to track Risks, Actions, Issues, and Decisions (and historically: Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies). He describes the RAID log as the “run tool” of project delivery -the place where project leaders monitor reality, spot drift, and course-correct early. 

Finally, Kim shares how AI is already changing the space. He describes how his team built an AI-based risk identification feature that can generate meaningful risk registers from a project description - sometimes matching 75% of what experienced teams create manually. He closes with a simple but powerful truth: the best RAID log tip isn’t complicated… it’s use it consistently, because the moment teams stop tracking risk, risk starts tracking them. 

• The true definition of project risk -and why most projects need risk management from day one
• How to start identifying risks using the contract/charter as the “source of truth”
• Why teams avoid risk discussions -and how leaders build a healthy risk culture
• The difference between mitigate, avoid, transfer, and accept risk responses
• Why “risk” also includes opportunity -and how to capture upside outcomes
• What a RAID log is and why it’s the operational backbone of delivery
• How to scale a risk process for small projects vs. billion-dollar programs
• Where AI is already helping: risk identification, meta-analysis, and portfolio insights
• Kim’s #1 tip: the best RAID log is the one you actually keep up to date

• RAIDLOG.com
• Podcast: Project Management Happy Hour 

BIM and digital-delivery expert Omar Habib joins Orion to break down how 4D, 5D, and data-driven storytelling are transforming billion-dollar projects.

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Omar Habib - Co-Founder & CTO of The WE Group and a global leader in BIM and digital delivery - to unpack how data, visualization, and technology are reshaping billion-dollar projects.

Omar shares his unconventional path into mega-projects, having worked on multi-billion-dollar programs before graduating and rotating through planning, cost, procurement, and contracts. That early exposure shaped his belief that BIM only delivers value when it connects engineering, schedule, cost, and decision-making - not when it lives in isolation.

A core theme of the episode is redefining BIM as Building Information Management, not just modeling. Omar explains the progression from 3D to 4D (time), 5D (cost), and beyond, and why each added dimension improves clarity, alignment, and risk awareness when applied intentionally.

He shares real-world examples of 4D simulations used to test sequencing, crane placement, logistics, and constructability - allowing teams to “see” problems before they show up on site. Importantly, Omar stresses that BIM maturity isn’t all-or-nothing; many successful transformations start small, solving one painful problem at a time.

The conversation closes with a look at AI in construction, where Omar highlights practical use cases already delivering value - claims analysis, schedule QA, quantity takeoffs, and audits - while reinforcing that AI works best when guided by strong domain expertise.

• What BIM really means - and why it’s about information, not just models
• How 3D → 4D → 5D → 6D unlocks better cost, schedule, and sustainability decisions
• How 4D simulations help teams plan cranes, logistics, methods, and site congestion
• Why BIM maturity is not all-or-nothing—and how to start mid-project
• How to use BIM and Power BI to create a single source of truth
• Why finance and project controls often disagree - and how integrated data resolves it
• Practical strategies for communicating risk visually to executives
• Real-world AI use cases in claims, scheduling, quantities, and QA/QC
• Career advice for BIM professionals: tools, standards, and technical depth

• “How Big Things Get Done” — Bent Flyvbjerg & Dan Gardner

• Building Information Management vs. Modeling
• 2D → 3D → 4D (time) → 5D (cost) → 6D (sustainability)
• Revit, Navisworks, Dynamo, ACC (Autodesk Construction Cloud)
• BIM uses vs. BIM maturity levels
• Federated 4D models and discipline integration

• The WE Group - https://thewegroup.com
• Autodesk Construction Cloud - https://construction.autodesk.com
• Microsoft Power BI - https://powerbi.microsoft.com
• ISO 19650 - https://www.iso.org/standard/68078.html

Global mega-project executive Akin Oni joins Orion to unpack decision-making, people, risk, and leadership at the highest stakes.

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Akin Oni—global mega-project executive, CEO & Managing Partner of FECs Group, and author of three upcoming books on leadership and capital delivery. With more than three decades of experience leading oil & gas, LNG, mining, refining, infrastructure, and M&A-driven projects across six continents, Akin brings a rare blend of technical rigor and human insight to the conversation.

Akin reframes what a mega-project truly is—not just something over a billion dollars, but a human undertaking so large it shapes economies, communities, and national identity. Drawing on global research and lived experience, he explains why only a tiny fraction of mega-projects succeed and identifies three root causes behind most failures: rushing the beginning, underestimating uncertainty, and forgetting that projects are built by people—not spreadsheets.

From there, the conversation dives deep into decision-making before Final Investment Decision (FID)—the phase where most projects quietly fail long before execution begins. Akin explains why the real question is not “Can we build it?” but “Should we build it now, here, with these assumptions and this risk?” He walks through what rigorous project evaluation really requires: market readiness, supply chains, talent availability, regulatory permission, geopolitics, and the true cost of capital.

Akin also unpacks M&A, A&D, and transactions, clarifying the difference between financial deals and the harder work of integration and separation—where culture, systems, and people ultimately determine success. He shares board-level insights on why independent peer reviews matter, how execution bias creeps into decision-making, and why “too big to start” projects often need to be scaled down before they can succeed.

Leadership is a constant thread throughout the episode. Akin introduces his practical frameworks—like Listen → Learn → Lead, and having the right people, in the right number, at the right time—and challenges traditional project-management thinking that focuses only on scope, schedule, and cost. True project success, he argues, is project management success plus product success.

The discussion closes with forward-looking insights on AI in mega-projects, where Akin outlines three real impacts already underway: speed, insight, and execution. AI won’t replace people, he says—but it will replace teams that refuse to use it. He also shares candid advice on career growth, mentorship, global mobility, family life, and why character must rise above résumé in high-stakes leadership roles.

• Why 65–98% of mega-projects miss cost, schedule, or value targets—and how to change that
• The three biggest causes of mega-project failure (and how leaders can counter them)
• How to evaluate whether a project should proceed—not just whether it can
• What boards and executives should ask before approving FID
• The difference between M&A, A&D, and transactions—and why integration matters more than spreadsheets
• A practical framework for people-first project leadership
• Why “license to operate” can stop a project faster than any contractor issue
• How AI is reshaping due diligence, planning, and execution
• Career advice for project professionals: curiosity, steadiness, relationships, and lifelong learning

Front-end planning expert Roger Farish joins Orion to unpack FEL, stage-gates, risk, and governance—and why the biggest influence on a project’s success happens long before you break ground.

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Roger Farish, a front-end planning specialist with 25+ years of experience at Bechtel, Fluor, Linde Engineering, and Kiewit, delivering major capital projects in LNG, refining, petrochemicals, renewables, power, and mining. riverside_the_major project pod…

Roger walks through his path from mechanical engineer and field engineer to portfolio leader and, now, consultant—highlighting how each role reinforced one core lesson: the front end is where projects are won or lost.

He breaks down what Front-End Planning (FEP) actually is—FEL stages, stage-gate processes, “concept / select / define / feed / pre-feed”—and how best-practice frameworks from CII and AACE help owners make disciplined, data-informed investment decisions instead of “gut-feel” commitments. riverside_the_major project pod…

Roger explains tools like the Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI), how it measures scope maturity, and why facilitation matters when project managers are (understandably) biased to push scores down so their projects clear the next gate. He shares stories of uncovering gaps where deliverables were claimed “complete” but hadn’t even started, and how structured reviews surface misalignment before billions are committed. riverside_the_major project pod…

From there, they dive into:

• “Too big to start” mega-projects that are so large almost no EPC is willing to take on the risk—and how Roger helped one client shrink a project so at least two competitive bids were realistically possible.
• Using historical data to separate systemic risk from project-specific risk, even when owner data is messy or inconsistent—and why there’s always something to learn if you dig deep enough.
• The reality of execution bias, where projects gather political and emotional momentum that makes it hard to pause, re-scope, or walk away—even when the signals are flashing red. riverside_the_major project pod…

Roger also shares his views on AI in major projects: why a lot of “AI” tools today are really rules engines with new branding, why execution-phase use cases will likely mature faster than front-end ones, and how he’s already using AI as a teaching and mentoring assistant for younger engineers.

Finally, he offers career advice for students and mid-career professionals who want to move into front-end planning—covering the value of cross-discipline experience (field, startup, process, economics), and why a mix of engineering, finance, statistics, and project controls is such a powerful foundation. He closes by describing how his firm now supports owners, EPCs, and OEMs on estimating, scope definition, risk, governance, and FEL management across the front end of their capital portfolios. riverside_the_major project pod…

• What Front-End Planning (FEP) actually is—and how FEL stages and stage gates fit together
• Why early decisions shape cost, schedule, and risk outcomes far more than tweaks during execution
• How tools like PDRI measure scope maturity and correlate with better cost and schedule performance
• How to recognize and counter execution bias and “too big to start” mega-projects
• Ways to use historical data to separate systemic risk from project-specific risk
• Where AI is (and isn’t yet) useful in front-end planning and mentoring
• How organizational culture and change management affect governance adoption
• Practical career paths into FEP—from field roles to process engineering to project controls
• Key best-practice resources: CII, AACE, and IPA’s Capital Projects

Global AWP pioneer Geoff Ryan joins Orion to break down Advanced Work Packaging, data center megaprojects, and the future of construction productivity.

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Geoff Ryan—worldwide authority on Advanced Work Packaging (AWP), founder of Insight-AWP, and author of Even More Schedule for Sale. With decades of experience on oil & gas, industrial, and global mega-projects, Geoff explains how AWP became one of the most powerful productivity drivers in modern construction.

Geoff shares how early research into failing projects in Alberta uncovered a simple truth: foremen who receive complete, constraint-free work packages deliver predictable, high-quality output—and those who don’t, can’t. This insight launched the first “WorkFace Planning” model, eventually evolving (with CII’s backing) into the full AWP framework used worldwide today.

He breaks down the fundamentals of Installation Work Packages (IWPs), the pre-work conditions that make them executable, and why even late-phase projects can still recover significant productivity by implementing packages correctly. Geoff also reveals findings from 70 mega-project audits, showing that improving AWP alignment can increase field productivity by 22%, reducing total project cost by up to 10%—a massive impact on billion-dollar programs.

The conversation then shifts to data centers, where 2,700+ U.S. mega-facilities are expected by 2030. Geoff outlines why this build-out is unlike anything the industry has seen: supply-chain scarcity, engineering agility, shifting cooling technologies, and the urgent need for skilled high-voltage labor. He discusses the PEPSI model (Procurement → Engineering → Planning → Construction → Initiation) and why traditional EPC silos cannot keep up with today’s pace or volatility.

From AI-driven procurement, augmented reality on site, and future regulation to the coming shortage of project managers and electricians, Geoff paints a picture of an industry on the edge of its next great leap—and the role AWP will play in shaping it.

• Why AWP was created and how it evolved from WorkFace Planning
• How Installation Work Packages (IWPs) improve predictability, safety, and productivity
• Why optimizing engineering/procurement in isolation harms construction—and how AWP fixes it
• How AWP audits correlate project alignment to 22% higher tool-time
• Why data centers require a PEPSI (procurement-first) model—not traditional EPC
• The supply-chain, cooling, and talent-shortage risks facing data center megaprojects
• What “construction in heaven” means—and why sequencing must begin with field reality
• How AI, global manufacturing data, and augmented reality will re-shape execution
• Why predictable outcomes are no longer “impossible”—they’re a choice

Project Controls leader Tarun Gohel takes us behind the scenes of the $20B West Qurna 2 Project, a massive upstream program spanning Iraq, Dubai, South Korea, Italy, and beyond.

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion speaks with Tarun Gohel—a project controls and planning leader whose career spans India, Kazakhstan, Ghana, Dubai, and now the U.S. Tarun pulls back the curtain on one of the largest oil and gas greenfield developments on the planet: the $20 billion West Qurna 2 Project in Iraq.

Tarun shares how he went from piping designer to senior project controls leader on mega programs across the globe—and what ultimately convinced him to join the UAE team executing West Qurna 2. He explains the scale of the program: 150+ wells, massive upstream processing facilities, gathering systems, export infrastructure, a 200–300 MW power plant, and global fabrication yards coordinated across Dubai, Iraq, Russia, Italy, South Korea, and more.

From planning to risk to culture, Tarun outlines the three pillars of mega-project success—a disciplined plan, the right people, and a healthy multicultural team culture. He walks through their approach to project controls audits, work breakdown structures, contract strategy, and performance incentives, including why owners need to incentivize contractors—not just penalize them.

They also dive deep into risk management, defining realistic triggers, and how to spot real schedule delays when contractors’ schedules stay “green” long after reality turns red. Tarun shares hard-won lessons from presenting to executive leadership and even the Iraqi Minister of Oil, including how to simplify complexity and tailor messaging for high-stakes rooms.

From global execution models to AI's emerging role in project controls, this episode is packed with practical, experience-based insights for anyone managing major capital projects.

• What makes West Qurna 2 one of the world’s most complex and expensive greenfield projects

• The three pillars Tarun uses to evaluate mega-project success: planning, culture, and people

• How early planning, work breakdown structures, and contract alignment shape project outcomes

• Why incentives—not penalties—drive better performance in large-scale contracting

• How to run effective project controls audits across global hubs (Dubai → Italy → South Korea)

• Approaches to defining, quantifying, and triggering risk actions before it’s too late

• How to present complex project data to ministers, executives, and senior stakeholders

• Early-career advice for those entering project controls—and why curiosity is the real superpower

Document Control expert Leanne Allgaier joins Orion Matthews to unpack how great document management saves time, money, and even lives across the world’s largest industrial projects.

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion Matthews sits down with Leanne Allgaier—a veteran document control leader who’s managed major assets from gas fields to refineries for companies like BP and Phillips 66.

They explore why Document Control—the discipline ensuring every engineer, contractor, and regulator has the right information at the right time—is one of the most underrated functions in billion-dollar project delivery.

Leanne breaks down:

• Why document control is not clerical work, but a technical, process-driven function critical to cost, schedule, quality, and safety.
• How to structure doc control under Project Services, define lifecycles, and establish version control that prevents costly errors.
• The dangers of “ready, fire, aim” project starts where doc control is added too late—and how early planning avoids rework and risk.
• How to scale document teams across project phases and transition to operations.
• Practical leadership lessons: earning compliance, handling pressure, and using humor and empathy to build trust.
• The role of checklists, procedures, and “one source of truth” in maintaining integrity under deadline pressure.
• How AI tools like OpenText and M-Files are already transforming search, reporting, and document insight—accelerating, not replacing, skilled document controllers.

From managing pipelines and refineries to mentoring the next generation of document controllers, Leanne shows how a discipline often overlooked at kickoff becomes the backbone of safe, efficient, and compliant mega-projects.

• Why document control belongs in project pre-planning—not after execution starts.
• The real ROI of good doc control (cost, schedule, quality, and risk).
• How to build scalable document control teams and choose the right tools.
• Leadership strategies for compliance, clarity, and collaboration.
• How AI and automation are reshaping the future of document management.

James shares lessons from executing billion-dollar energy projects around the globe, from deepwater oil fields to Tesla’s lithium refinery. They discuss how traditional stage-gate project models are giving way to faster, more adaptive methods, how renewables like solar, geothermal, and battery storage are reshaping the industry, and why people — not processes — remain the ultimate key to success.

🎧 You’ll learn:

• How billion-dollar projects scale under today’s global energy crunch
• Why project execution models must evolve beyond the stage-gate approach
• The rise of lithium, geothermal, and long-duration energy storage
• How AI, modular construction, and manufacturing-style efficiency will define the next decade
• What leaders can do to inspire teams and shape project culture
• Career advice for the next generation entering the energy transition

🌍 Guest: James Wiseman — Major Projects Leader (Chevron, Tesla, Alyeska Pipeline)

🔗 Connect: LinkedIn – James Wiseman

Learn more at themajorprojectpodcast.com

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Jovita Stander—a project controls director now with Knight Frank and formerly on Green Riyadh, one of the world’s most ambitious urban-afforestation efforts under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Beyond planting trees, the program aims to improve public health and livability (from increased exercise to longer life expectancy) and expand women’s participation in the workforce.

Jovita explains how the team coordinates canopy, parks, and stormwater scopes across a city that’s rapidly growing—and why it’s a program, not a single project. She details how treated-sewage-effluent irrigation is delivered through a ~1,300 km network, and how Primavera P6 and ArcGIS are linked with common location codes so progress, costs, and scope all reconcile at street, mosque, and neighborhood levels.

They also cover the KPI outcomes that matter: lowering ambient temperatures by 1–2°C, cutting CO₂ by 3–6%, adding close-to-home green spaces (≤ 300 m away), and using native species (≈ 72 types) that thrive with minimal water. Leadership takeaways abound—from setting one source of truth and common cut-off dates to presenting with clarity and candor in high-stakes rooms.

🎧 You’ll learn

• How Vision 2030 frames Green Riyadh’s health, livability, and inclusion goals.
• Why Green Riyadh operates as a city-wide program (roads, neighborhoods, “smart” parks) instead of a single project.
• How P6 ↔ ArcGIS coding keeps scope, cost, and progress aligned.
• The role of treated-sewage-effluent and a ~1,300 km network in irrigating green assets.
• KPI targets: temperature, air quality, stormwater capture, and proximity to parks.

kBDlXfCHSDLKT2E4ASeB

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, host Orion Matthews sits down with Grant Stead, founder of Stead Global, to explore what happens after the build — when billion-dollar assets go offline for critical maintenance. Known as turnarounds, these high-intensity shutdowns are among the most complex operations in heavy industry, where every hour offline means millions lost.

Grant unpacks what it takes to plan and execute these massive events: managing thousands of workers, maintaining safety and culture at scale, and rebuilding critical systems under relentless schedule pressure. The conversation then shifts to how AI and data are reshaping document control and field execution across major projects.

🎧 You’ll learn:

• Why turnarounds are the most dangerous and decisive phase in a billion-dollar project’s life cycle
• How culture and cadence drive both safety and performance
• The hidden costs of poor resource planning — and how to avoid them
• How AI-driven document management tools like Doc Ultra and Stoic are redefining project execution

📍 Guest: Grant Stead — Founder & CEO, Stead Global

🌐 steadglobal.com | LinkedIn: Grant Stead

Learn more about the world of high-stakes, billion-dollar projects at majorprojectpodcast.com