When major projects hit crisis - fire at 60% completion, geotechnical failures, schedule collapse with boards demanding answers - I've been the person called in to stabilise them.
Not to observe. Not to report. To lead the recovery.
That's not a positioning statement. It's what I've done repeatedly across six continents: provide assurance on the 911 Memorial in New York facing with an unmovable anniversary deadline, NZICC Auckland after a devastating construction fire, Barangaroo South through delays and a significant construction fire, Manchester Joint Hospital, NorthConnex Tunnel, Macquarie Bank's Martin Place redevelopment supporting the development's completion strategy.
The large consultancies send analysts with frameworks. I've been in the trenches.
I've spent 30+ years planning, leading, and recovering complex capital projects—from single-stage construction to multi-billion-dollar master-planned urban developments across infrastructure, commercial, healthcare, entertainment, cultural and residential sectors.
My career includes over 20 years with Lendlease in increasingly senior roles:
In 2004, I founded What's Critical to focus on what I do best: cutting through complexity to stabilise projects under pressure. After embedding back into Lendlease to lead the planning and delivery of Barangaroo followed by a promotion into international operations, I relaunched the consultancy in 2020.
Most recently, I served as Chief Projects Officer at Diriyah Gate in Saudi Arabia - one of the world's most significant heritage and cultural developments. My focus was transitioning the giga-project from a major civil and infrastructure programme to an integrated mixed-use construction operation. This involved refining the PMO'a area of focus and shifting the project controls philosophy from rear-vision percent-complete reporting to forward-looking predictive scheduling - a change that fundamentally altered how the leadership team understood and managed project risk.
Global AEC Industry Award for Primavera Implementation Solution (Oracle Primavera International Conference, 2008)
250+ project planning n ons training courses delivered worldwide across 15 countries
My approach is founded on traditional construction planning principles, lean construction methods, and a relentless focus on critical thinking. I've used 4D planning techniques for over 15 years and trained at Stanford's Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE) as virtual construction and digital twin technology developed.
But technology doesn't save failing projects. Clarity and experience does.
When I'm engaged on a distressed project, I focus on three things:
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