Keynotes
Monday – November 21, 2011
Industrial Megaprojects – Concepts, Strategies and Practices for SuccessEd Merrow As industrial projects increase in size, their key outcomes such as cost and schedules overruns, cost competitiveness and functionality decline. By the time a project reaches megaproject status, i.e., over $1 billion, only about one project in three has reasonably acceptable results. In some sectors, such as oil and gas production, only about one megaproject in five achieves reasonable good results. The poor outcomes of large projects are often viewed as an abject failure of project management and in some respects those of us in the project management community must carry some of the accountability for the poor results. But the failure of large projects is only very rarely caused by poor project management. Indeed, the project management per se of many of the colossal failures has been exemplary. Ed Merrow is going to discuss the root causes of the failure of so many large projects here in Australia and around the world based on his analysis of over 300 hundred megaprojects in oil and gas, minerals and metals, chemicals and power over the last 20 years. The problems are in fact fixable, but not by project managers alone. If there is a key skill that we need to improve, it is how to effectively enlist the fully cooperation of those outside project management who can shape whether we succeed or fail. Ed Merrow is the Founder and CEO of Independent Project Analysis, Inc. (IPA), the industry leader in providing quantitative analysis of project management systems as well as the preeminent consultancy in project evaluation and project system benchmarking. IPA is a global organization with seven offices on five continents. After receiving degrees from Dartmouth College and Princeton University, Merrow began his career as an Assistant Professor at UCLA, followed by 14 years directing the Rand Corporation's Energy Policy Program. He is a recognized expert on the development and execution of large and complex megaprojects. His expertise in megaprojects is built on decades of research on the unique challenges of these complex investments. This research has culminated in the publication of his latest work, Industrial Megaprojects—Concepts, Strategies, and Practices for Success (John Wiley & Sons, April 2011). |
Project Management ChampionsMark Tewksbury & Debbie Muir Debbie Muir and Mark Tewksbury know what it means to be champions. Debbie is one of Canada’s most celebrated coaches and currently works behind the scenes with Own the Podium. Mark is an Olympic Champion who is currently leading the Canadian Team to the London 2012 Olympics as the Chef de Mission. In this dynamic, interactive keynote session they will draw from their experiences and insight to inspire you to be ready to face the challenges of the ever evolving project management industry. Are you able to expand your perspective and look at situations differently in order to meet the demands of tomorrow? Are your actions effective in getting you closer to your objectives? As a member of the project management industry, what kind of example are you setting? Delving into 3 of the 24 traits outlined in their book, “The Great Traits of Champions”, Debbie and Mark will challenge you to be champions of your own industry. Mark Tewksbury is the star athlete who burst out of the water at the Barcelona Olympics; an Olympic Champion with gold, silver and bronze medals in hand, numerous awards, and inductions into three major Halls of Fame. Tewksbury has become a champion for a number of important causes. He was recognized by the University of Western Ontario and the University of Calgary for his active humanitarianism and ethical leadership with honorary doctorate of laws degrees, and in 2008 was invited by the Government of France to speak about human rights at the United Nations in New York City. While he is a highly sought-after speaker, beyond the podium Tewksbury has hosted television shows, authored three books and performed seminars and workshops around the world. He is a popular media commentator, was the Master of Ceremonies for the Dalai Lama’s Canadian appearances, and is currently the Chef de Mission for the Canadian Olympic team competing in London in 2012. Debbie Muir is one of the Olympic movement’s most winning coaches. The ‘Coach of the Coaches’ for the Canadian team at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, as well as an instrumental member of Own the Podium, Debbie shares her experience and talent in leading individuals, professionals and organizations from all over the world to achieve their optimum performance. Based on their book, The Great Traits of Champions, together they offer customized workshops and training. Their programs connect individuals, teams and organizations to the fundamental pillars of achievement, leadership and legacy, engaging each participant to champion their own personal and professional development. In working with Olympic athletes, business leaders and individuals from around the world, Mark and Debbie have discovered that the fundamentals of achievement, leadership and legacy don’t ever really change – they are timeless and universal. They will teach you these fundamentals to take your organization to higher levels of performance. SPONSORED BY: |
Tuesday – November 22, 2011
Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of ChangeJeremy Gutsche Times of change and uncertainty can spark the greatest opportunities for innovation. Many multi-billion dollar corporations like Hewlett-Packard, Disney, and Microsoft were started during periods of economic recession. Jeremy Gutsche, North America's most sought after authority on trend hunting, shows you how to gain an edge in business by harnessing the creativity that will help your company survive and flourish in any economic climate. With a respected understanding of exploiting whats cool and predicting future trends, Gutsche shows how to create a culture of innovation in your company, maximize the exposure of your marketing message, and think big while acting small. A fascinating and valuable talk, Gutsche details how to stimulate creativity and unlock the powerful strategies of trend-hunting to help your business thrive in these uncertain times. THE LATEST: Jeremy Gutsche is the winner of The Cisco Innovation Excellence Award and the BDC's Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Attracting close to a billion views, TrendHunter.com is the #1 trend-spotting site in the world -- the largest, most influential, most updated collection of cutting edge ideas available anywhere. (It attracts roughly fifteen times more page views than its competitors). Its founder, Jeremy Gutsche, relentlessly tracks and finds The Next Big Thing -- that valuable but elusive commodity -- for a global audience that generates millions of views a month. Gutsche is a creative, globe-roaming individual with a broad appeal that stretches from The Economist, which uses him as a source, to MTV, which places him at "the forefront of cool." With phenomenal speed, Gutsche has grown Trendhunter into a trusted showcase for "what's next" in marketing, design, technology, and other categories. The site's been featured or cited in over 40,000 articles, and Gutsche has appeared everywhere from Entertainment Tonight to the BBC. He's also sought out by leading companies to speak on cool-hunting, innovation, marketing strategies, and The Next Big Thing and its relevance to their business. In bold, interactive keynotes, he delivers a blend of viral new trends, strategic frameworks, and a contagious enthusiasm for innovation. He possesses a unique perspective on innovation in the business context, and draws on his background in both corporate strategy and Web 2.0 to provide you with inspiration and tools to generate ideas, stimulate creativity and unlock potential. At 28, as one of Capital One's youngest Business Directors, Gutsche led his team to grow a billion dollar portfolio of market leading products. And as a Management Consultant for the Monitor Group, he advised Fortune 50 clients on top level strategy. His book Exploiting Chaos has won an Axiom Business Book Award, was named an Inc. Best Book for Business Owners and was a #1 bestseller on the 800 CEO Read list. He holds an MBA from Queen's, is a CFA, studied innovation at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, and was named the 2010 Graduate of the Last Decade by the University of Calgary. SPONSORED BY: |
Cold Leadership: Illustrating the extraordinary leadership capabilities of the failed Antarctic expedition of Ernest ShackletonBrian Keating Brian Keating, Head of Conservation Outreach at the Calgary Zoo, is an adventurer, world traveler, and leader of some 60 expeditions to remote locations world-wide. He returned earlier this year from his sixth voyage to the Antarctic, this time repeating a month-long expedition retracing much of Shackleton's route. Early last century, one of the most remarkable stories of risk taking and survival was played out in the remote frozen seascapes of the Antarctic. Shackleton was an extraordinary leader, and he somehow managed to beat all possible odds during a two-year struggle with survival. What lessons can Shackleton teach us about life and leadership? How could his ice-bound situation of courage and endurance give us insights into the possibilities for our own future? Brian plans on taking you on a voyage through one of the most astounding wilderness survival adventures of all time, illustrating the brilliant leadership qualities that enabled Shackleton to return home without the single loss of life. He'll then take you into the icy waters of the Antarctic using his informative method of live-narrated video, to witness the life-abundance of sea birds, seals, whales and penguins, exploring this hauntingly beautiful icescape. SPONSORED BY: |
Leadership in Tough TimesGeneral Rick Hillier A talk on leadership in tough times based on lessons learned from the school of hard knocks. Illustrating leadership lessons through the stories of the men and women who represent our country around the world, supported by their families, and doing the toughest jobs imaginable. Their leadership, proven and real, can serve to guide leaders in every part of our society, because they have absorbed that leadership is all about people. Bio: Born in Newfoundland and Labrador, General Rick Hillier joined the Canadian Forces as soon as he could. Having enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1973 through the Regular Officer Training Plan program, he graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science Degree. After completing his armour officer classification training, he joined his first regiment, the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) in Petawawa, Ontario. Subsequently, he served with, and later commanded, the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Canada and Germany. Throughout his career, General Hillier has had the privilege and pleasure of commanding troops from the platoon to multi-national formation level within Canada, Europe, Asia and the United States. He has worked as a staff officer in several headquarters, first at the Army level in Montreal and later at the strategic level in Ottawa. In 1998 General Hillier was appointed as the first Canadian Deputy Commanding General of III Corps, US Army in Fort Hood, Texas. In 2000 he took command of NATO's Stabilization Force's (SFOR) Multinational Division (Southwest) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In May 2003 General Hillier was appointed as Commander of the Army and subsequently, in October 2003, he was selected as the Commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul, Afghanistan. General Hillier was promoted to his present rank and assumed duties as the Chief of the Defence Staff on 4 February 2005. He retired from the Canadian Forces in July 2008. His publication recounting his role and experiences within the Canadian military, A Soldier First, was published in October 2009. General Hillier and his wife have two sons, a daughter-in-law, and a new grandson. General Hillier enjoys most recreational pursuits but, in particular, runs slowly, plays hockey poorly and golfs not well at all. SPONSORED BY: |
PM ToolsLee Lambert Lee R. Lambert, has established the standard against which educators and practioners in the field of Project Management are measured. In 1981 he was invited to join the team that created the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification Program. He is a Past President Central Ohio PMI. Lee authored two books and more than 30 professional article/whitepapers. He is also PMI SME for the EVMS Practice Guide and the Project Estimating Practice Guide Educated in Engineering Design at Utah Technical College. He is a holder of a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University. As the creator of the “Stealth Learning” concept, no other educator/speaker can contend with his uncanny technical knowledge, unique material content and refreshingly entertaining delivery. Lee takes the saying; “Been there, done that, got the T-shirt” to the next level as he continues to “make a difference” in his chosen field. Lee R. Lambert, PMP, CEO The Project Management profession has a plethora of tools that in the hands of the knowledgeable “user” can dramatically improve the realism and the quality the project plan. Join Lee R. Lambert, PMP as he espouses a pragmatic evangelism while carefully weaving his way through the critical project planning process. He will candidly describe and illustrate the most potentially significant and “value add” tools in the PM’s toolbox. Lee will demonstrate how understanding and properly using the appropriate tools can lead to the establishment of a meaningful basis for comprehensively managing the execution of the project. PM Tools—Session 2—Project Monitoring, Control and Forecasting The FutureOnce a project has established its Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB) the “real” work of the Project Manager begins in earnest. Tools and techniques that enable the PM to determine the project progress compared to the PMB must be utilized in order to quantify AND determine the effect of Baseline Divergence. Once the Expectation-to-Actual comparisons have been made the PM must be able to capitalize on the available information and use that knowledge as a basis for analyzing the past AND predicting the future while making beneficial “action” recommendations to decision makers. In this session you will learn what tools to use and how to use them to truly “make a difference”. |
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