Humans of Project Controls

In another episode of the Humans of Project Controls, host Michael Lepage invites Kim Forbes to discuss the importance of connection and involvement while working in project controls.

Kim Forbes has sat on a number of boards at the AACE, achieved numerous accolades, and contributed to nonprofits around her community. With nearly thirty years of experience in the industry, she has worked in all phases of construction, particularly with construction estimation and scheduling. Working as the service line manager at MBP's Chesapeake office in Virginia, she's contributed to widespread projects all over the East Coast and around the world.

You'll learn about Kim Forbes' insights regarding:

• Working alongside owners/contractors and discovering their perspectives with how build environments come together
• Guidance from knowledgeable mentors, and reflecting on ideas with people
• Her passion for getting involved, and making important contributions to her community
• How experience, connection, and networking are more valuable than school grades
• The importance of recognizing accomplishments rather than gender with accolades, while still acknowledging the relevance of gendered groups
• Getting involved to learn more about yourself, what works for you, and to meet new people
• Writing a priority list every birthday to direct her time and energy

Subscribe for more interviews with real project controls professionals and listen to the stories behind the schedules.

In this episode of the Humans of Project Controls, host Michael Lepage meets with Phil Peterson to discuss the various perspectives Phil's learned on his journey.Phil Peterson is a certified Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP) with extensive ability in creating and maintaining schedules for a wide variety of projects, including bridge, water, rail, and civil roadway work. Phil’s experience generating and analyzing detailed schedules provides him a unique perspective on how to avoid, mitigate, and resolve delay issues of all types and causes. Phil is adept at constructing time impact analyses and producing graphical reports to support delay claims.Watch the episode to learn about Phil's mindset on these moments and ideas from his career:

• Switching from unsatisfying jobs to a fulfilling career in project controls, and how he received guidance from his mother who worked within the industry
• The efficiency of remote work versus the connection of in-person environments
• Phil's top skills for project controls: communication, and being savvy with software
• The importance of providing an intricate breakdown of your opinion: "Why is it important?" "What is the issue?" "What is it impacting?"
• Not taking constructive criticism personally
• The criticality of positive reinforcement in the workplace
• Dismantling the misconception that contractors work to scam the owner
• Inspiring the younger generation

Subscribe for more interviews with real project controls professionals and listen to the stories behind the schedules.

Welcome back to another exciting episode of Humans of Project Controls! In this episode host Michael Lepage invited Jessica Colbert to discuss the nuances of communication, achieving accolades, and problem-solving in a chaotic industry.Jessica began her career in operations project management and has spent her entire career working with self-performing heavy civil contractors. Over fifteen years ago, she shifted her focus to project controls, scheduling, and risk management, and currently serves as Director of Project Risk at Allan Myers. In addition to her role with the company, Jessica serves as VTCA’s Secretary-Treasurer (and incoming Vice President) and is the current Chair of the Contractor Leadership Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Building Construction from Virginia Tech, as well as an MBA and a master’s degree in management from the University of Maryland University College. Jessica is a certified Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP) and Project Risk Management Professional (PRMP) through AACE International, where she also serves on both the Technical Board and Board of Directors.In this episode, you'll discover Jessica's insights on these topics:

• The growth mentality and personal goals that drive her throughout the day
• Knowing when to say "no" and when to say "yes"
• The background behind achieving accolades
• Pushing against the idea that women have to constantly prove themselves
• Learning leadership and communication in long-term situations
• The danger of ignoring what could go wrong
• How construction is much more than a worker with a hard hat

Subscribe for more interviews with real project controls professionals and listen to the stories behind the schedules.

In another episode of Humans of Project Controls, host Michael Lepage invited Ghaith Al-Hiyari to discuss organizations within the industry, the dichotomy of activities which are invigorating or draining, and the intricacies of growth.Ghaith Al-Hiyari is a project controls and cost management enthusiast, currently working as a Director at Turner & Townsend. Throughout the past twenty-five years, he's worked on a myriad of prominent projects across various sectors and geographical locations (including North America, Central America and the Middle East). In this episode, we'll hear Ghaith's perspective on these topics:

• Seizing the opportunities while they're there
• What it means to be involved with organizations such as the AACE
• Activities that charge you or drain you
• Achieving growth by changing your mindset and trusting others at work
• The effectiveness of failure and "bruises" for discovery

Subscribe for more interviews with real project controls professionals and listen to the stories behind the schedules.

In this episode of Humans of Project Controls, host Michael Lepage meets with Dale Foong to discuss project controls, leadership, and entrepreneurship. They engage in a wide-ranging conversation on what project controls looks like in the real world, and where the profession is heading.As co-host of the Project Chatter and Gen AI Podcast, Dale shares the significance of active listening. He also explores his experience with entrepreneurship working as the lead partner at Movar Reply, and how he "fell into" this occupation.In this episode, we'll hear Dale's perspective regarding these topics:- The power of valuable conversations from hosting a podcast, and active listening in a time period where people's attention spans are brief- Dale's experience as a leader and entrepreneur as he's navigated project controls- Why baselines can mean different things to different teams- How great project controls help leaders make better decisions- The evolution of AI, emerging robotics, and scheduling fundamentals- Dale's "Pay it Forward" mindset, and building community through generosity Support Dale’s charity ride (O2e)Dale mentions a charity cycling ride at the end of the episode. If you’d like to support the ride, you can donate here:https://www.justgiving.com/page/dale-foong-02e-2026?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=CLAbout O2e: O2e (Ordinary to Extraordinary) encourages and supports ordinary people to achieve extraordinary sporting and physical challenges. In so doing O2e aims to raise substantial sums of money to support terminally ill and disabled children and their families.

In this episode of Humans of Project Controls, host Michael sits down with Dr. Ali Montaser, Vice President of Project Controls at Accenture Canada, to talk about the real side of delivering mega projects.Ali shares his journey from civil/structural engineering in Egypt to leading project controls across transit, rail, energy, oil & gas, and hydropower in Canada, the U.S., and the Middle East. They dig into what it’s like working in remote environments (Labrador, Northern Manitoba, Yellowknife), why diversified experience matters, and how project controls pros can stay grounded when budgets and schedules inevitably drift.You’ll also hear Ali’s perspective on:

• The gap between textbook project management and real-world delivery
• Why most project problems are people problems, not technical ones
• The “sky is falling” stress trap - and how to avoid internalizing project chaos
• The power of simple communication (including his “plan on a page” approach)
• Why documenting lessons learned matters (Ali has 40+ publications and counting)

More about Dr. Ali:Dr. Ali Montaser is a Vice President of Project Controls with 20+ years of executive leadership overseeing complex transit, rail, and energy infrastructure programs across Canada, the U.S., and the Middle East. He leads governance, performance management, and digital transformation initiatives across multi-billion-dollar portfolios. A licensed P.Eng. and certified PSP and PMP, he’s the North America Project Controls Professional of the Year (2025) and has authored 40+ publications recognized by AACE International.

In this episode of Humans of Project Controls, Plan Academy’s Michael Lepage sits down with Sedat Akkaya, Director of Project Controls at Hydro One Toronto, to unpack the human side of project controls and why the tool should never become the goal.Sedat shares his career journey from studying civil engineering in Turkey to a defining co-op experience in Russia (1991) that sparked his passion for scheduling, forecasting, and project controls. From oil & gas to transportation and power, he explains what separates strong project controls professionals from “report generators”: critical thinking, triangulating numbers, and the intuition to spot when something doesn’t add up.You’ll also hear candid leadership lessons on urgency, teamwork, and the real cost of big projects - including the people impact of the 2008–2009 downturn - plus why project controls is often misunderstood as “transactional work” when it’s actually central to planning, measuring performance, and driving corrective action.In this episode, we cover:

• Why tool reliance is rising and what it risks in project controls
• How to develop “spider senses” for numbers and bad inputs
• Forecasting, month-end cycles, and continuous improvement
• The shift from building a project to building an asset that delivers ROI
• Leadership challenges: urgency, pacing, listening, and bringing the team along
• Lessons from major oil & gas megaprojects and economic cycles
• Why AACE matters and how recommended practices shape the profession
  

In this episode of the Humans of Project Controls Podcast, Michael Lepage sits down with Ernesto Llorens, Head of the Project Management Office at the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).Ernesto shares his journey from Venezuela to Canada, what it was like to rebuild his career from scratch, and the lessons he learned about leadership, communication, vulnerability, and the human side of project controls. With more than 35 years of experience across engineering, procurement, construction, mining, metals, and infrastructure, Ernesto brings a rare perspective on what really drives success in project environments.This conversation goes beyond technical project controls topics like scheduling and cost management. It explores why human skills - not just technical skills - are essential for project managers, schedulers, planners, estimators, and project controls professionals. Ernesto talks about mentorship, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, career growth, newcomer success in Canada, and why communication failures can derail even the biggest capital projects.If you work in project controls, project management, Primavera P6, construction scheduling, EPC projects, infrastructure, or leadership, this episode will give you practical and personal insight into building a meaningful career.Subscribe for more conversations on project controls careers, scheduling, leadership, construction project management, and the people behind the profession.

Welcome to the very first episode of the Humans of Project Controls podcast! Join host Michael as he sits down with Shoshana Fraizinger, a seasoned project controls professional with deep roots in engineering and nuclear projects. In this candid conversation, Shoshana shares her journey into project controls, the realities behind the technical jargon, and the importance of human connection in a data-driven industry.

Together, they explore why real-world experience often trumps textbook perfection, how to navigate the unexpected challenges of major projects, and the lessons learned from both successes and failures. Shoshanna opens up about her career path, the value of mentorship, and finding fulfillment beyond chasing job titles - plus, she reveals her favorite music, meals, and what she’d tell her younger self.Listen in, get inspired, and connect with Shoshanna on LinkedIn to continue the conversation!

Guest: Shoshanna Fraizinger, CCP FAACE PMP | Associate Cost & Risk Advisory - Arup