Bringing it all together
A civil engineer by training, Paul started out as a kid who found great joy in taking things apart just to put them back together again. From lawn mowers to remote control cars, he was in his element when he could discover how things worked. He likes to say that moving into the construction industry “allowed him to play with a bigger toolset.” Throughout his 33-year career in program management, Paul has been drawn to the enormity of the work and the matching potential for impact. From monumental rail programs with journeys that create more access to jobs, education, and leisure to urban renewal that sets in motion a cycle of investment that improves quality of life. Programs bring people together. And they build social value. As Paul puts it, they can “create fundamental shifts in how people live their lives.”
Community listener, legacy builder
Paul takes great pride in the regeneration projects he’s been able to work on. Ensuring local communities have their voices heard and reflected in program plans is personal to him. He describes the experience of going to speak with local communities as “often quite humbling while you realize how much you need to understand.” Through major stakeholder public engagement campaigns, Paul has seen entire schemes transform for the better as the community’s concerns are embedded in the plans and a sense of ownership takes hold. When working with public funding it’s important to be good stewards, he says, “I always treat the money as if it was my own.”
The 50,000-foot view
For Paul, one of the most rewarding parts of his work is getting programs set up properly. A lot of care goes into the initial planning that enables their efficient delivery. It is critical to ensure the right processes and tools are matched with the right people — those with the capabilities to deliver. Paul describes it as being able to take a 50,000-foot helicopter view on everything in the program. From that vantage point, he uses a keen eye to look for patterns and challenges and then refocuses his view on how and where our support can help to best facilitate the team. For him, it’s all about increasing the value we provide our clients and the public by setting up programs that successfully deliver on their outcomes.