As an Executive Director with Synergy Group, I am pleased to be part of a team providing quality services to Government. I have 9 years Industry experience in the Banking, Insurance and Electricity sectors, followed by over 20 years' experience in the Government sector. Before joining Synergy in September 2018, I led a team implementing major reform in Project Controls (Cost Estimation and Forecasting, Schedule Management, Risk Management and Workforce Planning and Estimation) for a large Government department. As a leader, I believe in being a positive advocate for my team, enabling their success in delivery and also encouraging their personal development. The work we do is very important, but the people are more important.

I am proud to support the professionalisation of project controls through my role as a Director of the Program Governance and Controls Symposium (PGCS), as the Public Officer of the ICEAA Canberra Chapter and a vocal supporter of, and participant in the Project Controls Expo.

Together with my husband, I also successfully breed and exhibit purebred Bullmastiffs (GrizzMuffley Bullmastiffs), having achieved 8 Grand Champions in 13 years of breeding.

Simons first job as an adult was as a shark feeder in the aquarium in Christchurch, NZ. After three years of getting in the shark tanks every single day, like most jobs, the novelty wore off.

With a keen interest in aviation, including having a private pilots’ license, Simon applied to military pilot school with the Royal Australian Air Force. He was accepted but eventually was washed out of the school, for being unable to keep his lunch down during high-G-force manoeuvers. Simon instead trained as an aircraft maintainer for C-139 Hercules and F/A-18 Hornets, later turning to the management of production for Hornets as a Cost and Schedule Analyst.

After the BAE Hornet contract ceased, Simon was retained to do Project Controls on the BAE Hawk contract (known in Australia as LIF – the Lead In Fighter). After a highly successful Critical Chain Project Management implementation to improve Deep Maintenance Throughput, Simon moved on to Fleet Manager for the 33 Hawk Training Fighter Jets. A functional role followed as Project Controls Manager for Aerospace. His current role is Manager of Project Control, for BAE Systems Australia. His most recent has been professionalising the discipline that is Project Control, by driving the creation and implementation of the first formal qualification in the Australian Vocational Education and Training environment, now known as the Certificate IV of Project Control Practices.

He is a keen student of Systems Thinking, and hopes to improve further the schedule adherence of projects by educating others in the mindset that is System Thinking, Constraint-Based Decision Making, Interdepency, Variation, Logical Thinking Processes and Measurements that Matter.

Mechanical engineer with 35 years experience. I have worked in a range of industries including power, mining and minerals processing, chemicals and plastics, water and wastewater with a heavy focus on heavy industrial construction. I have worked for public enterprises and small and large private enterprises ranging from BHP through Melbourne Water and ran a small business unit for Bechtel.

For the majority of the past 25 years the majority of my work has been on either in trouble or problematic projects. I have been General Manger Chartered Assessment with Engineers Australia for the last three years and am currently leading the evolution of the Areas of Practice model which will accommodate state based registration of engineers, Chartered Assessment and the addition of Specialisations.