Ish is National Director – Project Planning & Controls with more than 16 years of construction experience. Ish brings a history of successful delivery of a number of large multi – disciplined and complex rail, buildings, and infrastructure projects in Australia as well as overseas. Ish has worked on D&C, Alliance, PPP, Construct only as well as collaborative contracts like NEC4. Ish is also a Chartered Engineer and an active member of ACES (Australian Cost Engineering Society) as well as CLM (College of Leadership and Management) within Engineers Australia.

Christian Chandler is the Managing Director of Consilium Solutions, a specialist project management consultancy known for delivering clarity and control across complex projects in Australia. With expertise in project controls, scheduling, cost management, and operational readiness, Christian has built a reputation for driving certainty and efficiency. At the Project Controls Expo in Melbourne, he will introduce InSite Project Monitoring, a new initiative providing stakeholders with unprecedented transparency. InSite combines advanced site-based monitoring with visual, evidence-based reporting—moving beyond traditional narratives to deliver clear, objective insights. Christian’s mission is simple: simplify complexity, build trust through transparency, and empower teams to achieve project success with confidence.

Don Darke, Essential Energy’s Operational Improvement Manager, has over 30 years experience within the electricity distribution sector. With Surveying qualifications, a Masters in Business and membership of PMI, AIPM, AACE, ACES & AICD, he brings an extensive background in electricity network design, estimation, project and portfolio management, business improvement and senior leadership. Don is highly sought after for his ability to identify works delivery pipeline process issues at their root cause and develop holistic solutions in collaboration with stakeholders across business functional areas to embed improvements. Don currently leads a program of business improvement projects, including the uplift of estimation maturity and the optimizing of maintenance delivery.

Planning & Interface Manager, Ventia – Melbourne, Australia Previous Experiences: A career spanning both consultancy and main contractor roles, with a focus on delivering mega-projects collectively valued in the multi-billions. Industry Contributions: Vice President of the AACE International Australia chapter, and a seasoned speaker who authored multiple published papers and has more currently in progress. Recognized Credentials: Professional Engineer: Registered in Australia and licensed in the USA (Texas & Nevada) Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP®), AACE International Project Management Professional (PMP®), PMI Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb) Specialized Qualifications: Holds postgraduate qualifications in forensic delay and quantum analysis, project management, and contract administration. Foundation: BSc in Civil Engineering

Arend is an accomplished leader with 24 years of experience delivering strategic projects across infrastructure, oil & gas, utilities and many other sectors. With a Bachelor’s in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) and a Master’s in Data Science, he blends deep technical knowledge with proven operational expertise—consistently optimizing project controls, cost management, scheduling, risk mitigation, and digital systems. During his 16-year tenure at Laing O’Rourke, Arend successfully delivered high-profile initiatives like the NSW Bushfire Recovery program and the Woolgoolga to Ballina Bypass (W2B), culminating in two impactful years as Project Performance Director on Eastern BTA. In this role, he championed improved project outcomes—driving schedule collaboration,project control, and promoting data-driven decision-making across the project. Today, as Director at New Bearing in Australia, Arend partners closely with clients and industry leaders, leveraging advanced technologies and rigorous management practices to navigate complex engagements. Passionate about collaborative innovation, Arend empowers teams to excel, delivering robust, sustainable solutions and ensuring long-term success for every stakeholder.

Venkateshwaran Ramalingam is a seasoned Digital Transformation Consultant based in Melbourne, Australia, with nearly a decade of experience in construction project management and digital transformation. He has successfully led numerous projects, specializing in advanced project controls software like RIB Candy. He holds a Master of Technology in Building Technology and Construction Management from IIT Chennai and has been recognized by the Government of India for his innovative contributions. Notably, 10 years ago, he completed his master's thesis on Earned Value Analysis using RIB Candy software and now works as a Senior Consultant for the same solution with RIB Software Australia Pty Ltd.

As Director of Projects & Construction at Consilium Solutions, Shane Waldron leads the delivery of project and construction initiatives with a strong focus on personnel development, constructability, estimation, and lifecycle management. He is responsible for assembling project management documentation and shaping best practice execution methodologies that drive consistency and quality across projects. Shane brings a client-focused approach, ensuring stakeholder needs are met while project outcomes are delivered to the highest standard. With a keen eye for challenging conventional approaches, he leverages existing processes in innovative ways to optimise construction performance and efficiency.

Mark Woodhouse has over 25 years’ experience leading and working in the project controls, implementing all functions including data and Management Information. Mark is highly experienced implementing Control environments across multi-billion-dollar projects and has successfully delivered high-quality outputs through the project lifecycle to a variety of stakeholders. Mark has led multi-functional Project Controls teams and has been accountable for all functions to enable exceptional reporting for boards and other project stakeholders to ensure the accurate measurement of performance, as well as leading a centralised PMO. Mark ensures the basics are covered and is also an innovator who looks to utilise and harness the latest technology where possible to ensure his team is running efficiently and effective as possible.