If you work in major infrastructure projects - whether in government or the private sector - then this series is for you.
Host, Ali Farhoodi, is joined by seasoned project managers who share their insights on successful project management strategies, and behind the scenes stories on projects like Sydney Metro, Sydney Light Rail and the Lane Cove Tunnel.
Ali is the Director of EDSICO Management, a boutique, independent, Australian-owned consultancy that provides a range of services to Australian Government agencies and the private sector across all aspects of Project Management and Project Services.
You Can Predict Delivery Failure Before It Happens | Ep. 16
From concept to delivery, we bring proven expertise to advance your project. Let's start the conversation: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In Part 1, governance specialist Isabelle Gray-Garraway broke down what governance actually is, why it fails, and the real cost when it goes wrong at scale. In this part, we go deeper. Isabelle explains what "minimum viable governance" really means, why it's not about doing less, it's about doing the right amount for the risk in front of you,...
14 Jul 2026
How Collaborative Working Saves Projects | Project Management | Ep. 15
From concept to delivery, we bring proven expertise to advance your project. Let's start the conversation: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- What if the biggest threat to your infrastructure project isn't the budget, the timeline, or the scope, but the relationships? In this episode, Brett Ackroyd, a commercial lawyer with 25+ years inside some of Australia's most complex defence and government projects, joins us to unpack why most project failures start after the contract is signed....
23 Jun 2026
Your Project Didn't Fail. Your Governance Did. | Ep. 14
From concept to delivery, we bring proven expertise to advance your project. Let's start the conversation: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In this episode, we're joined by Isabelle Gray-Garraway, a governance specialist with 25 years in project delivery across defence, the NSW public sector, and major government programmes including a $200 million rolling programme at Transport for New South Wales. Isabelle has worked in the audit trenches, operated at executive level, and activel...
19 May 2026
The Human Skills That Make or Break a Project Manager | Ep. 13
From concept to delivery, we bring proven expertise to advance your project. Let's start the conversation: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In this episode, we're joined by Nick Jago, Chief Culture Officer at Elemental Projects, who has spent nearly two decades delivering major infrastructure projects across Australia and New Zealand. Nick makes the case that technical knowledge alone will never make you a great project manager — the shift from knowing the work to leading the people ...
14 Apr 2026
You're Using Planners WRONG (And It's Killing Your Projects) | Ep. 12
From concept to delivery, we bring proven expertise to advance your project. Let’s start the conversation: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In this episode, we're joined by Douglas Marr, Chief Planner at Downer Group, who brings over three decades of real-world construction and project delivery experience to unpack why planning is the most underrated discipline in project success. Drawing on his journey from apprentice electrician to leading standardised planning practices a...
3 Mar 2026
80% of Expert Leaders Fail in Complex Projects. Here’s Why | Ep. 11
From concept to delivery, we bring proven expertise to advance your project. Let’s start the conversation: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Bradley Hasting, Director of Executive Education at the John Grill Institute for Project Leadership, who explains why 80 per cent of expert leaders fail in complex projects. Drawing on research and real-world experience across major infrastructure and government transformations, Bradley challenges the ...
3 Feb 2026
Why Projects Keep Solving the Wrong Problems | Ep. 10
Need help with managing your next big infrastructure project? Get in touch with our team: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In this episode, we’re joined by Mark McLean, a veteran consultant with decades of experience across engineering, quality systems, and ISO standard development, who unpacks why so many teams struggle to solve problems that keep coming back. Mark explains why projects derail not because of capability or effort, but because problems are rarely defined properl...
12 Jan 2026
How Small Businesses Win Major Contracts (Even Against Big Corporations) | Ep. 09
Need help with managing your next big infrastructure project? Get in touch with our team: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In this episode, we’re joined by Ian Hudson, Executive Director of the Industry Capability Network, who shares how small and medium businesses can win major contracts without trying to compete like Tier One operators. Ian explains what buyers are really looking for, why many tenders fail before they’re even read, and how capability gaps are often created by...
2 Dec 2025
How To Make AI Actually Work Inside Your Organisation | Ep. 08
Need help with managing your next big infrastructure project? Get in touch with our team: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In this episode, we’re joined by Colin Hickling, Senior Partner at AITW | AI That Works, who brings more than 30 years of experience helping government agencies and large organisations navigate digital transformation. Colin reveals a confronting reality: 95 percent of AI projects fail, not because of the technology, but because organisations lack the govern...
11 Nov 2025
The TRUTH About PMOs in 2026 | Ep. 07
Need help with managing your next big infrastructure project? Get in touch with our team: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In this episode, we’re joined by Amireh Amirmazaheri, founder of PMO Solutions and Asia-Pacific Lead for the PMO Global Alliance, often called the Queen of PMO. With a background spanning engineering and large-scale infrastructure portfolios, Tamira brings a rare mix of technical depth and business strategy to the conversation. She shares why negotiation do...
14 Oct 2025
Why Mega Projects Fail (And How Collaborative Contracting Fixes Them) | Ep. 6
Need help with managing your next big infrastructure project? Get in touch with our team: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In this episode, we’re joined by Mark Simister, former British Army officer and global programme director, whose career spans drilling boreholes at Buckingham Palace to leading multi-billion-dollar infrastructure frameworks at Sydney Water. Mark explains why mega projects so often fail under fragmented, risk-averse contracts, and how collaborative contracti...
8 Sept 2025
The TRUTH About Project Management in Capital Projects (2025) | Ep. 05
Need help with managing your next big infrastructure project? Get in touch with our team: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In this episode, we’re joined by Omer Iqbal, President of PMI Sydney and Senior Portfolio Manager at Sydney Water, whose career has spanned oil and gas, mining, defence, transport, and utilities. Omer shares why portfolio management is the missing link between boardroom strategy and on-the-ground delivery, how defining risk appetite at the top shapes hundre...
28 Jul 2025
Why Big Projects Keep Failing And How We Can Fix Them | Ep. 04
Description: Need help with managing your next big infrastructure project? Get in touch with our team: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In this episode, we’re joined by Veno Panicker, a Partner in Construction & Infrastructure at Hamilton Locke who has worked closely with contractors and developers across civil, energy, and public infrastructure. Veno talks about why Australia’s obsession with lump sum contracts is fuelling insolvencies, how shifting risk down the chain i...
16 Jul 2025
25 Years of Infrastructure Procurement Advice in 45 Minutes | Ep. 03
Need help with managing your next big infrastructure project? Get in touch with our team: https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/ ----- In this episode, we’re joined by Scott Beveridge, a Senior Strategic Sourcing and Category Manager at Downer who has over 25 years of experience in procurement. Scott talks about why integrated planning is crucial for managing risks, how accurate cost benchmarking can transform procurement outcomes, and the value of strategically engaging the market to bala...
16 Jun 2025
Avoiding Billion-Dollar Mistakes: Lessons from TfNSW’s Director of Contract Management | Ep. 02
Barry Gordon, Director at Transport for NSW, discusses common costly contract errors in large infrastructure projects and provides strategies for successful project initiation in an interview with Ali Farhoodi.
John Szmajda shares five critical lessons learned from his 45 years of experience delivering massive infrastructure projects in an interview with Ali Farhoodi.
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