The Major Project Podcast

🌐 Episode Short Description
Why do so many billion-dollar projects go off the rails—and what can you do before execution to prevent it? 🧭
Front-end planning expert Roger Farish joins Orion to unpack FEL, stage-gates, risk, and governance—and why the biggest influence on a project’s success happens long before you break ground.
🧾 Episode Summary
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Roger Farish, a front-end planning specialist with 25+ years of experience at Bechtel, Fluor, Linde Engineering, and Kiewit, delivering major capital projects in LNG, refining, petrochemicals, renewables, power, and mining. riverside_the_major project pod…
Roger walks through his path from mechanical engineer and field engineer to portfolio leader and, now, consultant—highlighting how each role reinforced one core lesson: the front end is where projects are won or lost.
He breaks down what Front-End Planning (FEP) actually is—FEL stages, stage-gate processes, “concept / select / define / feed / pre-feed”—and how best-practice frameworks from CII and AACE help owners make disciplined, data-informed investment decisions instead of “gut-feel” commitments. riverside_the_major project pod…
Roger explains tools like the Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI), how it measures scope maturity, and why facilitation matters when project managers are (understandably) biased to push scores down so their projects clear the next gate. He shares stories of uncovering gaps where deliverables were claimed “complete” but hadn’t even started, and how structured reviews surface misalignment before billions are committed. riverside_the_major project pod…
From there, they dive into:
“Too big to start” mega-projects that are so large almost no EPC is willing to take on the risk—and how Roger helped one client shrink a project so at least two competitive bids were realistically possible.
Using historical data to separate systemic risk from project-specific risk, even when owner data is messy or inconsistent—and why there’s always something to learn if you dig deep enough.
The reality of execution bias, where projects gather political and emotional momentum that makes it hard to pause, re-scope, or walk away—even when the signals are flashing red. riverside_the_major project pod…
Roger also shares his views on AI in major projects: why a lot of “AI” tools today are really rules engines with new branding, why execution-phase use cases will likely mature faster than front-end ones, and how he’s already using AI as a teaching and mentoring assistant for younger engineers.
Finally, he offers career advice for students and mid-career professionals who want to move into front-end planning—covering the value of cross-discipline experience (field, startup, process, economics), and why a mix of engineering, finance, statistics, and project controls is such a powerful foundation. He closes by describing how his firm now supports owners, EPCs, and OEMs on estimating, scope definition, risk, governance, and FEL management across the front end of their capital portfolios. riverside_the_major project pod…
🎧 You’ll Learn
What Front-End Planning (FEP) actually is—and how FEL stages and stage gates fit together
Why early decisions shape cost, schedule, and risk outcomes far more than tweaks during execution
How tools like PDRI measure scope maturity and correlate with better cost and schedule performance
How to recognize and counter execution bias and “too big to start” mega-projects
Ways to use historical data to separate systemic risk from project-specific risk
Where AI is (and isn’t yet) useful in front-end planning and mentoring
How organizational culture and change management affect governance adoption
Practical career paths into FEP—from field roles to process engineering to project controls
Key best-practice resources: CII, AACE, and IPA’s Capital Projects
 

What if finishing a billion-dollar project on time and on budget is actually a choice? 📦
Global AWP pioneer Geoff Ryan joins Orion to break down Advanced Work Packaging, data center megaprojects, and the future of construction productivity.
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Geoff Ryan—worldwide authority on Advanced Work Packaging (AWP), founder of Insight-AWP, and author of Even More Schedule for Sale. With decades of experience on oil & gas, industrial, and global mega-projects, Geoff explains how AWP became one of the most powerful productivity drivers in modern construction.
Geoff shares how early research into failing projects in Alberta uncovered a simple truth: foremen who receive complete, constraint-free work packages deliver predictable, high-quality output—and those who don’t, can’t. This insight launched the first “WorkFace Planning” model, eventually evolving (with CII’s backing) into the full AWP framework used worldwide today.
He breaks down the fundamentals of Installation Work Packages (IWPs), the pre-work conditions that make them executable, and why even late-phase projects can still recover significant productivity by implementing packages correctly. Geoff also reveals findings from 70 mega-project audits, showing that improving AWP alignment can increase field productivity by 22%, reducing total project cost by up to 10%—a massive impact on billion-dollar programs.
The conversation then shifts to data centers, where 2,700+ U.S. mega-facilities are expected by 2030. Geoff outlines why this build-out is unlike anything the industry has seen: supply-chain scarcity, engineering agility, shifting cooling technologies, and the urgent need for skilled high-voltage labor. He discusses the PEPSI model (Procurement → Engineering → Planning → Construction → Initiation) and why traditional EPC silos cannot keep up with today’s pace or volatility.
From AI-driven procurement, augmented reality on site, and future regulation to the coming shortage of project managers and electricians, Geoff paints a picture of an industry on the edge of its next great leap—and the role AWP will play in shaping it.
🎧 You’ll Learn
Why AWP was created and how it evolved from WorkFace Planning
How Installation Work Packages (IWPs) improve predictability, safety, and productivity
Why optimizing engineering/procurement in isolation harms construction—and how AWP fixes it
How AWP audits correlate project alignment to 22% higher tool-time
Why data centers require a PEPSI (procurement-first) model—not traditional EPC
The supply-chain, cooling, and talent-shortage risks facing data center megaprojects
What “construction in heaven” means—and why sequencing must begin with field reality
How AI, global manufacturing data, and augmented reality will re-shape execution
Why predictable outcomes are no longer “impossible”—they’re a choice

What does it take to build one of the world’s largest oil & gas greenfields? ⛽️
Project Controls leader Tarun Gohel takes us behind the scenes of the $20B West Qurna 2 Project, a massive upstream program spanning Iraq, Dubai, South Korea, Italy, and beyond.
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion speaks with Tarun Gohel—a project controls and planning leader whose career spans India, Kazakhstan, Ghana, Dubai, and now the U.S. Tarun pulls back the curtain on one of the largest oil and gas greenfield developments on the planet: the $20 billion West Qurna 2 Project in Iraq.
Tarun shares how he went from piping designer to senior project controls leader on mega programs across the globe—and what ultimately convinced him to join the UAE team executing West Qurna 2. He explains the scale of the program: 150+ wells, massive upstream processing facilities, gathering systems, export infrastructure, a 200–300 MW power plant, and global fabrication yards coordinated across Dubai, Iraq, Russia, Italy, South Korea, and more.
From planning to risk to culture, Tarun outlines the three pillars of mega-project success—a disciplined plan, the right people, and a healthy multicultural team culture. He walks through their approach to project controls audits, work breakdown structures, contract strategy, and performance incentives, including why owners need to incentivize contractors—not just penalize them.
They also dive deep into risk management, defining realistic triggers, and how to spot real schedule delays when contractors’ schedules stay “green” long after reality turns red. Tarun shares hard-won lessons from presenting to executive leadership and even the Iraqi Minister of Oil, including how to simplify complexity and tailor messaging for high-stakes rooms.
From global execution models to AI's emerging role in project controls, this episode is packed with practical, experience-based insights for anyone managing major capital projects.
🎧 You’ll Learn
What makes West Qurna 2 one of the world’s most complex and expensive greenfield projects
The three pillars Tarun uses to evaluate mega-project success: planning, culture, and people
How early planning, work breakdown structures, and contract alignment shape project outcomes
Why incentives—not penalties—drive better performance in large-scale contracting
How to run effective project controls audits across global hubs (Dubai → Italy → South Korea)
Approaches to defining, quantifying, and triggering risk actions before it’s too late
How to present complex project data to ministers, executives, and senior stakeholders
Early-career advice for those entering project controls—and why curiosity is the real superpower

What does it take to keep billion-dollar projects running on the latest version? 
Document Control expert Leanne Allgaier joins Orion Matthews to unpack how great document management saves time, money, and even lives across the world’s largest industrial projects.
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion Matthews sits down with Leanne Allgaier—a veteran document control leader who’s managed major assets from gas fields to refineries for companies like BP and Phillips 66.
They explore why Document Control—the discipline ensuring every engineer, contractor, and regulator has the right information at the right time—is one of the most underrated functions in billion-dollar project delivery.
Leanne breaks down:
Why document control is not clerical work, but a technical, process-driven function critical to cost, schedule, quality, and safety.
How to structure doc control under Project Services, define lifecycles, and establish version control that prevents costly errors.
The dangers of “ready, fire, aim” project starts where doc control is added too late—and how early planning avoids rework and risk.
How to scale document teams across project phases and transition to operations.
Practical leadership lessons: earning compliance, handling pressure, and using humor and empathy to build trust.
The role of checklists, procedures, and “one source of truth” in maintaining integrity under deadline pressure.
How AI tools like OpenText and M-Files are already transforming search, reporting, and document insight—accelerating, not replacing, skilled document controllers.
From managing pipelines and refineries to mentoring the next generation of document controllers, Leanne shows how a discipline often overlooked at kickoff becomes the backbone of safe, efficient, and compliant mega-projects.
🎧 You’ll Learn
Why document control belongs in project pre-planning—not after execution starts.
The real ROI of good doc control (cost, schedule, quality, and risk).
How to build scalable document control teams and choose the right tools.
Leadership strategies for compliance, clarity, and collaboration.
How AI and automation are reshaping the future of document management.

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, host Orion Matthews sits down with James Wiseman, Major Project Capital Manager in the Energy Industry with 25 years of experience spanning Chevron, Tesla, Santos, and Alyeska Pipeline. Together, they explore the intersection of people and energy — how to deliver on the world’s exploding demand for power through smarter project execution, modern leadership, and new technologies.
James shares lessons from executing billion-dollar energy projects around the globe, from deepwater oil fields to Tesla’s lithium refinery. They discuss how traditional stage-gate project models are giving way to faster, more adaptive methods, how renewables like solar, geothermal, and battery storage are reshaping the industry, and why people — not processes — remain the ultimate key to success.
🎧 You’ll learn:
How billion-dollar projects scale under today’s global energy crunch
Why project execution models must evolve beyond the stage-gate approach
The rise of lithium, geothermal, and long-duration energy storage
How AI, modular construction, and manufacturing-style efficiency will define the next decade
What leaders can do to inspire teams and shape project culture
Career advice for the next generation entering the energy transition
🌍 Guest: James Wiseman — Major Projects Leader (Chevron, Tesla, Alyeska Pipeline)
🔗 Connect: LinkedIn – James Wiseman
Learn more at themajorprojectpodcast.com

What does it take to grow 7.5 million trees across a capital city? 🌳Jovita Stander takes us inside Green Riyadh, a Multi-Billion-dollar mega project that is set to transform the capital city of Saudi Arabia into a green oasis.
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Jovita Stander—a project controls director now with Knight Frank and formerly on Green Riyadh, one of the world’s most ambitious urban-afforestation efforts under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Beyond planting trees, the program aims to improve public health and livability (from increased exercise to longer life expectancy) and expand women’s participation in the workforce.
Jovita explains how the team coordinates canopy, parks, and stormwater scopes across a city that’s rapidly growing—and why it’s a program, not a single project. She details how treated-sewage-effluent irrigation is delivered through a ~1,300 km network, and how Primavera P6 and ArcGIS are linked with common location codes so progress, costs, and scope all reconcile at street, mosque, and neighborhood levels.
They also cover the KPI outcomes that matter: lowering ambient temperatures by 1–2°C, cutting CO₂ by 3–6%, adding close-to-home green spaces (≤ 300 m away), and using native species (≈ 72 types) that thrive with minimal water. Leadership takeaways abound—from setting one source of truth and common cut-off dates to presenting with clarity and candor in high-stakes rooms.
🎧 You’ll learn
How Vision 2030 frames Green Riyadh’s health, livability, and inclusion goals.
Why Green Riyadh operates as a city-wide program (roads, neighborhoods, “smart” parks) instead of a single project.
How P6 ↔ ArcGIS coding keeps scope, cost, and progress aligned.
The role of treated-sewage-effluent and a ~1,300 km network in irrigating green assets.
KPI targets: temperature, air quality, stormwater capture, and proximity to parks.

When a billion-dollar facility shuts down, every minute counts. 🚧 Orion Matthews and Grant Stead explore the art of turnarounds—how to rebuild critical systems, manage thousands of people, and use AI to keep the world’s biggest assets online.
 
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, host Orion Matthews sits down with Grant Stead, founder of Stead Global, to explore what happens after the build — when billion-dollar assets go offline for critical maintenance. Known as turnarounds, these high-intensity shutdowns are among the most complex operations in heavy industry, where every hour offline means millions lost.
Grant unpacks what it takes to plan and execute these massive events: managing thousands of workers, maintaining safety and culture at scale, and rebuilding critical systems under relentless schedule pressure. The conversation then shifts to how AI and data are reshaping document control and field execution across major projects.
🎧 You’ll learn:
Why turnarounds are the most dangerous and decisive phase in a billion-dollar project’s life cycle
How culture and cadence drive both safety and performance
The hidden costs of poor resource planning — and how to avoid them
How AI-driven document management tools like Doc Ultra and Stoic are redefining project execution
📍 Guest: Grant Stead — Founder & CEO, Stead Global
🌐 steadglobal.com | LinkedIn: Grant Stead
Learn more about the world of high-stakes, billion-dollar projects at majorprojectpodcast.com