Project Podcast

We tackle the perennial problem of self-confidence and why many of us need an occasional, or more general, boost to our levels of it. Emma speaks to Dame Inga Beale, ex-CEO of Lloyd’s of London, and a woman who has very much learned how to get ahead in a male-dominated sector. She also hears the advice of leadership coach Muriel Wilkins of Paravis Partners in the US, who has a new book called Lead...

Emma is joined by Nigel Cann (Sizewell C), Stuart McLaren (WSP) and Carol Tansley (X-energy). They discuss the future of nuclear energy projects in the UK, including new technologies and the government’s wider strategy for clean energy. The guests share why collaboration between various nuclear utilities will be critical in this new world, the necessity for modularisation and standardisation, and...

Emma meets Dr Paul Chapman, Senior Fellow at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, and Gordon MacKay, Project Management Capability Lead at Sellafield, who also provided specialist knowledge for a new APM Learning module on leadership of self, which is coming out soon. Gordon and Paul delve deep into their experience and research to pass on their advice on what it takes to be a great p...

Emma meets Amy Morley ChPP, APM’s new Chair and a Programme Management Senior Director at AECOM, an industry leader in programme management services for large, complex infrastructure programmes. Amy discusses everything from what the future might hold for APM and the project profession to her career lessons.  Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk

Managing stress, maintaining work-life balance and avoiding burnout is a modern preoccupation. But let's not forget that the right level of stress can be enjoyable and motivating for many of you working in project management. To unpick these issues, Emma is joined by Dr Clara Cheung (University of Manchester), Veronica Sikombe (Mott MacDonald) and Rochelle Sampson-Clarke (NHS South, Central an...

Emma meets Jonathan Simcock, a highly experienced and respected project leader who has held executive roles in the oil and gas, energy, utilities and telecommunication sectors. In 2007, he took over what became the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (and is now NISTA). Until last year, he was chair of the Submarine Delivery Agency in the MOD. His book, The Delivery Gap: Why government projects...

APM CEO Professor Adam Boddison is joined by Steve Langbridge, Director of Programmes at SEA, a company based in South-west England which specialises in developing and delivering defence solutions to a global customer base. Its business areas include naval ship and fleet protection, and undersea surveillance systems. Steve was appointed to his Director role in July, having previously been Head of...

Emma goes behind the scenes at London's Natural History Museum, which is an APM Corporate Partner. The museum will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2031 and has therefore kicked off a programme that includes the creation of six new permanent galleries within the iconic museum building in South Kensington. The first gallery has already opened, and that's where Emma headed. It's called...

Emma visits Elstree Studios, which has been home to TV soap EastEnders since 1985. She goes behind the scenes of a project to create new production and post-production suites from a derelict building and to give actors new dressing rooms and make-up rooms. Get a flavour of what it's like on a construction project in a creative environment with cast and crew filming all around as the project ta...

Emma meets Anne Marie Purcell, C-Suite Advisor in Transformational Change in Delivery and Transport; Nermeen Latif, Technical Director of Digital Solutions at WSP; and Glen Kelly, Programme Manager at CoStar Live Lab. They discuss finding purpose and meaning in your work. For project professionals, a sense of purpose – that you're doing something not just for the bottom line, but also for the bigg...

Sustainability in project management remains a hot topic – but it can be hard to get to grips with. Depending on your specific role and level of seniority, you may feel unable to influence the sustainability of your projects. Perhaps issues like net zero and social inequality feel remote from your day-to-day. In this episode, however, we hear why sustainability isn’t just a top-down directive. It...

The APM Salary and Market Trends Survey 2025 takes a snapshot of life on the frontline of project management, comparing how pay, compensation, job satisfaction, opportunities and challenges have changed since the 2023 survey and giving insights on hot workplace topics, including artificial intelligence, sustainability, government projects, and diversity and inclusion. It also charts the confidence...

Emma meets Dr Sara Hajikazemi and Professor Eunice Maytorena-Sanchez to discuss APM’s research report Projecting for the Future: Harmonising energy and environment . This latest study provides insights into what the profession sees as the most important future trends that are likely to impact the way project managers practise their profession to identify what might need to change. Read the report...

Emma meets Mike Bourne, professor of Business Performance at Cranfield University and Managing Editor of the APM Body of Knowledge 8th edition . Mike says a lot has changed in the five years since the previous edition of the APM Body of Knowledge was published. The conversation focuses on what makes for a great project professional in 2025, how to get your head around systems thinking, how to appr...

Adam meets Dhruv Patel, an APM Honorary Fellow and Chief Executive and Founder of the Nisai Group. His company specialises in the delivery of online education services to learners around the world, particularly what it calls ‘non-traditional students’.  Dhruv shares his experience of project delivery in the education sector, as well as the role of technology and some leadership lessons, too. Conta...

Emma meets Paul Kidston and Carolyn Browning to discuss project controls. The pair are co-authors, along with others, of the new APM book, Project Controls in the 21st Century , available at apm.org.uk/book-shop/project-controls-in-the-21st-century/ Listen on to find out why project controllers should actually be called ‘truth tellers’ and how, in project controls, you need to have both an eye for...

APM Chief Executive Professor Adam Boddison OBE is joined in conversation by Pierre Le Manh, President and CEO at the Project Management Institute (PMI). Headquartered in the US, PMI is a worldwide professional organisation representing the project profession. Pierre is an experienced CEO who has worked across several sectors. He was born in France into a “family of entrepreneurs” and moved to the...

Emma meets Ashleigh Hargrave, Interim Head of Strategy Projects and Management at the King Edward VI Foundation in Birmingham, and David Kitchiner, Head of the Portfolio Office at the RSPB, to find out what it’s like to be leading project management within these two charities, both of which are APM Corporate Partners. They provide a behind-the-scenes look at how project management is woven into th...

Emma meets Frances Palmer, Associate Director at Gleeds; Dave Corbin FAPM, Head of Client Accounts at Gleeds; and leadership and culture coach Anita Phagura, who previously worked in infrastructure project management. Frances and Dave helped set up APM’s Built Environment Interest Network last year. With a special focus on diversity and inclusion for the week of International Women’s Day, our gues...

Emma meets Dr Miranda Loh, Director of Scientific Growth, Engagement and Innovation at the Institute of Occupational Medicine, which is dedicated to enhancing health in workplaces. Miranda develops the institute’s research capabilities in hazardous substances, exposure assessment, health and wellbeing at work, air pollution and the built environment’s impact on health. While not formally qualified...

Emma speaks to leadership and management expert Jo Owen and Andy Alder, Managing Director of Major Infrastructure Delivery at Anglian Water, about how to delegate. It’s something every project manager or leader needs to understand and practise successfully if they want their teams to achieve things. So, Jo and Andy give us their insider dos and don’ts so that you can hone your mindset and learn ho...

As we often hear on this podcast, being an effective project professional is about more than just managing timelines and budgets. It's also about creating a space where teams can thrive and achieve goals together. But isn't that easier said than done? And how can project managers strike the right balance between technical skills and the emotional intelligence needed to manage teams? Throug...

Emma meets Suzanne Moreland, Vice President of Programme Management Practice at AECOM, about how to step up from being a project manager to being a programme manager. Suzanne draws on her vast experience of leading megaprojects and shares her behind-the-scenes lessons from working on some truly mind-blowing programmes. If you are thinking of entering the world of programme management or want to ho...

2024 is drawing to a close, and with a new year just around the corner, here at the APM Podcast we’re in a reflective mood. In this episode, we’re going to look back at what we’ve learned from the 25 episodes we’ve published this year. We’ve covered everything from managing radioactive waste to making documentaries for the BBC. But what have been the standout lessons? Don’t forget to share yours!...

Emma meets Daniel Armanios, BT Professor of Major Programme Management at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, and Zack Swafford, co-founder of Dart, a San Francisco-based start-up whose project management tool uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with brainstorming, roadmap planning and report generation, among other tasks. The pair consider the rapid developments in AI over the past...