Engineers As Manager 2014 Panel Speakers
Panel Speakers of the Engineers As Manager Conference 2014.
Neil Mitchell, VP Refurbishment Engineering, OPG
Keynote Speaker
Neil began working as a summer student supporting mechanical research for Ontario Hydro (the predecessor to Ontario Power Generation). Following several fulfilling and challenging positions, Neil accepted the role of Vice President, Refurbishment Engineering for the Darlington Refurbishment Project in 2010.
Mid-life refurbishment of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is a significant undertaking, which includes the replacement of major reactor components such as pressure tubes, calandria tubes and feeder pipes. It also involves a tremendous amount of work to maintain, upgrade and refurbish other important plant systems, such as the turbine and generator sets, fuel handling equipment, and other nuclear, conventional, and safety systems. It is an extensive and complex project spanning about 15 years.
The Refurbishment Project is well into the detailed planning phase and the detailed scope definition needed to execute the project is well underway, including a significant amount of engineering effort contributed to the resource-loaded plan and modification design requirements.
Tony Cesta, Operations Manager GTA office, Hatch
Everyone wants to be a Project Manager! I’m astonished at how often young engineers tell me that they want go into project management. I have to explain that managing projects takes many years of experience. After mastering various technical and administrative roles, one starts to be able to see the big picture and how to coordinate all the project aspects while managing the client expectations. Managing projects also requires excellent communications skills to keep the client informed of all project aspects and to keep the project team motivated and focused on the project objectives. Safety, cost and schedule are basic objectives for all projects and the manager needs to ensure that they are successfully achieved. The program and speakers at this conference have been carefully selected to help explain the complexity of managing projects and to help engineers transition to this role.
Paul Acchionne, President, OSPE
Panel Speaker – Owner’s Panel
Paul has B.A.Sc. and M.Eng. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto. Paul is a licensed professional engineer in Ontario and is a member of ASME, ANS, IEEE and ISA. Paul has over 40 years of engineering and management experience in the power generation industry. He worked for 31 years with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and its predecessor companies. He is now a Management Consultant at Market Intelligence and Data Analysis Corporation and is the 2013-14 President and Chair of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE).
Nairn M. McQueen, Consultant
Panel Speaker – Owner’s Panel
Mr. McQueen retired from Hydro One in August 2013 where he had been Senior Vice- President of Engineering and Construction. While at Hydro One he was responsible for the design and construction of approximately $5 billion of new and refurbished transmission assets. Major projects included the $260 million Parkway 500/230 kV transformer station and the $710 million Bruce to Milton 500 kV transmission line. During this period he represented Hydro One on the Board of Directors of EPSCA, the Electric Power System Construction Association.
Ian McDermott, Senior Director of Research Facilities Planning and Safety, University Health Network
Panel Speaker – Owner’s Panel
Ian has been a member of the Senior Management Team for Research at the University health Network for the last 16 years and was a member of the Research Management Team the Wellesley Hospital Research Institute since its inception in the early 1990s. In his current role as Senior Director, Research Facilities Planning and Safety, he works intimately with researchers, administrators, engineers, architects, contractors, building operators, vendors and regulators in designing laboratories and establishing operational parameters. Ian has been managing space and designing research environments for more than 20 years with a clear focus on the needs of the researchers. Ian has been instrumental in developing effective, efficient and safe research workspaces that meet all the regulatory guidelines. Ian worked in the research laboratory for several years and this experience has been invaluable in providing a proper perspective ensuring a clear understanding of laboratory operations as well as enhancing clinical research programs. Ian’s role in developing the Master Space Plan for UHN Research was instrumental in leading to the development of TMDT and KDT. Ian holds a Specialist Degree in Molecular Genetics and Molecular Biology from the University of Toronto.
Rick Hohendorf, Senior Manager, Computers and Control Design, Components Engineering Division, Nuclear Engineering, OPG
Panel Speaker – Owner’s Panel
Mr. Hohendorf is a member of the OSPE Board since 2012 and is currently the Senior Manager, Computers and Control Design, Components Engineering Division, Nuclear Engineering with Ontario Power Generation. In a career spanning more than 35 years, Mr. Hohendorf has earned several awards for technical achievement and leadership. He is the author of numerous conference and technical papers on computer technology within the power industry. Mr. Hohendorf holds a B.A.Sc. and M.A.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Windsor, as well as an MBA from York University.
Craig Woodall, VP Power, AMEC
Panel Speaker – Contractor’s Panel
Craig has over 23 years experience in engineering, project management and operations management in the industrial, pharmaceutical, commercial and power business sectors. With his superior communication and team leadership skills he has successfully led large project teams to success and his current role is Director of Operations for AMEC Power and Process in Oakville, Ontario. His career started with AMEC in the UK as a mechanical engineer and he transferred to Canada in 2002.
Brian Jackson, VP Project Delivery Support, SNC Lavalin
Panel Speaker – Contractor’s Panel
Brian Jackson is Vice President, Project Delivery Support with SNC-Lavalin’s Mining & Metallurgy Business Unit. He leads a team of seasoned project professionals dedicated to improving project execution capabilities across M&M through the development of procedures, systems, tools and related training programs, by auditing projects to ensure compliance and consistency, and by coordinating capital cost estimate reviews for major projects.
Mr. Jackson has over 26 years of comprehensive EPCM experience in the mining and metallurgy; oil, gas and chemicals; and industrial/municipal water and wastewater treatment sectors. He has substantive experience in the management of multi-discipline design teams and design-build project teams, as well as significant functional management experience.
John McVey, Operation Manager, North America, Bechtel Canada Co., Mining & Metals, Bechtel
Panel Speaker – Contractor’s Panel
Cumulating over 30 years of experience in the engineering and construction industry, John McVey is regarded as a key leader in Bechtel’s North American operations. As part of the Mining & Metals global business unit, he currently serves as country manager for Canada and as operations manager for North America. John is also on the Board of Directors of Bechtel Canada Co. and Bantrel Co.
With experience including executive and senior management positions in project operations, strategic planning, engineering and project management in the mining, refining, oil sands, industrial and power industries, John has acquired a broad knowledge of project execution challenges, particularly in the Americas.
Responsible for Bechtel’s North American office in Montreal, John also leads the execution and performance of all current Mining & Metals projects in the region. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Waterloo and is a graduate of the Queen’s University executive development program.
Paul Murray, VP Construction, Aecon
Panel Speaker – Contractor’s Panel
Paul Murray is Executive Vice President, Aecon Energy and is responsible for services in this sector including oil and gas, power generation, pipeline, transmission and renewable energy. Mr. Murray has almost three decades of construction and management experience in the energy sector. Prior to joining Aecon, he was a senior executive at SNC Lavalin and previously at leading engineering firms.
Mark Sucharda, Senior Project Manager, Hatch
Panel Speaker – Contractor’s Panel
Over 20 years of project management experience based primarily in the non-ferrous industry. Mark’s role typically includes leading projects through Feasibility Study, Basic Engineering and the engineering/procurement phases of project execution.
Mark has been an associate at Hatch for the past 15 years. Prior to Hatch Mark worked at Paul Wurth (supplier of specialized equipment to the metals industry), Pneuveyor Systems (supplier of pneumatic conveying equipment), Shaw Pipe Protection (corrosive pipe coatings) and Dofasco.
Malcolm Hill, Director of Risk Analysis, Candu Energy Inc.
Speaker – Risk Analysis
Disastrous projects are rarely the results of bad luck, they are the victims of poor risk management. What is project risk and how can effective risk management help achieve projects within budget, within pre-established schedule, fit for purpose and meeting contractual obligations? Establishing and following a risk management process that consists of risk identification, analysis, prioritization, mitigation and close-out are essential in helping to keep projects on track. This presentation will outline the fundamentals in project risk management and discuss practical applications.
Malcolm Hill has over 15 years of “hands-on” experience developing capital projects in the Power, Nuclear, Mining Refinery and Chemical Industries for private and public corporations as a Risk Manager, Project Manager, Business Development Manager and in engineering. He has extensive field experience in construction and commissioning, and a thorough knowledge of global Engineering, Procurement, and Construction business and state-of-the-art project delivery models. Mr. Hill has work experience in Canada, as well as Internationally and is fluent in English, French and Spanish.
Sonia Sennik, Engineering Manager, Hatch
Speaker – Effective Project Engineering Management
Becoming a good manager is not only about completing the project on budget and schedule, but also getting the best out of your team while achieving these goals. This presentation will discuss different approaches to engineering management through both technical and anecdotal lenses. Whether you are a junior level engineer striving to become a manager or already have experience with engineering management, this presentation is for you.
Ketan Shanishchara, Project Manager, AMEC
Speaker – Interface/Project Management
Ketan Shanishchara is currently working with Mining & Metals division of AMEC as a Project Manager with over 26 years of experience in engineering and project management of medium to large scale, multidisciplinary industrial and mining projects from concept through to commissioning. He is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) and Project Management Professional (PMP) with mechanical engineering background.
He carries a vast experience in various international projects, work practices, Regulations and Safety Standards.
He has successfully led various sizes of turnkey / design build projects with team of engineers, consultants and constructors within varied cross-sections of clientele in the private, public and government sectors.
During his working he has been a very active mentor for EITs, junior engineers and young managers.
Pappur Shankar, Past Chair of PEO Mississauga Chapter and Sr Project Manager
Speaker – Cost Engineering and Project Control
The speaker will define project controls which encompasses people, process and tools used to plan, manage and mitigate project costs and schedule issues and any risk event that may impact a projects profit.
The speaker will describe the importance of project controls divided into two areas.
1. During front End Engineering with Assessment group before the budget released.
2. During Execution of the project after budget release
Sudhakar Pulagam, Project Control Consultant
Speaker – Cost Engineering and Project Control
Sudhakar Pulagam, a Mechanical Engineer with over 20 years of experience in Consulting Engineering, Manufacturing, Energy, and Mining sectors. He is a Professional Engineer with Certified Cost Professional (CCP) certification from AACE, Project Management Professional and Risk Management Professional certifications from PMI. Experience in Project Planning, Project Controls and Project Management of several projects locally and internationally.
With thorough Knowledge of Cost Engineering, Risk Management and Project Management practices from owner/contractor perspective, currently Sudhakar is a Planning & Control lead on the Darlington Nuclear Refurbishment Project.
Izzat Tawil, Senior Global Director, SNC Lavalin
Speaker – Contract Management and Pit Falls
Izzat Tawil is a professional Engineer with over 35 years of experience in diverse international projects including project, construction and prime contract management. Mr. Tawil has held various senior positions in a multitude of industries including power, nuclear, energy, chemical, environmental and mining. For a period of 10 years, Mr. Tawil was the Principal and president of Canesc Ltd, a Project Management Service provider in the EPCM and EPC industries. Mr. Tawil is currently acting in the capacity of Senior Global Director, Prime Contracts and in an advisory capacity to corporate enterprise risk, corporate governance and a party to panel reviewers on major global projects with multibillion dollar contracts.
Chris Sandink, Director for Engineering & Architecture, AECOM
Speaker – Quality Control on Engineering Vendors
Chris Sandink is currently AECOM’s Director for Engineering & Architecture in Canada East (Water Business Line). In his role, he is responsible for ensuring high quality engineering and architectural design for all water and wastewater projects in the Region. The design team he oversees consists of approximately 60 staff including architects, professional engineers and certified engineering technicians and technologists. Chris’ experience also includes work in energy (oil/gas), mining and metals and process control including significant time on construction sites supporting field work activities. Chris is also a Bechtel certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and has completed a number of process improvement projects in the energy sector.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, a Master of Science in Engineering from Queen’s University and is also a Project Management Professional (PMP).
Gary Williams, Vice-President, Process Infrastructure and Minerals & Metals, North America, Ausenco
Moderator
With decades of experience in engineering and construction of large and small capital projects, Gary Williams has a proven record of delivering value to clients. His experience spans the mining, power, oil, petrochemical and infrastructure industries. He has managed operations encompassing a wide range of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) projects for some of the world’s largest EPC companies, including Ausenco, AMEC, SNC-Lavalin and Bechtel, leading teams with hundreds of people.
Gary recently joined Ausenco as their Vice President for North American Operations over the Mining and Process Infrastructure businesses. He is responsible for seven offices in the US and Canada and for growing Ausenco’s EPC business in North America. In the last six years, Ausenco has purchased a number of engineering companies including Sandwell and PSI. It is Gary’s first task to assemble the individual teams into one Ausenco operation, focusing on its customers and delivery of project solutions.