Your path to Project Controls: Hear from Stacey Wehmeier her success story in Project Controls

At?Project Controls Institute, we know multiple routes into the Project Controls profession. On this?International Women’s Day, we have prepared a series of short stories to showcase the successful women in project controls and their stories to encourage young professionals into this profession.

“Just do it.?You will learn a lot of core skills that will be invaluable no matter what industry or indeed career you end up pursuing on a longer time horizon.”

What industry are you working in and how did you start your career in Project Controls?

I work in the consulting industry leading the Project Controls Practice for Synergy Group Australia.?We work predominantly with Government clients in the Canberra region.

I fell into Project Controls while I was working as a member of the Australian Public Service in the Department of Defence.?I started as a general graduate in Defence in February 2000 after completing a physics degree and post-graduate qualifications in IT hardware. It’s a long story which I will abbreviate.?It all started with costing capability.?I developed skills as a cost estimator building whole of life estimates for things like aircraft, ships and boats, ICT systems, vehicles and all sorts of associated equipment.?From there my natural interest in scheduling and planning grew due to the close connection between cost and schedule.?That led to an interest in risk and the need to resource projects.?Before I left Defence, I was privilege to lead an integrated project controls team for the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, focussing on cost management, scheduling and planning, risk management, workforce estimation and earned value management. Project Controls called to my inherent need to plan, manage, control, and analyse to forecast future trends to support proactive and forward-looking decision making.?It might have been all of the statistics subjects at University…..

What is Project Controls to you?

Project Controls integrates cost management, scheduling and planning, risk management, workforce estimation and earned value management to support evidence based decision making. Project Controls is good planning and management leading to improved project outcomes.

How has your contribution help with the delivery of projects?

My contribution has helped strengthen the business cases for major equipment procurements and also to manage the projects we deliver as consultants. A key part of making a contribution is also to share knowledge and skills with those new to the profession or whom are working as part of a broader team bringing different skill sets.??

What would your advice be for a young professional who is considering a career in Project Controls?

Just do it.?You will learn a lot of core skills that will be invaluable no matter what industry or indeed career you end up pursuing on a longer time horizon.?I’m now in my fifth career as I call it and as I look back I see that project controls has an important place in everything we do, even in our daily personal lives.?Everything we do is a project of some sort afterall!

Reach out to?Stacey Wehmeier?

Feel free to share, like, or comment and more importantly, to share your success story with us to help grow the Project Controls community.