In this episode of Navigating Major Programmes, Riccardo Cosentino wraps up season two by revisiting the key themes and groundbreaking insights that defined the season. From the transformative power of AI in project management to the essential role of human collaboration, Riccardo explores how major programmes are evolving and shares his vision for the future. This season featured distinguished guests who brought fresh perspectives on technology, leadership, stakeholder management, and public perception. Riccardo reflects on these conversations, highlighting how AI-driven tools, digital twins, and predictive analytics are revolutionizing infrastructure projects while emphasizing the enduring importance of empathy, trust, and inclusivity. “While AI and technology are reshaping how we plan and execute major programmes, it’s important to remember that success in infrastructure isn’t just about the tools we use—it’s about the people who bring these projects to life. As we navigated the complexities of infrastructure, we often touched on the human element that underpins successful project delivery.” – Riccardo Cosentino
In this episode of Navigating Major Programmes, Riccardo Cosentino wraps up season two by revisiting the key themes and groundbreaking insights that defined the season. From the transformative power of AI in project management to the essential role of human collaboration, Riccardo explores how major programmes are evolving and shares his vision for the future.
This season featured distinguished guests who brought fresh perspectives on technology, leadership, stakeholder management, and public perception. Riccardo reflects on these conversations, highlighting how AI-driven tools, digital twins, and predictive analytics are revolutionizing infrastructure projects while emphasizing the enduring importance of empathy, trust, and inclusivity.
“While AI and technology are reshaping how we plan and execute major programmes, it’s important to remember that success in infrastructure isn’t just about the tools we use—it’s about the people who bring these projects to life. As we navigated the complexities of infrastructure, we often touched on the human element that underpins successful project delivery.” – Riccardo Cosentino
Key Takeaways
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[00:00:00] Riccardo Cosentino: While AI and technology are reshaping how we plan and execute major programs. It's important to remember that success in infrastructure isn't just about the tools we use. It's about the people who bring these projects to life. As we navigated the complexities of infrastructure, we often touched on the human element that underpins successful project delivery. This season, we explore the dynamics of collaboration and leadership with Matti Simiatici in the human pursuit of infrastructure delivery.
[00:00:40] You're listening to Navigating Major Programs, the podcast that aims to elevate the conversations happening in the infrastructure industry and inspire you to have a more efficient approach within it. I'm your host, Riccardo Cosentini. I bring over 20 years of major program management experience. Most recently, I graduated from Oxford University's Said Business School. Which shook my belief when it comes to navigating major programs. Now it's time to shake yours. Join me in each episode as I press the industry experts about the complexity of major program management, emerging digital trends, and the critical leadership required to approach these multi billion dollar projects. Let's see where the conversation takes us.
[00:01:28] Hello everyone, welcome to the season two finale of Navigating Major Programs. I'm Riccardo Cosentino. And in this season's final episode, we'll reflect on the pivotal themes we've explored this season, draw on the insights of our distinguished guests and discuss the future trajectory of major programs. This year has been a testament to the power of technology and innovation in transforming project management. We kicked off the season with an episode titled The Conversations Our Industry Needs to Have, where I discuss the critical need for embracing digital tools in our projects. This theme proved to be a recurring thread throughout the entirety of the season, highlighting how AI, blockchain and digital twins can not only streamline but revolutionize our work. In later episodes, I was able to sit down with Lawrence Rowland and David Porter to explore this further, discussing disruptive potential of AI in project management, revealing how this technology can significantly enhance forecasting and risk management. In Episode 17 and 22, Dev Amratia and Ale Mosca, co founders of mPlan, brought compelling perspectives to the transformative role of AI in major programs. Dev emphasized the game changing potential of AI in forecasting and improving project outcomes by leveraging global data at an unprecedented scale. One question he posed resonated deeply with me. What if we had the experience of 760, 000 projects between the two of us and then worked on a project? Wouldn't we be hundreds of times more effective than we currently are? It's a thought provoking challenge. The answer is so clear. Why does hesitation in adopting these technologies persist? Alan complemented this by exploring how AI tools and predictive analytics are revolutionizing risk management and decision making in large scale projects, demonstrating how these advancements can reshape our industry's future.
[00:03:31] While AI and technology are reshaping how we plan and execute major programs, it's important to remember that success in infrastructure isn't just about the tools we use, it's about the people who bring these projects to life. As we navigated the complexities of infrastructure, we often touched on the human element that underpins successful project delivery. This season, we explored the dynamics of collaboration and leadership with Matti Simiatici in the human pursuit of infrastructure delivery. Emphasize the importance of working across organizations in complex systems shown motor provided valuable insights into the psychological contracts that influence behavior and manage risks and disputes in major programs shedding light on the human motivations that drive project success or failure. And in our master builder series co hosted with Sharmila Chatterjee, we highlighted the stories of trailblazing women like Vicky Turnbull, Judy Wilson, and Marnie Dicker showcasing how diversity mentorship and resilience are essential to shaping the future of our industry. These conversations reinforce that even in a world increasingly driven by technology, it is the human element that truly defines the success of major programs. Annie Goodchild brought such a fresh and critical perspective to our conversation in episode 19, Strategic Connections. It was one of the longest episodes of the season, and honestly, it could have gone even longer. Annie emphasized that managing major programs isn't just about budgets and timelines. It's about building trust, engaging communities, and ensuring diverse voices are part of the process. Their reflections on inclusivity and allyship challenged us to think of infrastructure as a deeply human endeavor, not just a technical one. I wanted to share something and he said during our conversation that I will continue to circle back to as I approach stakeholder management in 2025.
[00:05:40] We are the eyes and ears in many ways of how the projects going to do everywhere else but in the very boardroom that is executed from and that those outside forces the climate around the boardroom affects the boardroom more than sometimes they'd like so. Let's help let's be in the room let's share our understanding of what's coming. And help us plan a mitigation around any problems we might see because that's our ultimate benefit to the major project. That conversation could have easily continued because Annie's insights reminded us how essential empathy and collaboration are to the success of major programs. The complexity and nuances of stakeholder management were another recurring theme. Sharina Hussain and Daniel Armanios discussed the critical importance of nuanced stakeholder engagement and resilience within major projects. Similarly, Harvey Mailer and Ian Heptinstall provided profound insights into managing the complexities inherent in large scale projects, focusing on systems thinking and the importance of accurate project estimation. We also tackled the significant impact of public perception on project success. In one of our most forward looking episodes, Brandon De Leon joined me and guest co host Koral Buralir Fabiani to discuss his research on electric aviation. Brandon emphasized how critical societal acceptance is for adopting new technologies, particularly in urban air mobility. He highlighted that even before the first electric aircraft takes flight, public trust will be a key determinant of success, citing pivotal moments like the 2025 World Expo in Osaka and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as opportunities to build this trust. Beyond aviation, Brandon's insights into the interplay of technology, regulation, and infrastructure revealed lessons for all major programs, whether it's electric aircraft or a new transportation system, public perception, and societal buy in are essential for innovation to take hold. This conversation reminded us that no matter how advanced the technology, Its success ultimately depends on how well it aligns with the needs and expectations of the communities it serves, an enduring truth for every major program in our industry. Throughout the season, each guest brought invaluable perspectives on the significant challenges our industry faces that truly elevate the conversation surrounding major programs.
[00:08:09] My ultimate goal in taking on the title of podcaster. I highly encourage you to revisit the conversations with Matti Simiotiki. Sharina Hussain, Umar Porobali, Daniel Armanios, Lawrence Roland, Sean Modar, Brandon DeLeon, Ian Heptinstall, Divya Shah, Tamara Vrooman, Kimberly Doran, Harvey Mailer, Jen McArthur, Henry Femby Taylor, David Porter, Vicky Turnbull, Dev Amratia, Marnie Dicker, Annie Goodchild, Mikhaila Kukurudze, Marian Smith, Alan Mosca, which have been pivotal in broadening my own understanding of the complexities and opportunities in our industry. A big thank you to my guest co host this season, Coral Borellier Fabiani and Shormila Chatterjee. Bringing them into the mix gave our conversations a more dynamic panel like vibe, which made for some really exciting discussions. It's something I definitely want to lean into even more next season. As we wrap up season two, I'm thrilled to give you a glimpse of what's coming in season three of navigating major programs.
[00:09:11] 2025 promises to be a groundbreaking year for the podcast and the industry as a whole. We'll continue tackling the big questions in infrastructure with a spotlight on topics like AI driven preventive maintenance and the evolving role of technology in reshaping project management. I'll also be launching an exciting new podcast where I'll embrace new skills like coding and AI to create a videocast series that applies cutting edge technology to subjects I'm deeply familiar with. From diving deeper into digital twins to exploring innovative collaborations with thought leaders and academics, Season 3 of Navigating Major Programs will continue to challenge us to think differently and push boundaries. Thank you for tuning in this season. Your engagement and feedback has confirmed that this passion project of mine is here to stay. If you haven't already, please subscribe and leave a review as it helps more listeners like, uh, let you find our community. And remember, the conversation doesn't end here. Join me on LinkedIn at Navigating Major Programs. As we take a deeper dive into all of these topics and often get into healthy debates in the comment section. Until next time, keep navigating, keep innovating, and let's continue to elevate the conversation.
[00:10:27] That's it for this episode on navigating major problems. I hope you found today's conversation as informative and thought provoking as I did. If you enjoyed this conversation, please consider subscribing and leaving a review. I would also like to personally invite you to continue the conversation by joining me on my personal LinkedIn at Riccardo Cosentino, listening to the next episode, where we will continue to explore the latest trends and challenges in major program management. Our next in depth conversation promises to continue to dive into topics such as leadership, risk management. and the impact of emerging technology in infrastructure. It's a conversation you're not going to want to miss. Thanks for listening to Navigating Major Programs and I look forward to keeping the conversation going.