
Project Management and Roadmap 2035: Leading the journey to net zero, took place on Thursday 28 October, hosted by the ECITB and the Project Management Steering Group (PMSG).
Aimed at project practitioners and a wide range of other stakeholders, the conference featured guest speakers from across the oil and gas industry and beyond and covers:
- Developing People and Skills
- Driving Technology and Innovation
- Growing the Economy and Exports
- Helping Meet UK Energy Needs
- Supporting Net-Zero
The ECITB would like to thank all sponsors, speakers and delegates for making the Project Management Conference 2021 a huge success.


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Speakers

Chris Claydon
ECITB
Chief Executive
Chris Claydon
Chief Executive, ECITB
As Chief Executive of the ECITB, Chris Claydon is committed to working with the engineering construction industry to deliver a highly skilled workforce for the nation’s critical infrastructure, and enabling the industry to compete globally.
Chris spent 30 years in the Army and has significant experience in running large operations in the UK and overseas as well as managing complex change. His experience also includes six years working on defence policy and strategy with government departments in Whitehall. He initially trained as a military helicopter pilot and much of his career has been spent working with professional engineers.
Chris holds a MA in Defence Technology from Cranfield University.

Lynda Armstrong OBE
ECITB
Chair
Lynda Armstrong OBE
Chair, ECITB
The Chair of the ECITB is Lynda Armstrong OBE. Lynda was appointed Chair in January 2018.
A geophysicist by training, Lynda worked for Shell International for 35 years in roles in oil and gas exploration, and in petroleum engineering and production.
Since retiring from Shell she has held a number of positions on boards as a Non-Executive Director, including Kaz Minerals, Orsted, a renewable energy company, SBM Offshore and CEOC. Lynda also chaired the British Safety Council, a not for profit organisation promoting safety in the workplace. She was awarded the OBE for services to the UK Oil and Gas Industry and is a Fellow of the Energy Institute.

Deirdre Michie OBE
OGUK
CEO
Deirdre Michie OBE
Chief Executive, OGUK
Deirdre was appointed CEO of OGUK in May 2015. She has an LLB Hons in Scots Law and extensive experience as a senior business leader in the global energy sector; Deirdre is a Non-Executive Director of Scottish Water, a Board member of Opportunity North East, a member of the Scottish Government’s Energy Advisory Board and a member of the Women’s Business Council, a UK Government body focused on increasing women’s contribution to economic growth.
Previously Deirdre was a Board member of the North East of Scotland College (NESCOL) and Chair of the Aberdeen Science Centre.
In 2018, Deirdre was awarded an OBE for her services to the Oil and Gas industry in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Deirdre was also awarded a Fellowship from NESCOL in 2018 and is a Burgess of Aberdeen.

Jacqui-Aird-Paterson
Pro-fection Training
CEO
Jacqui Aird-Paterson
CEO and Founder, Pro-Fection Training Ltd
Jacqui has been involved in projects since 1982, with Saatchi & Saatchi, then the World’s top Advertising agency. Through continually striving to improve client services, she eventually became the first ever project manager in Advertising.
After 22 years PM in various industries, she moved to training project related topics including professional qualifications. 2011 saw a change to regional management covering the North Continental Shelf with a major Oil & Gas company and the realisation that her love of both projects and teaching were not fulfilled and in December 2012, Pro-Fection was born.
An avid life-long learner, Jacqui studied as a Master of NLP and accredited ACE Mastery coach, qualifications that benefit her as an international Trainer/ Facilitator, Productivity Coach and Consultant. Recently, Jacqui focusing on project behaviours as she realised that people focus on the wrong things – technical skills are crucial in projects, but they don’t get you anywhere without soft skills. She loves to strategize, problem-solve and help improve others’ mindsets and chance of success.
Through a blend of project knowledge, psychometric evaluations, and leadership coaching, she has clients across the globe. An Industrial client in Philadelphia stating that she had “helped change the culture within their organisation forever”.
Jacqui is grateful for the wonderful work experience that she’s had considers herself to be blessed in her life choices but wishes that someone had helped her be a better operational manager when she took on that role as the secret to confidence, satisfaction, and progression. For this reason, she delivers standard operational leadership and team techniques in a unique way for projects, striving to help clients understand the real differences between functional and project managers.
Jacqui lives in a village in Angus with her husband and beagle Ziggy and recently become a proud granny.

Myrtle Dawes
Net Zero Technology Centre
Solution Centre Director
Myrtle Dawes
Solution Centre Director, Net Zero Technology Centre
Myrtle is a Chartered Chemical Engineer, with extensive experience in the energy sector. Myrtle has taken on an array of roles, from being an offshore engineer working for BP, designing offshore and onshore infrastructure in the UK and overseas, to driving digital transformation, and now leading the development of technology for net zero in the energy sector.
She was elected to the Institution of Chemical Engineer’s Board in 2015 to 2018, and is currently a member of the Board of Governors at University of Lincoln.
In 2017, Myrtle received recognition for her contribution to business, having featured in Breaking the Glass Ceiling and being selected as one of 100 Women to Watch in the Cranfield FTSE Board Report 2017.
In her spare time Myrtle studies mathematics, is a keen cat lover, and gamer.

James Sitter
Harbour Energy
Vice President
Modifications & Project Services
James Sitter
Vice President Modifications & Project Services, Harbour Energy
As an experienced professional with over 20 years in upstream, midstream, and chemical industries, James is a leader in managing organisational change to drive business and project efficiency. He is currently focused on establishing Harbour Energy’s global project management systems, including the digital transformation of their project services platform.
Prior to Harbour Energy, James served in a number of senior development, project and operational roles for assets and projects based in North America, Indonesia, and the UK. James is also an active member of the PMSG, and co-author of the recently published OGUK: Robust Project Delivery Guidelines.

Alex Robertson
Petrofac
Digital and Innovation Future of Project Delivery
Alex Robertson
Digital Deployment Lead – Projects, Petrofac
Alex has managed some of the largest capital projects and asset support contracts in the North Sea and is currently helping establish the Project Management Office for the Acorn Project an energy transition project, involving carbon capture and hydrogen, sited in the North East of Scotland.
Alex has a long track record of introducing systems, technology and analytics to industry and is passionate about upskilling the workforce for future project delivery. He has been nominated to represent the UK Oil and Gas Sector as part of a cross industry data analytics task force comprising project delivery professionals, project trade associations, academia and government and is an active member of the PMSG.

Mark Richardson
Neptune
Vice President
Projects & Engineering
Mark Richardson
Vice-President Projects, Neptune Energy
Mark Richardson is the Vice-President Projects in Neptune Energy, holds an MSc in Offshore Engineering with distinction and an MBA. In 2013 he was presented with the Society of Underwater Technology Award of Merit, and also won the Oil and Gas UK Business Efficiency Award. In 2015 Mark was awarded the Industry Emerging Leader Award. In 2017 he received the Oil and Gas Authority sponsored Maximising Economic Recovery award. In support of the Industry Mark has been a member of the Subsea UK Board and the UK Engineering Construction Industry Training Board. Prior to joining Neptune in 2018, Mark worked for; Apache, BP, Lloyds Register and numerous subsea contractors in various roles. The first 12 years of his working career were spent in the military as a Captain in the Royal Engineers, serving with Commando Forces and specialising in military diving operations.

Lara Young
Costain
Group Climate Change Director
Lara Young
Group Climate Change Director, Constain
Lara Young, Group Climate Change Director for Costain Group, named Energy and Carbon Manager of the Year at the 2021 edie sustainability leaders award and Highway UK 2020 Associate Laureate, is the instigator and driving force behind establishing and implementing Costain’s Climate Change Action Plan to transition to a net-zero organisation. Challenging existing business models and processes, her role is to embed carbon management and drive the design and delivery of whole life low carbon solutions across the Costain Group. Lara is leading the integration of the world’s first standard for managing infrastructure carbon, PAS2080 within the Costain Group.
In 2020 Lara joined the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Carbon Project steering group and is working to incorporate systems thinking to help articulate a future vision for UK infrastructure.
Lara was recently listed in the Energy Saving Trust “Eight Great Women list” for International Women’s day and named the 2021 New Registrant of the Year by the Society for the Environment.

Steve Wisely
Subsea7
Senior Vice President
Steve Wisely
Senior Vice President, Subsea7
Steve has been with Subsea 7, a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services, for over 30 years. Steve joined the company after a brief spell with a privately owned quantity surveying practice in Aberdeen. His early career was mostly in commercial, contractual, and tendering roles in Norway and the UK, before moving to Singapore where he later became the Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific. Since returning to the UK in 2010, Steve has held a number of senior positions including Executive Vice President Commercial, Executive Vice President Northern Hemisphere and Senior Vice President i-Tech 7 (the IRM business unit of Subsea 7) tasked with growing the business on a global basis. In October 2020, Steve became the Senior Vice President of Subsea 7’s UK & Global IRM business, a combination of Subsea 7 UK and i-Tech 7. Steve has completed the Financial Times Non-Executive Director course and sits on the board of Subsea 7 wholly owned entities and incorporated joint ventures. Steve holds a degree in Quantity Surveying from Robert Gordon University.

Luigi Anselmi
Tecnimont SpA
Head of Construction
Methodologies and Innovation
Luigi Anselmi
Head of Construction, Methodologies and Innovation, Tecnimont SpA
Engaged for over 30 years in the Oil & Gas industry in construction sector. During his career he spent significant time abroad engaged in the execution and management of site operational activities for major EPC Contractors. Along progressively increased responsibilities, he oversaw the coordination activities regarding the management of Site Managers and Construction Managers, as well as being Head of Construction Operation, Tecnimont.
Focused always in executing construction operation with latest best practices, today in Tecnimont he is heading the Department of Construction Methodologies and Innovation within the digital transformation of the Company.

Walter Thain
THREE60 Energy Group
Chief Executive Officer and co-founder
Walter Thain

Jenny McLaughlin
Heathrow Airport
Project Manager – Infrastructure and Lead For Heathrow’s Disability Network
Jenny McLaughlin

Stuart Block
Fluor Limited
AWP Manager / Principle Construction Support Specialist
Stuart Block
Over a career of 30 years, I have been fortunate to be involve with a lot of industry leading companies in a variety of positions. i.e.
Companies.
Odebrecht, Yorkshire Electricity, Lotus Cars, Snamprogetti, Worley Parsons, Fluor, ABB, Petrofac.
Positions Held.
Welder / fabricator, Draughtsman / designer, Project Planner to Corporate Planning Manager, Logistics Statical Analysis Team Leader, Project Engineer, Project Manager, WFP Manager, AWP Manager, AWP SME at Fluor, AWP SME for ECI (European Construction Industry), Principal Construction Specialist.
Key projects that I have been involved with.
Sizewell C, Lotus Evora Car, Aston Martin Vanquish, Bacton Refinery Eductor Project, TCO SGP & FGP projects, North Sea Module Fabrication including maintenance & decommissioning.
Things I enjoy.
I enjoy DIY, Travelling, RC Car Racing, Car & Motorbike Track Days, 3D design / printing.

Valeria Korobka
Cameron, A Schlumberger Company
Process Engineer
Valeria Korobka
I received a Master’s degree in Chemical & Process Engineering from the University of Strathclyde.
After graduating in 2019, I joined Cameron (a Schlumberger Company) as a Process Engineer and have now finished my 2nd year working with them. During this time, I have had experience within oil, gas and produced water technologies.
Through my work I had the opportunity to join the ECITB Innov8 Group in April 2021. The innov8 Group is made up individuals in the early stages of their careers within engineering industries who can provide insight on how to attract and retain new talent to address the future workforce and skills demand. Future proofing is one of the main objectives of the ECITB innov8 Group, and hence addressing the Net Zero Skills gap is a key focus area of Innov8.

Mark Fotheringham
Spirit Energy
Director of Projects
Mark Fotheringham
Director of Projects, Spirit Energy
Mark has close to four decades of experience in upstream oil and gas and has dedicated his career to facilities engineering and project management. He has had ten years of international assignments and twenty five years of leadership of projects, functions and operational teams in the exploration and production environment. He has an engineering degree, a master’s degree in project management and is both a chartered engineer and chartered project professional.
Mark volunteers with the ECITB as chair of an Aberdeen based Project Management Steering Group, is a board member of Grampian Credit Union and supports the Association for Project Management in mentoring candidates with aspirations of chartered registration. He also dedicates his time to swimming, yoga, walking, cycling and golf.

Fergus Mitchell
Petrofac
Project Engineer
Fergus Mitchell
Project Engineer, Petrofac
Fergus started his career with an ECITB Training Program in Structural Design with Petrofac, through opportunities and progression he has completed roles in design and construction, now pursuing a career in Project Management. Currently, he is the point of contact for all brownfield modification projects on an asset in the central North Sea.
Fergus is part of the ECITB Innov8 Group which is a group of early career professionals within engineering industries who can provide insight on how to attract and retain new talent to address the future workforce and skills demand. Future proofing is one of the main objectives of the ECITB innov8 Group and hence, addressing the Net Zero Skills gap is a key focus area of Innov8.

Connor Gammie
Shell UK
Graduate Project Engineer
Connor Gammie
Graduate Project Engineer, Shell UK
Connor graduated from Heriot-Watt university in 2020 having studied Chemical Engineering with Oil and Gas technology. Upon Completion of my studies, He joined Shell as a graduate Project Engineer, currently working on the Penguins Redevelopment Project.
Connor joined Innov8 earlier this year and was lucky enough to be elected as chair – Innov8 have achieved a great deal as a group so far and he hopes to continue to build on this success and become a recognised group that is making a difference in the industry’

Mike Fulham
Worley
Vice President, Execution Strategy
Mike Fulham
Vice President, Execution Strategy, Worley
Mike works closely with Clients, Business Development and Project Delivery teams, drawing on his 35 years in the industry, to align objectives, develop execution strategy and ensure project teams are set-up to deliver. Recent focus has been in the Energy Transition sector. Prior to his present role, Mike was a Senior Project Director.
Mike has been part of project leadership teams that have delivered a number of major EPC Projects from FEED through to Commissioning, start-up and initial operation. During his career Mike has held a number of senior roles, including EPC Programme Director, Director – Business Development, Project Manager and Principal Procurement Manager. Mike started his career as a trainee mechanical engineer with a UK fabricator.