The Major Project Podcast
Every day, somewhere in the world, a billion-dollar project is underway — reshaping skylines, powering nations, and pushing the limits of what’s possible. But behind every megaproject are the people who plan, measure, and keep it all on track. Hosted by Orion Matthews, founder of Queryon, The Major Project Podcast dives into the world of Project Controls — the art and science of delivering the biggest projects on earth. From energy and infrastructure to tech and space, we talk to the leaders managing billions in scope, risk, and ambition. Join us as we uncover the lessons, failures, and innovations that define how major projects actually get built — and how data, risk, and human judgment come together when the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Episodes
In this bonus segment, Iwona Wilson shares her advice for the next generation of project leaders. She makes the case for developing critical thinking above all else, explains how AI is reshaping the skills students need to stay relevant, and offers practical guidance on where to find the right experiences early in your career. Iwona also walks through her book, her decision gate training program, and where to connect with her onlin...
Every major capital project team will tell you they have a decision gate process. According to Iwona Wilson, having the process and having the capability to use it are two completely different things - and the gap between them is costing the industry hundreds of millions per project.
Iwona Wilson is co-founder and CEO of Wilson Biz Consulting and author of Where Projects Are Won or Lost: A Practical Guide to Early Decision Framing ...
Most major projects manage risk in Excel. Matt Mitchell spent a decade managing it differently - including as risk lead on a $3.9 billion offshore gas platform in the Mediterranean.
In this episode, Orion sits down with Matt Mitchell — a certified risk management professional with over a decade of experience across energy and industrial megaprojects — to go deep on one of the most underinvested disciplines in capital pr...
Before the panel started, the moderator was warned: "Good luck controlling this bunch." Four AACE presidents. 150+ combined years. They lived up to it. Recorded live at the 2026 AACE Houston Gulf Coast Symposium, host Orion Matthews sits down with four current and former AACE International Presidents for an unfiltered conversation on leadership, AI, remote work, and the future of project controls - drawing on decades of experience ...
The project controls industry has a looming problem—and it's not technical.
In this episode, Orion sits down with Christina Robinson — founder of Henry Porter LLC and project controls advisor with 14 years across energy, utilities, and infrastructure — to diagnose a crisis that most industry leaders are misreading. The problem isn't a skills shortage: it's a culture and systems problem that's causing younger profe...
Most project failures aren’t caused by a single issue - they’re the result of broken integration.
In this episode, Orion sits down with Ellie Moradinezhad, founder of tactHive Consulting and former Global Discipline Director at Hatch, where she oversaw project management development across 4,000+ projects in 70 countries - to unpack the most misunderstood concept in major project delivery: integration. Ellie introduces ...
Most project teams don’t fail because they lack a plan, they fail because they believe it.
In this episode, Orion sits down with Travis Arlitt, Senior Planning & Field Execution Specialist and co-founder of Day One Model, to unpack a fundamental gap in capital project delivery: the disconnect between planned schedules and field reality.
With over 25 years of experience across global megaprojects, from LNG facilities in An...
Capital projects generate enormous amounts of data, yet many important project decisions are still made without timely access to the information teams need. When plans inevitably break and conditions change, leaders often lack the transparency required to respond quickly and confidently. The issue is not a lack of data, but a gap between the systems collecting information and the tools teams use to make decisions. This presentation...
What does it really take to staff, structure, and control multi-billion-dollar programs?
Ahmed AbdelSalam shares hard-earned lessons on resource planning, building high-impact PMOs, and how AI is reshaping project controls.
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Ahmed AbdelSalam, a senior PMO and project controls leader who has delivered multi-billion-dollar programs across life sciences, healthcare, and...
Risk isn’t a scary “extra” - it’s the reason projects succeed or spiral. ⚠️
Kim Essendrup, co-host of Project Management Happy Hour and founder of RAIDLOG.com, joins Orion for a practical Risk 101 breakdown - and how RAID logs help teams stay proactive instead of reactive.
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Kim Essendrup - co-host of the widely followed Project Management Happ...
What if your 3D model could predict schedule risk, expose cost blind spots, and align everyone—from the field to the boardroom? 🧩
BIM and digital-delivery expert Omar Habib joins Orion to break down how 4D, 5D, and data-driven storytelling are transforming billion-dollar projects.
🧾 Episode SummaryIn this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Omar Habib - Co-Founder & CTO of The WE Group and a glo...
Why do so many billion-dollar projects fail—and how can leaders make better decisions before it’s too late? 🧭
Global mega-project executive Akin Oni joins Orion to unpack decision-making, people, risk, and leadership at the highest stakes.
🧾 Episode SummaryIn this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Akin Oni—global mega-project executive, CEO & Managing Partner of FECs Group, and aut...
Why do so many billion-dollar projects go off the rails—and what can you do before execution to prevent it? 🧭
Front-end planning expert Roger Farish joins Orion to unpack FEL, stage-gates, risk, and governance—and why the biggest influence on a project’s success happens long before you break ground.
🧾 Episode SummaryIn this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with...
What if finishing a billion-dollar project on time and on budget is actually a choice? 📦
Global AWP pioneer Geoff Ryan joins Orion to break down Advanced Work Packaging, data center megaprojects, and the future of construction productivity.
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Geoff Ryan—worldwide authority on Advanced Work Packaging (AWP), founder of Insight-AWP, and author of Even More Schedul...
What does it take to build one of the world’s largest oil & gas greenfields? ⛽️
Project Controls leader Tarun Gohel takes us behind the scenes of the $20B West Qurna 2 Project, a massive upstream program spanning Iraq, Dubai, South Korea, Italy, and beyond.
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion speaks with Tarun Gohel—a project controls and planning leader whose career spans India, Kazakhstan, Ghana, D...
What does it take to keep billion-dollar projects running on the latest version?
Document Control expert Leanne Allgaier joins Orion Matthews to unpack how great document management saves time, money, and even lives across the world’s largest industrial projects.
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion Matthews sits down with Leanne Allgaier—a veteran document control leader who’s managed major...
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, host Orion Matthews sits down with James Wiseman, Major Project Capital Manager in the Energy Industry with 25 years of experience spanning Chevron, Tesla, Santos, and Alyeska Pipeline. Together, they explore the intersection of people and energy — how to deliver on the world’s exploding demand for power through smarter project execution, modern leadership, and new tech...
What does it take to grow 7.5 million trees across a capital city? 🌳Jovita Stander takes us inside Green Riyadh, a Multi-Billion-dollar mega project that is set to transform the capital city of Saudi Arabia into a green oasis.
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Jovita Stander—a project controls director now with Knight Frank and formerly on Green Riyadh, one of the world’s most ambitio...
When a billion-dollar facility shuts down, every minute counts. 🚧 Orion Matthews and Grant Stead explore the art of turnarounds—how to rebuild critical systems, manage thousands of people, and use AI to keep the world’s biggest assets online.
In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, host Orion Matthews sits down with Grant Stead, founder of Stead Global, to explore what happens after the build — when billio...
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