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Designing Client Organisations and Corporate Strategies [Short course]

A pioneering 4 day short course which will immerse you in new thinking about the organisation design and corporate strategies of major infrastructure projects.

designing client organisations

Delivered with world-leading academics and practitioners, you will come away equipped with the principles and practical skills to design successful organisations and corporate strategies to deliver major infrastructure projects.

As part of the programme you will hear first-hand from senior leaders (e.g. Managing Directors, Chief Executive Officers), learn and be engaged through stimulating learning based on the latest research and cutting edge case studies.

DAY 1
  • Corporate strategy
  • Organisation design
  • Permanent vs. temporary structures
DAY 2
  • Infrastructure delivery models
  • Sponsor and client relationship
  • Arm’s Length Bodies
DAY 3
  • Designing client organisations
  • Client and delivery partner relationship
  • Integrated project teams
DAY 4
  • Organisational development
  • From individuals to teams and organisations
  • IPA Project Routemap: Organisation Design and Development module

Our aim is to train and inspire the next generation of major infrastructure leaders

Enjoy learning

Delivered through a combination of seminars, guest lectures and interactive exercises, take part in stimulating and intensive learning alongside a diverse group of contributors from major infrastructure projects.

Gain real world knowledge and practical tools

Apply theory and gain knowledge from practical case studies to support decision making.  

Apply now

Course Director: Dr. Juliano Denicol

Lecturer in Project Management, Global Head IPMA Megaprojects SIG

Juliano Denicol
Juliano is the Global Head of the Megaprojects Special Interest Group (SIG) at the International Project Management Association (IPMA), and Lecturer in Project Management at University College London (UCL). As Global Head of the IPMA Megaprojects SIG, Juliano coordinates a global platform with more than 70 countries to advance our understanding of megaproject delivery. Before joining UCL, Juliano has worked as a supply chain management consultant at High Speed 2, the largest infrastructure project in Europe, and advisor to the European Commission on public procurement policies.

Juliano’s work on megaprojects has been regarded of high global impact receiving multiple research awards, including the Most Cited and Most Downloaded Paper of the Year from PMI's Project Management Journal. He has received the prestigious 2019 Global Young Researcher Award from the IPMA and the 2019 Best Reviewer Award from the Project Organising Special Interest Group of the European Academy of Management (EURAM). Previous research included several iconic UK megaprojects: High Speed 1, Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, London 2012 Olympics, Crossrail, Thames Tideway Tunnel, and High Speed 2.

Guest Lecturers

 

Andrew Davies

Andrew Davies is the RM Phillips Freeman Chair and Professor of Innovation Management in SPRU University of Sussex Business School. Andrew's research focuses on the management and organisation of large, complex infrastructure megaprojects. His published research has focused on how innovation occurs in complex product systems, project-based firms and organisations, systems integration, and integrated solutions business models. Andrew is Honorary Professor at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction at University College London.

andy davis

John Pelton

John is a Programme Director at Jacobs. He is currently the Programme Partner Director for the East West Rail programme. Prior to that he was the MD of Parliament Estate having been the Programme Partner Director for the Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme.

John has also led the Highways England Major Projects transformation programme, the Crossrail Programme Partner Transcend, a JV between CH2M, AECOM and Nichols, the HS2 Efficiency Challenge Programme and prior to joining CH2M/Jacobs spent many years leading complex programmes with the British military.

john pelton 1

Mark Thurston

Mark is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of High Speed Two (HS2). With more than 25 years’ experience in project and programme management, Mark has worked in both the public and private sectors on some of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects.

Previously, Mark was Managing Director for Europe at CH2M and was with the company from June 2008. During his career with CH2M Mark spent a significant amount of time in leadership roles on major programmes, including three years as Strategic Projects Director on Crossrail, leading the Programme Partner joint venture Transcend.

Mark is a Visiting Professor at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction at University College London and is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Association for Project Management.

mark thurston

Nick Smallwood

Nick Smallwood is the Chief Executive Officer of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority and Head of Government’s Project Delivery Function.

Nick is the former Vice President for Projects Engineering and Chief Projects Engineer at Shell. Nick has 40 years experience of managing complex project portfolios and having developed Shell’s Global Project Academy. At Shell, Nick was accountable for managing how projects were delivered and a variety of significant improvement programmes.

Nick was also a trustee of the board of the Association for Project Management (APM) until November 2019, where he contributed to the overall development of the UK’s project management profession.

nick smallwood

Shira Johnson

Having proudly led the transformation and development of organisational capability to prepare HS2 Ltd for delivery, Shira joined HS2 Ltd’s Executive Committee in October 2021 as Human Resources Director (Interim).

Shira is an experienced people leader with a track record designing and delivering effective people strategies across private and public sectors. She started her career in the global mining industry leading organisational development, change and culture programmes across Australia, Asia and Canada.

Since relocating to the UK in 2013, Shira’s been responsible for delivering significant people programmes across government, telecommunications, and major infrastructure sectors – working as a people and transformation consultant, before joining HS2 Ltd as Organisation Development & Capability Director in 2019.

shira johnson

Drew Jeter

Drew is the Chief Executive of AECOM’s Global Programme Management business. He has more than 35 years of experience leading the development and delivery of technically complex, multi-billion-dollar facilities and infrastructure.

Previously he had global program management leadership roles at Hill International, Jacobs and CH2M where he oversaw the delivery of more than $300 billion of capital infrastructure programs.

Prior to his private-sector work, Drew served as a civil engineering officer in U.S. Air Force, retiring as a colonel after 23 years. His distinguished military career included serving as commander of four different organizations, including as base commander of the 2nd largest Air Force base.

drew jeter

Rob Jones

Rob currently leads Arup’s Advisory business in UK, India, Middle East and Africa in addition to being the global leader of the People & Organisation business. He is a recognised expert in the organisation design and development of megaproject and temporary organisations.

He has provided strategic advice and delivered significant outcomes for clients in Aviation, Rail, Energy, Major Events and Water on questions of design, development, strategy and governance in the UK, Europe and America.

Prior to joining Arup, Rob was Capability Development Director and Interim HR Director at High Speed Two (HS2) and Head of Organisational Effectiveness at Crossrail following several OD roles in the private sector. Rob holds a MSc in Organisational Behaviour and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

rob jones

Nuno Gil 

Nuno Gil is Professor of New Infrastructure Development, at the Alliance Manchester Business School. Nuno focuses his research on the design of structures and processes can bring the best of people in consensus-oriented (pluralistic) settings.

Nuno is completing his book for MIT Press, Megaprojects and Society: A Theory of Purpose, Value Creation and Value Distribution. In it, Nuno asks; How come megaprojects, a phenomena so central to economic production and social welfare is still so poorly understood?

To further, the debate in practice and theory, Nuno’s argument draws from insights from two decades working or doing research with various capital-intensive organizations including Intel, Rolls Royce, BAA (now Heathrow Ltd), BP, London2012, Crossrail, High speed 2; Larsen &Toubro and DFCCIL (India), World Bank, UN Habitat (Egypt); JICA (Japan); LAMATA (Nigeria); and UNRA and KCCA (Uganda).

nuno gil full

The Designing Client Organisations and Corporate Strategies Course is supported by and developed in consultation with an External Advisory Group of leading individuals, passionate about pushing Major Infrastructure Delivery forward. Their involvement ensures that the programme is rooted in real-world aims, actions, and successes.

External Advisory Board

Peter Hansford – Former Chief Construction Adviser, UK Government. Chair, UCL Major Infrastructure Delivery External Advisory Board.

Andy Mitchell – Chief Executive Officer, Thames Tideway Tunnel

John Pelton MBE Programme Director Jacobs. Currently Programme Partner Director for the East West Rail programme

Julia Prescot – Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Meridiam Infrastructure. Commissioner, UK National Infrastructure Commission

Mark Thurston – Chief Executive Officer, High Speed Two

Martin Buck Senior Adviser Agilia Infrastructure Partners. Expert Adviser Governance, Crossrail International. Former Commercial Director, Crossrail

Dr Michèle Dix CBE Board Director Major Projects Association; Non-Executive Director Crossrail International; former Managing Director Crossrail 2 and former Managing Director Crossrail 2, Transport for London.

Nick Smallwood – Chief Executive Officer, Infrastructure and Projects Authority

Phil Wilbraham – Former Programme Director, Heathrow Expansion

Sue Kershaw – Managing Director of Transportation, Costain


Structure of the course

The Designing Client Organisations and Corporate Strategies course is a 4-day executive programme delivered in person at UCL Executive Education Facilities. The programme is intensive and concentrates 30 hours of learning in 4 days.

Learning model

This is an executive education course based on case-studies. The course is informed by cutting edge scientific thinking and innovative case-studies of practices leading the agenda in global major infrastructure projects.

Cohort size

The cohort size is limited to 30 executives. The course follows the peer-to-peer discussion based on case-studies between executives and leading speakers, emphasising practices and lessons from their own projects.

Requirements

This course is ideal to candidates with at least 5 years of experience in leadership positions in major infrastructure projects, which often involves managing teams and strategic transformations. This will maximise your learning based on strategic discussions with your cohort.

English language requirements

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Good

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.