Hi Michelle! In your current role as Director for Canada with Driver Trett, you provide dispute and advisory consultancy services to local and international owners, contractors, and engineers in the construction industry. How you got here is an interesting story. Tell us about your career journey.

I am from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and I began my studies in political science at the University of Calgary with plans of becoming a diplomat. At that time, there was a recession, and they weren’t hiring diplomats. So, before finishing my degree, I transferred to engineering and found that I enjoyed it! I am a civil engineer, and it turns out that project control is a significant part of being a civil engineer. Many tools used in project management, including scheduling, planning, and overseeing a site, also fall under civil engineering, so it is not a far jump from a career in civil engineering to project controls.

That’s an exciting start! When you graduated from engineering, where did you start your career?

I started my first job on-site as a junior engineer. My first project was working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! A large energy company in Canada seconded me, as Petronas wanted to do a resource exchange with staff from Kuala Lumpur to Calgary, and in return, the company I worked for sent me to Malaysia. So, you never know what unexpected places your career will take you.

Wow! What an exciting opportunity! What type of work did you do there?

I worked on constructing the Kuala Lumpur Petronas Towers project, which at the time were the tallest buildings in the world. While working there for just over a year, I learned that I had a knack for resolving construction disputes on the project. When I was on site, my supervisor pointed out my skills in this area and suggested pursuing it when I returned to North America. That’s how I ultimately ended up having a career in construction claims.

Do you know which skills set you apart in this area?

I think part of it is that I was originally interested in studying political science with a focus on being a diplomat. The construction site in Kuala Lumpur was very international, the contractor was Korean, and there were many expats from the US and Great Britain that were assisting the owner. I found that I had a skill in being able to focus on what the core problem was, being able to see it from both sides and then help the parties come to a place of mutual understanding.

This experience demonstrates how transferable skills can shift a career path. When you realized your unique skill set, where did your career take you next?

I returned to North America and began working with a claims consulting firm in New York.  It was the perfect fit for me because they did construction claims, but they also stepped in when projects were in trouble and took over the project management. In this job, I could go into the field and be on-site, as well as begin to learn about construction claims. It was an excellent opportunity to develop both skills at the same time.

I also got to work on a variety of interesting projects. One memorable project was renovating the George Washington Bridge, which is the big bridge that goes from New Jersey into Manhattan. We also did a really cool project which was the renovation of a very old post office in Brooklyn, NY into a court building. Other projects included a hotel in Times Square, housing developments, veterans’ hospitals, the monorail at the Newark airport, as well as non-profit projects including an animal shelter. The nice thing about what I do is that I get to be involved with all types of construction and different types of projects. That is probably one of the reasons that I have stayed in this field for as long as I have.

How did you end up where you are today?

I was in New York when 9/11 happened and decided that it was time to come home to Canada. I returned to Calgary and joined Revay and Associates, a Canadian-based claims consulting firm. I was with them for almost 20 years, and then two and a half years ago, I joined Driver Trett.

What do you enjoy most about the work that you do, and what motivates you day to day?

The variety of projects that I have worked on. I have been in this field for almost 25 years, and because of that, there are very few types of projects that I haven’t worked on. I love the fact that the people I work with are the best at what they do, which is something that everyone can appreciate. And who doesn’t like to resolve conflict? I don’t like conflict, which is funny considering it’s what I do for a living, but I really enjoy helping my clients to resolve problems. In the nature of what I do, it is expected to work hard to prepare for litigation or arbitration, and it is incredibly rewarding when matters are settled or resolved. I’m so happy when my clients can find a solution.

You are very active with AACE (as Director of the Calgary Section, as well as a committee member for Women in Project Controls), tell us about how you got involved.

I got involved because one of my mentors, Steve Revay, who I worked with in Calgary, encouraged me to join. At the time, he was my boss as well, and to this day is still my mentor in a lot of ways. He was very involved with AACE; at one point, he was the President, and he encouraged me to join. I attended a conference in California, and there I found so many other people who shared the same career and interests as me. I have since submitted and presented several papers, including at this year’s Conference and Expo.   

What was it about your relationship with Steve that turned into a long-standing mentorship?

Steve has really good people skills, but he was also someone whose door was always open in the office. This gave the impression that he was never too busy to discuss something. He always took the time and was willing to challenge or debate ideas about how to do things and was always willing to listen if I had an idea that he hadn’t considered before. I think someone always willing to listen, gently giving direction, and always keeping their door open are great qualities in a mentor.

Listening seems to be a super skill in claims consulting.  You are skilled at being able to listen to your clients and recognize what the real issues are, all within a highly emotional situation.

Yes, and another thing I learned from my mentor is to guide clients away from the fact that a dispute is not personal. Steve was very good at shifting clients from focusing on what went wrong and understanding that it was not due to personal failings. Instead, to understand that the situation is a disagreement about costs and how to work through that.

You are a female leader in project controls in your current role.  Did you have times in your career where you felt that you experienced bias and had to overcome it?

I think the industry has changed a lot over the course of my career from when I was a junior engineer on site. There were so many times in New York when I arrived on site in the expert role, and people assumed I was the site secretary! That doesn’t happen anymore, and I think it is because the industry has changed. 

In my opinion, the fastest way to remove bias is to have more women in project controls, more women in the construction trailer, more women in decision-making positions, and more women who are working moms or balancing careers with education. Having more women with these experiences will continue to influence change. Workplaces can be welcoming and supportive to women as well as creative in finding solutions to support the balance in their employees’ lives.

Great words of wisdom!  Lastly, can you share some advice for those starting their careers in project control?

Do what you love; do something that you enjoy and that brings you joy. But here is the more challenging part – do it in a place that supports that joy. I could have done what I do in a large corporate environment, and at one point, I did, but it just wasn’t a fit for me. Same work, a different environment, but I didn’t feel joy. I think it is essential to try and find that place where you can do what you love, surrounded by people who support you and help you grow, and is also a good environment. It may mean leaving places where you thought you would stay. But if you can find that, you will have the opportunity to grow your career.