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 technology sectors. With experience spanning CBRE, Turner & Townsend, and Fortune 500 portfolios, Ahmed shares practical insights from both the owner-rep and program leadership perspective.

The conversation begins with resource planning - why the right people determine project success, and how owners should think about insourcing vs. outsourcing, career paths, visa constraints, compensation strategy, and long-term retention. Ahmed outlines a structured approach to building a resource plan, from defining project complexity to aligning with client culture and long-term portfolio needs.

They then dive deep into PMO strategy, breaking down the difference between advisory, supporting, and controlling PMO models. Ahmed explains how modern PMOs create visibility, standardization, and accountability across large programs - covering cost, schedule, risk, procurement, finance, data analytics, document control, and communications.

The episode closes with a forward-looking discussion on AI in project controls. While AI is already transforming reporting, dashboards, and communication, Ahmed argues it’s not a replacement for human judgment - rather, it’s a productivity amplifier for teams navigating today’s tight talent market.

If you’re building or staffing billion-dollar programs, this episode is packed with practical frameworks and leadership lessons.

• How to build a structured resource plan for complex programs
• When to insource vs. outsource project controls functions
• The real differences between advisory, supporting, and controlling PMOs
• Why standardization (WBS, reporting, governance) is critical at scale
• How AI is impacting reporting, estimating, scheduling, and communication
• Why career growth - not compensation - is the #1 driver of employee engagement

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 Happy Hour podcast and founder of RAIDLOG.com, a platform built around one of the most useful tools in practical project delivery: the RAID log.

Kim brings the conversation back to fundamentals with a full Risk 101 walkthrough: what risk actually is, why projects are statistically more likely to struggle than succeed, and why risk management isn’t about pessimism - it’s about being honest and prepared. He shares research and real-world context showing how frequently projects face major overruns and failures, reinforcing why project leaders have to pause and ask: “Where can this go off the rails - and what can we do now to prevent it?”

Kim explains that effective risk management starts at the source of the project itself - the charter, contract, statement of work, or initiation document - where assumptions, dependencies, and blind spots often begin. From there, teams should expand the conversation through workshops, lessons learned, and similar historical projects to build a realistic picture of threats and opportunities.

He also digs into the culture challenge: why many organizations avoid risk conversations entirely, and how strong project leaders create psychological safety so teams can speak candidly about what might go wrong. One of Kim’s most practical tactics is a subtle language shift - using the word “obstacles” instead of “risks” -to help teams move from avoidance to action.

A major highlight of the episode is Kim’s breakdown of what a RAID log really is: an integrated way to track Risks, Actions, Issues, and Decisions (and historically: Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies). He describes the RAID log as the “run tool” of project delivery -the place where project leaders monitor reality, spot drift, and course-correct early.

Finally, Kim shares how AI is already changing the space. He describes how his team built an AI-based risk identification feature that can generate meaningful risk registers from a project description - sometimes matching 75% of what experienced teams create manually. He closes with a simple but powerful truth: the best RAID log tip isn’t complicated… it’s use it consistently, because the moment teams stop tracking risk, risk starts tracking them.

• The true definition of project risk -and why most projects need risk management from day one
• How to start identifying risks using the contract/charter as the “source of truth”
• Why teams avoid risk discussions -and how leaders build a healthy risk culture
• The difference between mitigate, avoid, transfer, and accept risk responses
• Why “risk” also includes opportunity -and how to capture upside outcomes
• What a RAID log is and why it’s the operational backbone of delivery
• How to scale a risk process for small projects vs. billion-dollar programs
• Where AI is already helping: risk identification, meta-analysis, and portfolio insights
• Kim’s #1 tip: the best RAID log is the one you actually keep up to date

• RAIDLOG.com
• Podcast: Project Management Happy Hour

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.

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, Orion sits down with Omar Habib - Co-Founder & CTO of The WE Group and a global leader in BIM and digital delivery - to unpack how data, visualization, and technology are reshaping billion-dollar projects.

Omar shares his unconventional path into mega-projects, having worked on multi-billion-dollar programs before graduating and rotating through planning, cost, procurement, and contracts. That early exposure shaped his belief that BIM only delivers value when it connects engineering, schedule, cost, and decision-making - not when it lives in isolation.

A core theme of the episode is redefining BIM as Building Information Management, not just modeling. Omar explains the progression from 3D to 4D (time), 5D (cost), and beyond, and why each added dimension improves clarity, alignment, and risk awareness when applied intentionally.

He shares real-world examples of 4D simulations used to test sequencing, crane placement, logistics, and constructability - allowing teams to “see” problems before they show up on site. Importantly, Omar stresses that BIM maturity isn’t all-or-nothing; many successful transformations start small, solving one painful problem at a time.

The conversation closes with a look at AI in construction, where Omar highlights practical use cases already delivering value - claims analysis, schedule QA, quantity takeoffs, and audits - while reinforcing that AI works best when guided by strong domain expertise.

• What BIM really means - and why it’s about information, not just models
• How 3D → 4D → 5D → 6D unlocks better cost, schedule, and sustainability decisions
• How 4D simulations help teams plan cranes, logistics, methods, and site congestion
• Why BIM maturity is not all-or-nothing—and how to start mid-project
• How to use BIM and Power BI to create a single source of truth
• Why finance and project controls often disagree - and how integrated data resolves it
• Practical strategies for communicating risk visually to executives
• Real-world AI use cases in claims, scheduling, quantities, and QA/QC
• Career advice for BIM professionals: tools, standards, and technical depth

• “How Big Things Get Done” — Bent Flyvbjerg & Dan Gardner

• Building Information Management vs. Modeling
• 2D → 3D → 4D (time) → 5D (cost) → 6D (sustainability)
• Revit, Navisworks, Dynamo, ACC (Autodesk Construction Cloud)
• BIM uses vs. BIM maturity levels
• Federated 4D models and discipline integration

• The WE Group - https://thewegroup.com
• Autodesk Construction Cloud - https://construction.autodesk.com
• Microsoft Power BI - https://powerbi.microsoft.com
• ISO 19650 - https://www.iso.org/standard/68078.html