Nurturing great people, building wonderful high-performing teams delivering fit-for-purpose solutions, mitigating risk, creating safety
The Full Story
I am an experienced senior executive with four decades of diverse international experience in corporate leadership and the development and delivery of major capital projects and programs, including membership and participation on Investment Review Committees, mega-Project Steering Committees, and similar governance bodies.
My experience includes broad exposure to a global portfolio footprint and natural resource commodity segments – gold, silver, iron ore, nickel, copper, coal, uranium, diamonds, lithium, rare earths, cobalt, aluminium, borates, frac sand, and petroleum. I have held senior leadership roles in Owner, Construction Management, General Contractor, Subcontractor, and EPCM organizations — every position around the project and construction delivery table! This has provided critical experience in all phases of major capital project delivery and investment governance.
During my five years with BHP, I led the BHP Project Centre of Excellence and the BHP Project Management Leadership Team and was a member of the BHP Group Investment Review Committee. As Project Centre of Excellence Officer and Chair of the Projects Leadership Team, we drove numerous improvements to collectively create effective outcomes in capital-efficient investment delivery. I led BHP’s Technical Division activities related to the Petroleum division demerger to Woodside Energy. I was also member of numerous division Leadership Teams and special initiative Steering Committees.
Before joining BHP, I spent seven years at Rio Tinto in a succession of senior executive roles in the capital projects delivery organization. I joined Rio in 2010 as Group Advisor, Capital Projects and was elevated to the role of Managing Director-Americas Projects in 2011. Subsequent Rio Tinto roles included: Managing Director-Australasia Projects, Managing Director-Copper & Aluminium Projects, Managing Director-Iron Ore & Copper Projects, and Managing Director-Copper & Diamonds Projects.
During my early career, I was a co-owner of MTB Project Management Professionals, a specialty construction management firm servicing clients in the mining and industrial markets, acting as Owner’s Representative and Project Director on major gold and silver, power, infrastructure, and environmental remediation projects.
I have a Bachelor degree in Engineering from Penn State and MBA and MS-Finance degrees from the University of Colorado. My Executive Leadership education includes advanced programs with Duke and at the London Business School.”
Our Core Values
Communication
Clear, unfiltered, and professional communications fuel our ability to drive collaborative solutions.
Honesty / Integrity
Value created in all interactions rely on bullet-proof integrity in everything we do.
Why Choose Ampersand
Expertise
- Executive Leadership
- Capital Project Development
- Project Governance
- Team Development
- Talent Management
- Construction Safety
- Project & Construction Management
CERTIFICATIONS
- Registered Professional Engineer (Colorado #26703)
Career Highlights
AMPERSAND CONSULTING LLC PRESIDENT - CAPITAL PROJECTS | LEADERSHIP | COACHING
- Capital Projects review and advisory services
- Investment governance – Boards and Project Steering Committees
- Leadership / Executive coaching
- Member, Project Management Institute
- Member, Institute of Coaching (McLean, Affiliate of Harvard Medical School)
BHP (HOUSTON, TEXAS) TECHNICAL TRANSACTIONS OFFICER
- Led BHP’s Technical division activities related to the Petroleum division demerger and
other related transaction activity. - Member, BHP Group Investment Review Committee (IRC) (2017 – 2022)
- Member, Technical Leadership Team (2020 – 2022)
BHP (HOUSTON, TEXAS) PROJECT CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE OFFICER
- Leader, BHP Project Centre of Excellence
- Global projects function, systematic project development improvements
- Mega / Major to medium / small capital projects, sustaining capital projects
- Global project talent management
- Project governance & assurance (Member Group IRC)
- Member/Chair, BHP Global Project Management Leadership Team (2017 -2021)
- Member, Minerals Americas Leadership Team (2017 – 2020)
- Member, PMI Global Executive Council (2017 – 2021)
- Contributor, PMI certification course – “PMI Professional in Built Environment”
RIO TINTO (DENVER | SALT LAKE CITY | BRISBANE | PERTH) MANAGING DIRECTOR - MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS
- Managing Director, Copper & Diamonds Projects, 2016
Managing Director, Iron Ore and Copper Projects, 2015 – 2016 - Managing Director (acting), Aluminium & Energy Projects, 2014
- Managing Director, Copper Projects, 2014 – 2016
- Managing Director, Project Delivery Hub (Australasia), 2013 – 2014
- Managing Director, Project Delivery Hub (Americas), 2011 – 2013
- Group Advisor, Projects, 2010 – 2011
Executive Education:
- Rio Tinto Strategic Leadership Programme, London Business School
- Rio Tinto Business Leadership Programme, Duke Corporate Education
Additional appointments:
- Member, Group Technology & Innovation Leadership Team (2013 -2015)
- Member, Global Projects Executive Committee (2013 – 2016)
- Director, COO, Rio Tinto Nickel Company (2011 – 2013)
- Director, COO, Woodland Road LLC (2011 – 2013)
AMEC (COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO) OPERATIONS MANAGER - CONSTRUCTION
- Area Business unit and construction executive
- Business focus was federal (DOD) design-build construction projects.
Project locations:
- US Air Force Academy
- Buckley Air Force Base
- Peterson Air Force Base
HARRISON WESTERN (DENVER, COLORADO) VICE PRESIDENT - CONSTRUCTION
- Construction executive, industrial and mining design-build construction projects.
- Key Project: Legacy Sand (Nebraska) – Frac sand mining and processing
- Managed project close-out, divestment, and legal issue settlements
- Additional position held: Acting CFO (Harrison Western Group of Companies)
KONE CORPORATION (DENVER, COLORADO) REGION GENERAL MANAGER - CONSTRUCTION VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION - ELEVATORS & ESCALATORS
- Mountain West Business unit General Manager for new construction
- Branch offices: Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, Portland, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City,
Missoula - Design-build union subcontractor
Representative Projects:
- Phoenix Cardinals Stadium (State Farm Stadium)
- Denver Art Museum
- Phoenix Rental Car Center
- Seattle Art Museum
- Phoenix Convention Center
- Denver Light Rail Stations
MTB PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS (DENVER, COLORADO | LIMA, PERU) VICE PRESIDENT PROJECT / CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT - MINING, INDUSTRIAL, AND POWER
- Co-owner, Project Director, Construction Manager
Representative Projects:
- Sipan Heap Leach Project, Phase 1 and Phase 2 (Cajamarca, Peru)
- ComEd Joliet Power Station Cooling Tower Project
- ComEd Dresden Nuclear Power Station Cooling Towers 2000 Project
- ComEd Barrie Park MGP Remediation Project
Additional positions held:
- Director, CFO
AMPERSAND CONSULTING LLC PRESIDENT
CAPITAL PROJECTS | LEADERSHIP | COACHING
BHP
2017-2021 Technical Transactions Officer
2021-2022 Project Centre of Excellence Officer
Houston Texas
RIO TINTO
MANAGING DIRECTOR – MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS
DENVER | SALT LAKE CITY | BRISBANE | PERTH
AMEC
OPERATIONS MANAGER – CONSTRUCTION
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO
HARRISON WESTERN
VICE PRESIDENT – CONSTRUCTION
DENVER, COLORADO
KONE CORPORATION
REGION GENERAL MANAGER
DENVER, COLORADO
CONSTRUCTION VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION – ELEVATORS & ESCALATORS
MTB PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS
VICE PRESIDENT
DENVER, COLORADO | LIMA, PERU
MINING, INDUSTRIAL, AND POWER
Early Career
DAMES & MOORE (DENVER, COLORADO) PROJECT MANAGER
MERRICK & COMPANY (LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO | DENVER, COLORADO) PROJECT MANAGER
THE BALLARD GROUP (DENVER, COLORADO) MECHANICAL ENGINEER
MERRICK & COMPANY (DENVER, COLORADO) MECHANICAL ENGINEER / PROJECT MANAGER
VARIOUS COMPANIES MECHANICAL ENGINEER INTERN
- W.L. Thompson Mechanical Engineers, Mechanical Engineer Intern (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Galson & Galson Engineers, Mechanical Engineer Intern (Syracuse, New York
- Mohawk Valley Community College, Draftsman (Utica, New York)
- Louis Carl Di Orio Architects, Draftsman (Utica, New York)
Education
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY B. ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING (MECHANICAL)
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO MBA, MANAGEMENT, ACCOUNTING MINOR
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO MASTER OF SCIENCE, FINANCE
DUKE UNIVERSITY (DUKE CORPORATE EDUCATION) RIO TINTO BUSINESS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
- Co-owner, Project Director, Construction Manager
Representative Projects:
- Sipan Heap Leach Project, Phase 1 and Phase 2 (Cajamarca, Peru)
- ComEd Joliet Power Station Cooling Tower Project
- ComEd Dresden Nuclear Power Station Cooling Towers 2000 Project
- ComEd Barrie Park MGP Remediation Project
Additional positions held:
- Director, CFO
LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL RIO TINTO SENIOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Education
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY B.
ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING (MECHANICAL)
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
MBA, MANAGEMENT, ACCOUNTING MINOR
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
MASTER OF SCIENCE, FINANCE
DUKE UNIVERSITY (DUKE CORPORATE EDUCATION)
RIO TINTO BUSINESS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL
RIO TINTO SENIOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM