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

Ampersand’s fundamental values serve as the leadership foundation to drive all our actions and decisions.

Trust

Fruitful relationships begin with mutual trust.

Teamwork

Success is delivered by teams requiring the necessary skill of Team Play.

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

CERTIFICATIONS

Career Highlights

2022 - Present

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)
2022 - Present
2021 - 2022

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)
2021 - 2022
2017 - 2021

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”
2017 - 2021
2010 - 2017

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)
2010 - 2017
2008 - 2010

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
2008 - 2010
2007 - 2008

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)
2007 - 2008
2005 - 2007

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
2005 - 2007
1995 - 2005

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
1995 - 2005

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

1992 - 1995

DAMES & MOORE (DENVER, COLORADO) PROJECT MANAGER

1992 - 1995
1990 - 1992

MERRICK & COMPANY (LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO | DENVER, COLORADO) PROJECT MANAGER

1990 - 1992
1988 - 1990

THE BALLARD GROUP (DENVER, COLORADO) MECHANICAL ENGINEER

1988 - 1990
1985 - 1988

MERRICK & COMPANY (DENVER, COLORADO) MECHANICAL ENGINEER / PROJECT MANAGER

1985 - 1988
1980 - 1984

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)
1980 - 1984

Education

1985

PENN STATE UNIVERSITY B. ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING (MECHANICAL)

1985
1991

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO MBA, MANAGEMENT, ACCOUNTING MINOR

1991
1991

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO MASTER OF SCIENCE, FINANCE

1991
2011

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
2011
2014

LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL RIO TINTO SENIOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

2014

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