Dr. Ali Montaser on Mega Projects: Why “On Time & On Budget” Is a Myth

What this episode covers

In this episode of Humans of Project Controls, host Michael sits down with Dr. Ali Montaser, Vice President of Project Controls at Accenture Canada, to talk about the real side of delivering mega projects.Ali shares his journey from civil/structural engineering in Egypt to leading project controls across transit, rail, energy, oil & gas, and hydropower in Canada, the U.S., and the Middle East. They dig into what it’s like working in remote environments (Labrador, Northern Manitoba, Yellowknife), why diversified experience matters, and how project controls pros can stay grounded when budgets and schedules inevitably drift.You’ll also hear Ali’s perspective on:The gap between textbook project management and real-world deliveryWhy most project problems are people problems, not technical onesThe “sky is falling” stress trap - and how to avoid internalizing project chaosThe power of simple communication (including his “plan on a page” approach)Why documenting lessons learned matters (Ali has 40+ publications and counting)More about Dr. Ali:Dr. Ali Montaser is a Vice President of Project Controls with 20+ years of executive leadership overseeing complex transit, rail, and energy infrastructure programs across Canada, the U.S., and the Middle East. He leads governance, performance management, and digital transformation initiatives across multi-billion-dollar portfolios. A licensed P.Eng. and certified PSP and PMP, he’s the North America Project Controls Professional of the Year (2025) and has authored 40+ publications recognized by AACE International.

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