APM Podcast

Delivering a £3bn water infrastructure resilience programme 28.05.2026 45мин

Emma is joined by John McNeill ChPP, Head of Programme Delivery at United Utilities, who's helping to lead the £3bn Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP) in North-West England. What's it like to get a once-in-a-generation critical infrastructure programme off the ground? What's it like to work on a major project in an area, water supply, that is garnering so much public and media attention? Listen on to find out.

Why storytelling matters in project management 14.05.2026 43мин

Emma meets Zoë Arden, author of Story-Centred Leadership: Crafting cultures of change. The pair discuss storytelling – why it's a great skill to master as a project professional and how to do it well. Zoë is a fellow at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and was previously Director of Communications at BT, as well as European MD of global communications firm Weber Shandwick, among other executive roles.For more information on Zoë’s book visit: https://zoearden.com/my-bookThe APM book Effective Communication in Projects: Tools, Techniques and Tips, is available at the APM book shop: https://www.apm.org.uk/book-shop/effective-communication-in-projects/

From project professional to CEO, with the RSPCA's Joanna Rowland 30.04.2026 30мин

Emma meets Joanna Rowland, Chief Executive of the RSPCA. Listeners might remember her previous interview with the podcast in 2020 during the pandemic, when she was Director of HMRC’S COVID-19 response unit, responsible for helping mastermind the UK government’s furlough scheme, and where she was also head of the project management profession. A lot has changed for Jo since then. She rose through the ranks of the civil service, leaving project management behind her to become Director General of the Home Office, before joining the RSPCA in December 2025 as CEO. Find out what it’s like to be a first-time CEO; why project management is a perfect training for the role; why project managers need to set their sights higher; and her advice to getting to the C-suite.

Why psychological safety is not a nice-to-have 16.04.2026 42мин

Emma meets James Evans, Programme Manager at NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee, who has a deep interest in psychological safety and contributed to the forthcoming APM e-learning module on the topic.James explains what psychological safety actually is (and what it isn’t) and the reasons why it's such a hot topic in project management. Psychological safety is no longer a nice-to-have, he explains – it's become a critical factor in managing projects successfully. The e-learning module is available from APM Learning for APM members. For more information, visit https://www.apm.org.uk/resources/apm-learning/

Using a systems thinking approach to select successful projects 02.04.2026 43мин

**The APM book Doing the Right Project: Using a Systems Thinking Approach to Select Successful Projects is available to purchase here: ⁠https://www.apm.org.uk/book-shop/doing-the-right-project-using-a-systems-thinking-approach-to-select-successful-projects/⁠**In this episode, Emma is joined by the book’s co-authors – Andrew Wright ChPP FAPM, leader of the APM Systems Thinking Interest Network, Cesar Rendora ChPP and Estar Bennett. They explore the world of systems thinking. Ever been daunted about the term or what it might mean exactly? Then we will enlighten you, helping to explain how you can put systems thinking into practice and what advantages it gives you in your projects.

Is data literacy a soft skill? 19.03.2026 52мин

**Find the APM Data Literacy Skills Framework at apm.org.uk/resources/what-is-project-management/what-is-project-data-analytics **Emma meets Rob Lord, Director of Major Programmes at BT International, and Gareth Parkes, architect of the APM Data Literacy Skills Framework, who is Head of Data and Analytics at Sir Robert MacAlpine and one of the founding members of the Project Data Analytics Task Force. The three discuss data literacy, how to improve your own, what data-driven decision-making looks like in real life, and how it can be used to make the delivery of projects more successful.Join us as we demystify data and give you a bit more confidence in navigating this brave new world.

Arts and science: how to manage projects in any sector 05.03.2026 47мин

Ahead of International Women’s Day later this week, Emma meets two successful women in project management who work in completely different sectors – Josie Harries and Anna Ustynyuk. They explain how core project management skills combined with sector-specific knowledge can give you a career that is highly transferable from one industry to another. Both Josie and Anna are members of the APM Women in Project Management Interest Network, which you can learn more about here.

The show must go on! Royal Ballet and Opera’s £40m renewal programme 19.02.2026 47мин

Emma goes behind the scenes at the Royal Ballet and Opera in London to explore how a £40m technical renewal programme is being delivered without interrupting live performances. From upgrading stage elevators and lighting rigs to replacing critical communications systems, every project must be carefully designed, prototyped and installed around a relentless performance schedule.Hear from the project professionals leading the work as they share insights on stakeholder engagement in high-pressure environments, hybrid delivery approaches and building trust in teams where reliability is everything.Look out for the spring issue of Project journal where we bring you more detail on projects at the RBO. Also, don’t miss our previous podcast episode where Emma interviews RBO COO Heather Walker.

When a project director becomes COO: Heather Walker at Royal Ballet and Opera 05.02.2026 24мин

Emma meets Heather Walker, Chief Operating Officer at Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO) in London, where she's responsible for planning and coordinating a range of services to support across technical and production estate, visitor experience, technology and administration.A major focus is the renewal of the estate, ensuring that sustainability is at the heart of fabric and plant upgrades, and that audiences, artists and staff benefit from changes to the environment and the technology running its services. Previous to becoming COO, Heather was project director at RBO.Look out for our upcoming behind-the-scenes episode at RBO.Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk

What makes a great project manager? (Part 2) 22.01.2026 38мин

In this episode, we find out the secrets of being a great project manager. It’s January, the time of year where many of us have New Year's resolutions, or maybe just a vague idea of how we want to change things up. So, listen on for some excellent advice from APM’s Chartered Project Professional of the Year, Tamsin Alli-Balogun, who’s also Associate Director of Transport at AtkinsRéalis; Paul Chapman OBE of the University of Oxford Saïd Business School, where he is Academy Director of the UK Government’s Major Projects Leadership Academy; Andy Alder, Managing Director for Major Infrastructure Delivery at Anglian Water; and Anne Marie Purcell of Purcell Advisory.If you want even more top tips, listen to our first instalment of this podcast, published in January 2025. Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk

What the project economy means for your career 08.01.2026 35мин

Emma welcomes back to the podcast Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, author and Vice President of APM, to talk about his new book, Powered by Projects, which is published by Harvard Business Review Press in January 2026. In it, he argues that CEOs must put projects, not operations, at the centre of how their companies create value. But where does that leave the project managers in that organisation? And how can every project professional future-proof themselves? Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk

Why simplicity matters in project management 23.12.2025 27мин

Emma meets Nathan Hellebrand ChPP, Global Delivery Director at Babcock International Group, and Mike Hudson ChPP, Interim Strategy Management Director at the National Trust, to discuss simplicity. It’s a topic that crops up often when we interview senior project professionals about how they make the delivery of their projects a success. Join us as we get to the bottom of this deceptively complex subject.Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk

Project leadership in the UK nuclear sector 11.12.2025 31мин

Professor Adam Boddison OBE welcomes Gareth Taylor to the podcast. Gareth was recently appointed a nuclear sector director at Turner & Townsend, having previously spent over six years at the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. He has over 25 years of experience in the nuclear industry and has held a range of senior leadership roles. At the NDA, he led transformative programmes to improve asset management, programme delivery and operational efficiency across the UK's nuclear estate. His work included implementing a programme management and asset management strategy that identified over £10bn worth of savings and advanced net zero goals.Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk

How to measure anything in project management 26.11.2025 52мин

Emma is joined by Douglas Hubbard and Andreas Leed to discuss their book How to Measure Anything in Project Management, also co-authored with Alexander Budzier. Be prepared for mind-expanding conversation about project management and how any aspect of it can be measured, including those things you thought might be immeasurable – and why we should all be engaged in the most important project of all: the ‘meta-project’ of understanding how to manage projects better. Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk

How to boost your self-confidence: tips from the top 13.11.2025 55мин

We tackle the perennial problem of self-confidence and why many of us need an occasional, or more general, boost to our levels of it.Emma speaks to Dame Inga Beale, ex-CEO of Lloyd’s of London, and a woman who has very much learned how to get ahead in a male-dominated sector. She also hears the advice of leadership coach Muriel Wilkins of Paravis Partners in the US, who has a new book called Leadership Unblocked, published by Harvard Business Review Press. She's also the host of Harvard Business Review's Coaching Real Leaders podcast. Emma also speaks to Anita Phagura, who is highly experienced in the world of project management and is now a leadership development and culture coach, particularly around inclusion. Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk

The future of nuclear energy in the UK 30.10.2025 56мин

Emma is joined by Nigel Cann (Sizewell C), Stuart McLaren (WSP) and Carol Tansley (X-energy). They discuss the future of nuclear energy projects in the UK, including new technologies and the government’s wider strategy for clean energy. The guests share why collaboration between various nuclear utilities will be critical in this new world, the necessity for modularisation and standardisation, and the need for a “demand signal” for investment.Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.ukRead Nigel’s blog on the APM website here. You can also read more from Nigel in the autumn 2025 edition of Project journal, exclusively for APM members

What makes a great project leader? 16.10.2025 54мин

Emma meets Dr Paul Chapman, Senior Fellow at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, and Gordon MacKay, Project Management Capability Lead at Sellafield, who also provided specialist knowledge for a new APM Learning module on leadership of self, which is coming out soon. Gordon and Paul delve deep into their experience and research to pass on their advice on what it takes to be a great project leader in 2025. Gordon’s APM book Evolving Project Leadership is available here.Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk

“The only constant is change”: APM's Chair on project leadership 02.10.2025 34мин

Emma meets Amy Morley ChPP, APM’s new Chair and a Programme Management Senior Director at AECOM, an industry leader in programme management services for large, complex infrastructure programmes. Amy discusses everything from what the future might hold for APM and the project profession to her career lessons. Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk

Managing stress and avoiding burnout 18.09.2025 51мин

Managing stress, maintaining work-life balance and avoiding burnout is a modern preoccupation. But let's not forget that the right level of stress can be enjoyable and motivating for many of you working in project management. To unpick these issues, Emma is joined by Dr Clara Cheung (University of Manchester), Veronica Sikombe (Mott MacDonald) and Rochelle Sampson-Clarke (NHS South, Central and West CSU). Veronica and Rochelle are both members of APM’s Women in Project Management Interest Network, and are active in its wellbeing subgroups. Clara is co-author of the APM report The Wellbeing of Project Professionals (2019). Find the Workplace Wellbeing Profile on the APM website here.Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk

Why do government projects fail? 04.09.2025 35мин

Emma meets Jonathan Simcock, a highly experienced and respected project leader who has held executive roles in the oil and gas, energy, utilities and telecommunication sectors. In 2007, he took over what became the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (and is now NISTA). Until last year, he was chair of the Submarine Delivery Agency in the MOD. His book, The Delivery Gap: Why government projects really fail and what can be done about it will be published on 22 September 2025. Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk