Special Lecture - Mr. Paul Hodgkins
Project Manager to Project Leader - The Difference that makes the Difference
Executive Director of Paul Hodgkins Project Consultancy
Former Siemens PM@Siemens Programme Executive for North West Europe
Abstract:
Our projects today are more challenging, complex and ambiguous than ever before.
The only thing as project managers we can be certain of is uncertainty and if we are not comfortable with the uncomfortable, then perhaps project management is not for us.
In a world of project uncertainty, Paul explains why he believes it is project leadership that will be the critical factor between project success and projec failure and therefore, the ability of the project manager to transition to project leader, is not only required, it is crucial.
In this special lecture, Paul Hodgkins shares his 'story' from when he joined Siemens at 17 as a trainee, to the time that he left Siemens at aged 47, of seven leadership lessons he learned that made the difference to him, and his projects.
This is an interactive, light hearted though thought provoking presentation and it begins with the hardest interview Paul ever had; one where he was only asked three very simple questions.
Biography:
Paul joined Siemens in 1984 as a graduate trainee and within two years entered the world of Project Management.
His enthusiastic approach and project business success was recognised in his project management of some key projects; most notably in the then government owned British Rail; the implementation of communications infrastructure programme for London Undergrounds’ Jubilee Line Extension and a major telecommunications refresh programme across the Government Department of Social Security as well as in leading the communications implementation project for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
Paul was promoted to Head of Project Management and then Head of Sales Support for Siemens Communications; reporting to the Managing Director.
Responsible for a team of over 100 pre and post sales support staff and supporting a £250M UK sales business, he assisted the sales force to consistently exceed all sales order, turnover and profit targets and through his positioning of Project Management as a value creating profession, was able to add over £2Million of incremental profit to that business.
His achievements were recognized when he won, against some very stiff competition from across all of UK industry, (not Siemens specific), the prestigious UK National Sales Award for “Sales Support Team of the Year”.
From February 2006 until June 2013, he was responsible for leading the PM@Siemens programme (Siemens global programme addressing project business) across the UK and North West Europe where his motivational and inspirational leadership style led to even greater levels of project and programme business success.
His efforts led Siemens UK plc in 2008 to become the first corporate organisation in the UK to receive accreditation from the Association for Project Management. This was in recognition of Siemens UK plc’s commitment to professional project and programme management development.
In April 2009, Paul was nominated by ‘Project Magazine’ as one of ten ‘key influencers’ in the UK in relation to the profession of project and programme management. This recognition placed him in the company of the then Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone and Sir David Normington, the then Permanent Secretary to the UK Government Home Office.
In July 2013 he established his own business, Paul Hodgkins Project Consultancy, where he has already begun to help businesses “unleash the power of projects and programmes”. He continues to be recognised for his contribution in developing the project management profession and has written articles for and appeared in numerous project management publications.
Paul was appointed as a Fellow of the Association for Project Management (FAPM) in October 2009 and represented Siemens as part of the PMI Global Executive Council and APM Corporate Leaders Advisory Group.
He is also guest present as part of University College London's MSc on the Strategic Management of Projects.