Since 2011, I’ve been providing professional consulting services to clients in the IT and Publishing industries. From strategic project planning to innovative solutions, my focus is always on building an efficient and results-driven relationship. In 2021 I decided to invest some time to record some real-world lessons to help get your next project completed on time and on budget.

What is a project manager?

Noun: proh-jekt ma-nuh-jr

1. An organism that solves a problem that you did not know you had, in a way that you do not understand.

2. Someone who executes a solution described in a contradicting plan supported by precision guesswork based on unreliable data provided by persons of questionable knowledge.

－Anonymous

Well, this may be what the outside world thinks of project managers, but we know differently.

I have been an active project manager for many years, of which more than 15 years have been spent in providing training, consulting, and mentoring in various aspects of project management. I am an internationally experienced expert in project management and leadership and am considered to be an authority on the subject of project management education and development because I have helped hundreds of students and professionals to learn how to successfully manage projects from start to finish.

Helping you to become an effective project manager matters deeply to me because what you’re about to learn helped me learn all the ins, outs, and common mistakes to avoid when it comes to project management. That has induced me into writing this book, because I have extensive project-management knowledge and experience. I am passionate about sharing my expertise with you and all other project managers who are just starting on the most satisfactory and fulfilling career, but also the career with the most pitfalls.

In my career, I have been involved in large and small construction projects, from being part of multidisciplinary teams building power stations to managing the construction of a small change room for a school in the middle of nowhere. My expertise stretches the whole gamut, from engineering projects to the rollout of information and financial systems in organizations, management consulting, restructuring companies, and the design, launch, and marketing of new products.

All the years have not quelled my enthusiasm and passion for the subject, and I would love to help you resolve the pain of failure but also to enjoy the sweet taste of success. I have been Mr. project manager, but also the planner, the communications manager, who looked after the project budget and finances, and many other aspects of project management and execution. Finally, I understand the sacrifices and commitment required from project personnel, who have to accept being away from home for long periods, nitty-gritty, and sometimes in miserable conditions. I have worked in both the Western world and in third-world conditions and from the icy cold of the southern Atlantic to the heat and dust of the middle east and everything in between.