What balance of academic and in-practice education will turn out the best future infrastructure leaders? That’s what the team behind the Infrastructure Institute are discovering as they prepare to launch the inaugural Canadian Infrastructure Leadership Academy at the University of Toronto. Matti Siemiatycki is leading the charge, and he returns to the podcast to speak further about the inspiration and effort behind the program.In his conversation with Ricardo, Evgenia, and Shormila, Matti—a U of T professor of urban planning and Director of the Infrastructure Institute—discusses what’s missing in modern infrastructure delivery and what the Academy could mean for the future of an industry so vital to Canada’s continued growth. Matti reflects on years spent as the “coroner of infrastructure,” studying why major projects fail. Over time, he spotted recurring patterns: while individual project management issues matter, many failures point to broader gaps in leadership, organizational capacity, and the human side of delivery.Inspired by other professional offerings, like the Major Projects Leadership Academy in the UK, the Canadian program is designed for professionals with 10 to 15 years of experience who are ready to move into larger delivery roles. The program will combine academic insight with practical industry expertise, covering the commercial and business skills, as well as the conflict management, required to lead complex projects. Keep listening to learn what it will take for the academy to create project management change, in practice, nationally. Matti also discusses why this is the perfect moment to explore and launch a program that focuses on behavioural and relationship best practices and seeks to change the culture of infrastructure delivery as a whole, through an academically rigorous, practically sound approach to creating major projects that succeed.Key takeaways:Why major project leadership requires more than technical expertise or on-the-job experience alone;How studying project failures reveals recurring gaps in leadership, organizational capacity, and delivery culture;What lessons successful projects like the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station can offer;What needs to happen around the Leadership Academy for it to help shift Canadian project delivery culture;Why future leaders need to learn from a combination of academics and industry experts.Quote“I’m becoming much more convinced that the individuals make a huge difference” - Matti SiemiatyckiThe conversation doesn’t stop here—connect and converse with our community via LinkedIn:Follow Navigating Major Programmes: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navigating-major-programmes/Read Riccardo’s latest at www.riccardocosentino.comFollow Riccardo Cosentino: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cosentinoriccardo/Follow Shormila Chatterjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shormilac/Follow Evgenia Jilina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejilina/ Connect with Matti Siemiatycki: https://www.geography.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/matti-siemiatycki Learn more about the Leadership Academy: https://www.linkedin.com/company/infrastructure-institute/people/ Listen to NMP, episode 19, “The Human Pursuit of Infrastructure Delivery”: https://navigatingmajorprogrammes.transistor.fm/s2/19 Listen to NMP, episode 59, “Infrastructure Planning Meets Social Purpose”: https://navigatingmajorprogrammes.transistor.fm/s3/59 Listen to NMP, episode 66, “The Leadership Gap: Building Better Leaders for the Future of Canadian Infrastructure”: https://navigatingmajorprogrammes.transistor.fm/s3/66 Read “Anatomy of a unicorn: How systemic program management delivered a nuclear power plant on time and on budget”: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629625005067
What degree of career growth is possible when you remain with one company? If you’re asking Jenia Reynolds, an experienced Partnership Development Manager, the answer is, “a tremendous amount.” In this episode, Jenia joins Shormila and Evgenia to dive into a 17-year career well-paved with pivots, professional development, and promotions—all beneath BC Hydro’s sizeable umbrella.Starting out at the bottom, as a scheduler just out of business school, Jenia eschewed the project manager path (after receiving her PMP) to redirect her focus on the customer. Today, she recognizes the significance of that shift, that let her hone her love of outward-facing roles and embrace her people-person nature. Today, she focuses on helping new industrial partners understand their power needs, connection options, and the practical steps required to bring large projects online.The discussion explores what it looks like to pursue career growth through curiosity, internal movement, and upskilling, as well as learning what credentials—such as an MBA—are needed for the roles you want next and avidly pursuing those differentiators. You’ll also hear about the burgeoning AI footprint and limited innovation in the energy industry. As Shormila, Evgenia, and Jenia are all mothers of young children, the episode concludes with a candid discussion about working motherhood and rising up in the ranks as a woman in industries traditionally dominated by men.Key takeaways:Why energy demand and grid connection are becoming more important considerations for major industrial projects;How to build a successful, milestone-packed career with a single organization;What working motherhood and visible female leadership can teach us about confidence, resilience, and articulating your value;What is keeping the energy sector from leading the charge in technological innovation;How wildfire risk, AI, and changing industrial demand are shaping conversations in the utility sector.Quote“If you can articulate the value that you bring to the table with clarity and conviction, the right people will see you.” - Jenia ReynoldsThe conversation doesn’t stop here—connect and converse with our community via LinkedIn:Follow Navigating Major Programmes: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navigating-major-programmes/Read Riccardo’s latest at www.riccardocosentino.comFollow Shormila Chatterjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shormilac/Follow Evgenia Jilina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejilina/ Follow Jenia Reynolds: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenia-reynolds-6a26b15b/
How do expertise, experience, and expectation combine to make a Master Builder? Lecia Stewart is the founder and principle of The Stewart Group, a consulting firm with a large portfolio of successful major projects. In this episode, she dives into hard-won insights gleaned from more than three decades leading projects from the building, corporate, and government sides of Canadian rail infrastructure. Lecia’s career success can be traced to her unique understanding of the intersection between design, utilization, operations, governance, and delivery.Helping teams get unstuck by telling the truth and getting to the bottom of problems is Lecia’s bread and butter. She reflects on the difference between advising from outside an organization and trying to drive change from within, as well as how today’s major projects have become weighed down by fragmented accountability and excessive oversight.Human and cultural dimensions impact the success of major projects as much or more than the technical expertise on the ground. Lecia discusses the importance of political champions, the role of single-purpose entities, and why organizational culture determines whether the tools in a project team’s toolkit will work. She shares her experience as a woman and non-engineer in technical, male-dominated environments. She makes a strong case for building transferable social (aka “soft”) skills that span industry and subject matter; this kind of expertise is proven time and again to bring infrastructure projects to completion and meet the ever-elusive goal of “on time and on budget.”Key takeawaysThe need for consultants with experience and confidence to tell truth to power;Why infrastructure delivery has become more burdened by process, oversight, and diffused accountability;How leadership can “clear away the shopping carts” so project teams can do the work they were appointed to do;How political champions, single-purpose entities, and organizational culture shape project success;The impacts of focusing too heavily on gender disparity in the workforce.Quote“I’m focused on breaking down those needless barriers of time and process that get in the way from us being able to execute on the commitments that we’re asked to do.” - Lecia StewartThe conversation doesn’t stop here—connect and converse with our community via LinkedIn:Follow Navigating Major Programmes: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navigating-major-programmes/Read Riccardo’s latest at www.riccardocosentino.comFollow Riccardo Cosentino: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cosentinoriccardo/Follow Shormila Chatterjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shormilac/Follow Evgenia Jilina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejilina/ Follow Lecia Stewart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lecia-stewart-6b27b09/
How do you measure the impact of one small, industry-focused podcast? In this co-hosts-only episode, Riccardo and Evgenia step back from the usual format to consider what it means to be showrunners, why the conversations they’re leading matter, and how Navigating Major Programmes has evolved as a platform for public discussion in the infrastructure industry. Evgenia reflects on her journey from listener, to guest, to co-host and the anxieties and adjustments that come with sharing ideas publicly, engaging with knowledgeable guests, and gaining confidence in the perspectives she has developed over 15 years in the industry.The conversation explores the role of independent, not-for-profit platforms in a sector where large-scale sponsored events can limit the range of viewpoints being shared. Riccardo and Evgenia discuss whether the podcast has a large enough platform to make a difference and the impact of guest selection and frequency on audience growth. They also reflect on the challenge of scaling the podcast without compromising its independence.The hosts also make time to tackle the broader development of major project leadership in Canada. Riccardo shares the original impetus behind the podcast, which has since evolved into the Canadian Major Projects Leadership Academy at the University of Toronto. The industry experts acknowledge and break down the gap between technical infrastructure expertise and the demands of leading major and mega projects, where so-called “soft” skills become increasingly critical. Riccardo and Evgenia’s final consensus won’t surprise loyal listeners: Navigating Major Programmes is a forum for practical ideas, meaningful connections, and ongoing conversations that help shape the future of infrastructure delivery.Key TakeawaysHow hosting a podcast builds confidence in and validation for industry perspectives;The opportunity for independent platforms to create space for more diverse, real-world conversations about infrastructure;The potential of the new Canadian Infrastructure Leadership Academy to fill a sector-wide leadership and business operations gap;How organizations like the Future of Infrastructure Group (FIG) help turn conversations into action;The reasons behind the unique skill set required for major project management.Quote“FIG really turbocharged the amount of ground that can be covered by the initiative.” - Riccardo CosentinoThe conversation doesn’t stop here—connect and converse with our community via LinkedIn:Follow Navigating Major Programmes: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navigating-major-programmes/ Follow Riccardo Cosentino: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cosentinoriccardo/Read Riccardo’s latest at www.riccardocosentino.com Follow Evgenia Jilina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejilina/ Learn more about the Future of Infrastructure Group: https://infrastructurelab.com/future-of-infrastructure-group/ Follow the Future of Infrastructure Group: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/future-of-infrastructure-groupStay informed about the upcoming Canadian Infrastructure Leadership Academy at U of T: https://infrastructureinstitute.ca/leadership-academy/
As Canada increasingly champions self-sufficiency, what does the future look like for dual-use technologies and the country’s defence manufacturing? Shormila and Evgenia go to the source to explore this timely question. Dina Tzirakos-Hawker is the Managing Director of Barrie’s Sandbox Centre, Ontario’s newest regional innovation centre. She is immersed in the country’s varied innovative pursuits and the policies and frameworks that both stymie and support it. Though new to the military industry, Dina has spent the last two years fervently learning from experts and devising her own innovative strategies for building bridges. Her goal: help companies with potential dual-use products understand what it actually takes to move from innovation to procurement in this complex, compliance-heavy sector.The conversation explores the difference between simply having technology with defence applications and building a company that is truly ready to operate in the space. Dina points to AI, quantum, advanced communications, and drone systems as having great potential, but also stresses the less glamorous realities that determine success: manufacturing capacity, testing sites, cybersecurity infrastructure, compliance, clearances, procurement knowledge, and long sales cycles. For founders, the opportunity is significant, but it requires strategy, sector knowledge, and a realistic understanding of the customer and process—knowledge often gatekept from burgeoning companies. Through her conversations with all sides, Dina has identified a need for better coordination between government, industry, accelerators, municipalities, suppliers, and infrastructure partners. She explains the information-sharing concept behind a recent “Defence 101” event that filled a significant gap by offering more than 150 companies from around the world practical guidance on entering the sector. Dina sees this moment as both a massive opportunity and a major turning point for Canada, but dual-use innovation will not scale through technology alone. It will require collective support, practical infrastructure, patient capital, and a shared commitment to helping Canadian companies thrive in this self-sufficient future.Key TakeawaysWhy the “unsexy” side of defence tech—manufacturing, testing, compliance, cybersecurity, and infrastructure—matters so much;How Canada can create stronger on-ramps between innovation, procurement, and defence readiness;What roadblocks smaller suppliers may face when navigating long procurement cycles and thin margins;Why Canada’s defence innovation push may require both public support and private investment;How a collaborative “village mentality” can help Canadian companies thrive in a growing defence ecosystem.Quote: “I don’t think we have a choice but to make this succeed. When you invest in your own defence capabilities…we almost make a recession-proofed business.” - Dina Tzirakos-HawkerThe conversation doesn’t stop here—connect and converse with our community via LinkedIn:Follow Navigating Major Programmes: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navigating-major-programmes/ Read Riccardo’s latest at www.riccardocosentino.com Follow Shormila Chatterjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shormilac/Follow Evgenia Jilina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejilina/ Follow Dina Tzirakos-Hawker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinatzirakos/