APM Podcast

The APM Salary and Market Trends Survey 2025 takes a snapshot of life on the frontline of project management, comparing how pay, compensation, job satisfaction, opportunities and challenges have changed since the 2023 survey and giving insights on hot workplace topics, including artificial intelligence, sustainability, government projects, and diversity and inclusion. It also charts the confidence of the profession, providing a litmus test for any project manager interested in understanding which opportunities are ripe for the taking.

Listen on for the key takeaways, and the views of some of our experts who help tell the story behind the data.

Emma meets Dr Sara Hajikazemi and Professor Eunice Maytorena-Sanchez to discuss APM’s research report Projecting for the Future: Harmonising energy and environment.

This latest study provides insights into what the profession sees as the most important future trends that are likely to impact the way project managers practise their profession to identify what might need to change.

Emma meets Mike Bourne, professor of Business Performance at Cranfield University and Managing Editor of the APM Body of Knowledge 8th edition.

Mike says a lot has changed in the five years since the previous edition of the APM Body of Knowledge was published. The conversation focuses on what makes for a great project professional in 2025, how to get your head around systems thinking, how to approach AI and what sustainability really means for projects.

Adam meets Dhruv Patel, an APM Honorary Fellow and Chief Executive and Founder of the Nisai Group. His company specialises in the delivery of online education services to learners around the world, particularly what it calls ‘non-traditional students’. 

Dhruv shares his experience of project delivery in the education sector, as well as the role of technology and some leadership lessons, too.

APM Chief Executive Professor Adam Boddison OBE is joined in conversation by Pierre Le Manh, President and CEO at the Project Management Institute (PMI). Headquartered in the US, PMI is a worldwide professional organisation representing the project profession.

Pierre is an experienced CEO who has worked across several sectors. He was born in France into a “family of entrepreneurs” and moved to the US 12 years ago. He has also spent time working in Paris and London. With Vietnamese heritage on his father’s side, Pierre shares how his multicultural background has given him an appreciation of the diverse strengths of different cultures across PMI’s international community of members.

Listen on to hear him chat with Adam about his career journey, growing the recognition of the project profession and why leaders need to stay calm in a crisis…

Emma meets Ashleigh Hargrave, Interim Head of Strategy Projects and Management at the King Edward VI Foundation in Birmingham, and David Kitchiner, Head of the Portfolio Office at the RSPB, to find out what it’s like to be leading project management within these two charities, both of which are APM Corporate Partners. They provide a behind-the-scenes look at how project management is woven into the strategic and operational fabric of their organisations. They also give their top tips on project managing in the charity sector and how digital transformation is bringing great benefits.

Emma meets Frances Palmer, Associate Director at Gleeds; Dave Corbin FAPM, Head of Client Accounts at Gleeds; and leadership and culture coach Anita Phagura, who previously worked in infrastructure project management.

Frances and Dave helped set up APM’s Built Environment Interest Network last year. With a special focus on diversity and inclusion for the week of International Women’s Day, our guests explore how the construction sector can become more diverse and inclusive, what actions really work and how change can be accelerated.

Emma meets Dr Miranda Loh, Director of Scientific Growth, Engagement and Innovation at the Institute of Occupational Medicine, which is dedicated to enhancing health in workplaces.

Miranda develops the institute’s research capabilities in hazardous substances, exposure assessment, health and wellbeing at work, air pollution and the built environment’s impact on health. While not formally qualified in project management, Miranda is a self-confessed big fan of project management and takes a formal approach to managing all in-house projects.

Listen on to find out how project management can bring value to new sectors. And how project management can be introduced to an organisation not formerly familiar with it.

Emma speaks to leadership and management expert Jo Owen and Andy Alder, Managing Director of Major Infrastructure Delivery at Anglian Water, about how to delegate. It’s something every project manager or leader needs to understand and practise successfully if they want their teams to achieve things. So, Jo and Andy give us their insider dos and don’ts so that you can hone your mindset and learn how to delegate better. Listen for advice and practical tips that you can use in your projects right away.

As we often hear on this podcast, being an effective project professional is about more than just managing timelines and budgets. It's also about creating a space where teams can thrive and achieve goals together. But isn't that easier said than done? And how can project managers strike the right balance between technical skills and the emotional intelligence needed to manage teams? Throughout this episode, you'll hear from a range of project professionals who shared with us their personal reflections on the question: what makes a great project manager? 

Emma meets Suzanne Moreland, Vice President of Programme Management Practice at AECOM, about how to step up from being a project manager to being a programme manager.

Suzanne draws on her vast experience of leading megaprojects and shares her behind-the-scenes lessons from working on some truly mind-blowing programmes. If you are thinking of entering the world of programme management or want to hone your skills and learn from the best, then listen on.

2024 is drawing to a close, and with a new year just around the corner, here at the APM Podcast we’re in a reflective mood. In this episode, we’re going to look back at what we’ve learned from the 25 episodes we’ve published this year. We’ve covered everything from managing radioactive waste to making documentaries for the BBC. But what have been the standout lessons? Don’t forget to share yours!

Emma meets Daniel Armanios, BT Professor of Major Programme Management at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, and Zack Swafford, co-founder of Dart, a San Francisco-based start-up whose project management tool uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with brainstorming, roadmap planning and report generation, among other tasks.

The pair consider the rapid developments in AI over the past year and speculate on what 2025 might hold. Listen on to hear their thoughts on the exciting potential of AI, their worries about the technology and their advice on what you should be doing to get to grips with this work revolution.

Emma meets Donna Sinnick, Chief Delivery Officer at Babcock International Group, a defence, aerospace and security company, about her rise to the top of the profession and the valuable career and project management lessons she's learned along the way. Donna shares her advice on everything from creating simplicity in programmes and projects to being a woman in a male-dominated environment and moving on from imposter syndrome. 

Emma meets four project professionals who volunteer for APM's Women in Project Management (WiPM) Interest Network. They have all found their own unique path to a career in project management. They share their experience of switching sectors and coming to project management from a non-traditional career path – and give plenty of advice on how to successfully find your own way up the career ladder. They are:

• Irene Maposa, Chair of APM's WiPM Interest Network and Visiting Lecturer at the University of East London
• Chibuzo Ikeh, Project Manager at RJ Emmanuel
• Rochelle Sampson-Clarke, Business Intelligence Project Manager at the NHS
• Nadia Krasteva, Legal Project Manager at Sackers

Emma meets Marie Coombes and Sophie Paton to explore how to have difficult conversations as a project manager. With their advice, learn how to approach these conversations without feeling daunted – and why we shouldn't even describe such conversations as ‘difficult’, but rather reframe them as ‘essential’.

Marie is the director of We Restore Calm and a seasoned expert in conflict resolution, mediation and employee engagement, for which she has won several awards. Sophie is an experienced facilitator and partner at Make Happy, a consultancy that helps teams unlock their full potential, solve complex problems and find new ideas.

Recorded live at APM’s Women in Project Management Conference 2024, this episode brings together four project professionals to discuss what inclusivity means to them. Being an inclusive leader, they said, can strengthen relationships with colleagues by creating a more supportive and collaborative workplace culture. But is it easier said than done? And how do you bring people with you?

Join Elizabeth Nolan, Roselyn Unegbu, Sarah Outterson and Ali Parish as they share their top three things that make for an inclusive workplace, before taking questions from the audience.

Emma meets Susanne Madsen, an executive coach for business leaders, particularly those working in the project profession. She is the award-winning author of The Power of Project Leadership and a regular contributor to Project journal. Susanne is known for her transformational leadership programmes and has coached hundreds of individuals from high-profile organisations across the globe. Her new book, How to Do the Inner Work, is available as a book, e-book, and audiobook. We often think the answer to our personal and professional problems lie outside of us, she says. But many of the answers we're looking for can be found within.

To celebrate our 100th episode, Emma meets Ros Atkins, the BBC’s News Analysis Editor, who has presented and reported on some of the biggest stories around the world for 20 years. He’s also the creator of the critically acclaimed Ros Atkins On… video series, where he explains complex stories in a truly masterful way.

His new book, The Art of Explanation, is out now in paperback. In it, and in this interview, Ros shares how to get the often difficult art of explaining right. We don’t just mean explaining the ins and outs of a project to your team or stakeholders, but how to communicate everything that matters to you with both clarity and confidence so that you can do what you set out to achieve.

Emma travels to Westcott, Buckinghamshire, to meet the team at Nammo Space, who work on propulsion systems for space rocket engines and thrusters. Their cutting-edge products are used on international space programmes, whether they’re satellites or missions to the moon or Mars. The business is growing rapidly, with around 100 people, and 12 project professionals. Read more in the autumn 2024 edition of Project journal.

Emma meets Emma Caroll-Walsh, Director of Customer Programmes at Aqua Consultants and Deputy Chair of APM’s Built Environment Interest Network, who is also an outgoing APM Board Trustee.

She shares her top tips on how to be an effective project influencer and why it really matters to hone your influencing skills – plus what it's like to step up to being a Board Trustee and the valuable professional and career experience it brings.

Emma meets Jimmy Nguyen, APM’s Project Professional of the Year 2023 and Associate Director at Turner & Townsend. Jimmy worked on the Bromford and Castle Vale flood risk management scheme for the Environment Agency. He was praised by APM’s awards judges for successfully dealing with stakeholder pressure, garnering support from the local MP and forming a high-performing team to deliver the project for the overall benefit of the local community. Listen on for his top project and career tips.

We take a deep dive into the future of the project profession, with a compilation of some of our favourite insights from the 2024 APM Conference.

Held in Coventry in June, the theme for this year’s APM Conference was ‘Navigating Tomorrow: Future Skills for Project Professionals’. The event invited project leaders and experts on future trends to unpack the rapidly changing landscape that projects are being delivered in.

AI and data literacy were among the hot topics – including both the opportunities and threats of new technology for project managers’ employment prospects. The conference also considered whether there is a skills gap in the profession, and the must-have competencies to future-proof your career.

Emma meets Algy Ayson, Head of Project Delivery Centre of Excellence and Profession at UK Parliament, who works on projects and programmes across both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Emma spoke to him in June, just a few weeks ahead of the UK general election. Algy gives some great advice on how to create culturally competent project teams where diverse perspectives are welcomed and used to the advantage of projects. He is a project professional who puts people and relationships between stakeholders top when it comes to successful project delivery.

Professor Adam Boddison in conversation Sir Nigel Thrift, Chair of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, or CoRWM.

CoRWM’s role, as Sir Nigel describes it, is to give independent scientific and technical advice to UK Government on all aspects of the management of radioactive waste.

Sir Nigel is one of the world’s leading human geographers and previously served as Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Warwick and as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Oxford.

Hear him chat with Adam about dealing with a football stadium’s worth of radioactive waste, the environmental impact of mega-cities and how to enable better long-term thinking in government departments.

APM CEO Professor Adam Boddison invites outgoing APM President Sue Kershaw and her successor Yvonne Thompson CBE to hand over the baton.

Sue shares her reflections on the biggest project management trends over her time in the hotseat, from managing greater project complexity and going from megaprojects to gigaprojects, to being able to deliver on promises and the need for greater connectivity.

Yvonne takes the opportunity to set out her ambitious priorities, including focusing on diversity and inclusion, sustainability and AI.

How do we prepare today for success tomorrow, she asks.

Emma meets Thimon de Jong, founder of WHETSTON / strategic foresight, a think tank specialising in future human behaviour and societal change and the implications for leadership and business strategy. The pair discuss where society and all of us are headed in the near future, and what project managers and leaders need to think about when it comes to the people they're managing, the projects they're running and your own mental wellbeing amid the ‘polycrisis’.

What is the true value of the project profession to the UK economy and society? That is the question that APM seeks to answer in its new research report, The Golden Thread. Expanding on research first published in 2019, the new report provides updated data on the contribution of the project profession in the context of the global disruptions of the past five years.

In this podcast we share an edited recording of the launch event for the Golden Thread report.

Emma meets Steve Gilligan, a programme manager who’s playing a critical role in the world's first decommissioning of a nuclear fusion machine. He works at Culham Campus, just outside Oxford, home to the Joint European Taurus, or JET, a tokamak machine where some of the world’s most important nuclear fusion experiments have taken place.

But now JET’s days are over and Gilligan is tasked with taking apart and reusing and retrieving valuable resources from the tokamak. Using robots through remote handling is a key part of his focus. Steve shares what it’s like working on such an exciting and world-leading project, why humour is key when it comes to high-risk project management environments and why it’s always worth celebrating those project successes.

Professor Adam Boddison in conversation with the Head of the Government Property Profession, Lynda Rawsthorne. Sitting within the Cabinet Office, Lynda is responsible for the strategy for the whole government estate, which covers everything from hospitals to courts and offices. She describes her role as engaging, encouraging and motivating the 7,000-plus professionals who make up the property profession in government.

In the third and final part of our series on the National Trust, Emma is back at Dyrham Park near Bath to meet three project management apprentices who all started at the Trust in October 2022 and are nearing the end of their 18-month apprenticeship programme after sitting APM’s Project Management Qualification. So, what’s it like to be an apprentice in an organisation that puts project management at the heart of what it does? What have they learnt so far, what projects have they worked on and where might their future career take them?

In episode 2 of our three-part series on the National Trust, an APM Corporate Partner, Emma finds out about the Trust’s urban programmes and its work in renewables. As well as visiting Stoneford Community Garden in Dagenham, East London, she meets Jo Dmitri, a Senior Programme Manager leading a team of nine project professionals as part of the strategy work the Trust is doing in London to connect green spaces. Finally, Emma speaks to Dee Nunn, who works on the charity’s renewable energy investment programme, which is focused on achieving net zero by 2030.

Rachel Baldwin is Head of Programme and Project Delivery at the BBC, where she leads a team of 115 people tasked with a huge variety of IT and technology programmes – including a brand‑new home for the Beeb in Birmingham and creating the largest orchestral recording space in Europe in East London.

But while Rachel is now a seasoned project professional, she started her career as a documentary film maker. Among her credits are One Life: Pregnant in Two Wombs and Mr Trebus’ Life of Grime, which was nominated for a Broadcast Award.

But how did Rachel make the career switch and what lessons did she learn along the way? Listen on to hear her chat with Project writer Andrew Saunders for the upcoming spring issue…

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What’s it like to deliver life-changing medical research projects that address health problems facing communities, change health options and outcomes for patients, and improve the lives of people living with disease? That’s the remit of Dr Karen Skinner, Chief Project and Portfolio Officer at not-for-profit Life Arc. Join us as she sits down with Professor Adam Boddison, Chief Executive of APM, for an in-depth conversation about project management in the charity sector.

Emma meets Dame Inga Beale, portfolio director and former CEO of global insurance giant Lloyd’s of London. Dame Inga was keynote speaker at APM’s 2023 Women in Project Management Conference. 

Ever wondered how to balance work and family, how to strategise your career and how to network effectively? In this episode, we’ve compiled some of our highlights from APM’s Women in Project Management Conference 2023. These sessions focused on how project professionals – women in particular – can take their career to the next level.

Professor Adam Boddison meets Baroness Valentine. Having started out working in corporate finance in the City in the 1980s, in recent years Baroness Valentine has had what she describes as a “portfolio career”. Her current roles include Chair of Heathrow Southern Railway and Co-Director of Place at Business in the Community. As of 2005, she also sits in the House of Lords as a cross-bench member, with a current focus on levelling up. She was also formerly on the boards of both Crossrail and HS2.  

We look back at our favourite moments from the podcast in 2023. 

It’s been another action-packed year in which we’ve welcomed guests from across the international project management community. We kicked off 2023 with an episode on bringing empathy into the workplace, and since then we’ve covered topics ranging from the rise of artificial intelligence to the can-do mindset of Icelandic project managers.

But there have been a few episodes that really stood out to us and which performed particularly well with listeners. So in this episode, we share our ‘top five lessons from the year’ in the form of short extracts from these episodes.

In this episode, Emma meets three project professionals with a deep interest in artificial intelligence (AI) to consider what impact this technology is having right now on projects, what it might hold for the future and what project managers should be doing to adapt to this brave new world. Joining Emma are:

• Professor Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, Founder of the Strategy Implementation Institute and author of the Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook
• James Garner, Global Head of Data and Intelligence at Gleeds and Chair of the Project Data Analytics Task Force
• Martin Paver, CEO of consultancy Projecting Success 

In this episode, Emma is joined once again by Professor Darren Dalcher of the University of Lancaster. Few people have studied project management as closely or for as long as Darren. In a career spanning more than 25 years, he has become very interested in the reasons for project failure. When it comes to agile, Darren was there from the start when it was being experimented with in software development. Who better, then, to explore the origins of agile and its impact on projects?

Emma meets three women to talk about menopause in the workplace. Two of them are project professionals – Rachel Jackson of Anglo American and Jo Roberts of the DfT – while the third, Aly Dilks of Simply Menopausal, is a nurse specialising in menopause.

The guests share experience and advice for those wanting to find out how to best deal with being menopausal, and how to support colleagues going through menopause.

Professor Adam Boddison meets Martina Blake of the UK Space Agency. Martina heads up the agency’s Office for Project and Programme Management, which she set up in November 2021. She explains that you don’t have to be an astronaut or scientist to work in the space sector – there is a huge variety of roles in project delivery and beyond. And as with other government departments, the UK Space Agency has signalled its commitment to enabling its project professionals to gain formal accreditation and meet their career ambitions. 

Emma meets Peter Simon, a Director at Lucidus Consulting and a member of the APM Risk SIG Committee. He is co-author of a new APM report looking into opportunity management as part of the overall project risk management process. The findings reveal notable areas where what is defined in textbooks and standards do not match what’s happening in practice. 

In June, APM held its annual conference in Birmingham under the heading of ‘Change Changes’. The event explored how the project profession must adapt to the changing nature of change itself in a world of increasing uncertainty and complexity. It emphasised the enormous contribution that projects can, and do, make to forging a cleaner, safer, more prosperous and more inclusive society. 

In this podcast, we’ve compiled some of the key insights that emerged from the first stream of sessions at the conference, which was focused on the transformative impact that projects can have both on individual lives as well as economic, social and physical landscapes. 

Emma meets Beth West, CEO of East West Rail, a transport project that will open up a corridor from Oxford, through Milton Keynes and Bedford, to Cambridge and connect the UK’s two leading life sciences and tech hot spots.

In this episode, Emma meets Jo Jolly, Deputy Director and Head of Project Futures at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, who recently spoke at APM's Change Changes conference. Everything is touched by projects, Jo told the audience. The UN Sustainable Development Goals should be actions for all our projects: we can do these things if we want to. Listen to hear Jo share how project delivery can be transformed for the better by embracing data and human collaboration and so improve society and all our lives.  

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Emma meets Dan Jennings, who recently established a project management office at the UK wing of global media agency Wavemaker. His team has worked on everything from Evian campaigns tied to the Wimbledon tennis tournament to delivering product placement within Married at First Sight on Channel 4. As those creative projects have become more complex, whether through multi-platform content partnerships or the arrival of new channels such as smart speakers and WhatsApp, project management skills have become even more in demand. Hear Dan speak about what it's like to establish a PMO from scratch and introduce professional project management processes and expertise into a sector unfamiliar with it.