“I enjoy PMO work because it fascinates me to take things apart to see how they work (this may come from my engineering background), and because I get a real sense of achievement from bringing order to what seems at first to be chaos.
Because I understand from my own experience the challenges that project and programme managers face, I work proactively with them to help them to stay compliant with the relevant standards or methodology, ensuring that just enough (and no more!) process is applied in order to get the job done to the required standard without getting in the way.
Consequently I enjoy good relationships with project managers, who see me as a trusted advisor rather than a reactive critic.”
Ken Burrell
Biography
With almost 30 years’ experience in Research & Development and Change across a broad range of industry sectors, Ken’s background in engineering research and development and project management enables him to helps organisations to improve the way they change through the strategic application of the right PMO knowhow. Sometimes by supporting the controlled delivery of strategic change programmes, and sometimes by ensuring that senior management get the insights they need to make strategic decisions about those change programmes in the context of an organisational change portfolio.
Ken specialises in providing independent, pragmatic advice about learning lessons from project delivery, and how to do it better.
Chronology
1993 – 2001
Development Engineer – BRF International and Whitbread Beer Company (later Interbrew)
2002 – 2005
Project Engineer / Manager – IMI Cornelius
2006 – 2007
Project Manager, Cardif Pinnacle (a BNP Paribas Company)
2007 – 2011
Enterprise PMO Manager – Cardif Pinnacle (a BNP Paribas Company)
2011
Founded Pragmatic PMO
2011 onwards
Independent PMO Consultant
2019
Published Learning Lessons from Projects
Launched Scary Scars Shared interview series
2021
Co-founded The PMO Professionals
Skills
