Our Practitioner Biographies.

David Thomson

Head of External Affairs,

Association for Project Management

David is Head of External Affairs for the Association for Project Management (APM) and is responsible for external engagement, research, thought leadership and policy. The APM thought leadership programme includes the APM Research Fund, research summary series, policy reports and other major research activity, including the current campaign about the future of the project profession – ‘Projecting the future’.  Prior to his APM role, he worked for the Chartered Insurance Institute 2007-16 and Barclays 1995-2007.

Stephen Townsend is PMI’s Networks Engagement Facilitator.  In this capacity, he enables PMI’s thought leadership and knowledge activities leveraging PMI’s global community of subject matter experts.  His contributions include such works as Integrating Program Management and Systems Engineering: Methods, Tools and Organizational Systems for Improving Performance co-development with MIT and the International Council on Systems Engineering and published by Wiley in 2017; the Agile Practice Guide developed in partnership with the Agile Alliance; Managing Change in Organizations: A Practice Guide; and the transformation of the PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition.  He has co-authored research papers and studies with APQC and the Association for Talent Development and produced PMI’s capstone report, PMIAA: Strengthening the Government Delivery Foundation. 

Stephen has worked within PMI since 1999 in the areas of member services; chapter/community relations; business/government relations; strategic alliance; and global development.

Stephen Townsend

Networks Engagement Facilitator,

Project Management Institute

Jonathan Norman

Knowledge Manager,

Major Projects Association

Jonathan is responsible for the knowledge repository and the Association’s virtual community of practice. The repository collates and curates insight on the experience of major projects with resources from the Olympics, Crossrail, Thameslink Learning Legacies and from across industry. He also facilitates a wide range of virtual activities and events to complement the Association’s main seminar programme and socializes everything we do. ​

Outside of work, Jonathan is an enthusiastic home cook and keen middle-distance runner and keeps his hand in as an ex-publisher of 30 years by providing development editorial support to business book writers of all kinds. 

After 35+ years as a Qualified Surveyor (MRICS) in the construction industry, David is currently focused on using his experience to develop intelligent data and knowledge that translate into better construction outcomes. Clients working with his team see improved functional, commercial and schedule performance in their infrastructure, natural resources and property projects.

In terms of past experience, David has generally focused on major projects and programmes in Infrastructure, Health, Life Sciences and Education, with Turner & Townsend, the Dublin Metro, Heathrow Airport and The Wellcome Trust Sanger Centre extension in Cambridge as highlights. His service specialties are benchmarking, commercial modelling, business performance improvement, project turnarounds, value and risk management and predictive cost modelling.

David Crewe

Project Delivery Consultant

Crewe Consulting

Daniel Nicholls

Research Manager,

Association of Project Management

Daniel currently heads up APM’s research programme which aims to advance the art, science, theory and practice and project management. This includes: commissioning and developing research studies, having oversight of APM's Research Fund, research promotion and dissemination, leading APM's submissions and calls for evidence to government and other agencies and collaborating with other like-minded organisations to support APM’s wider influencing agenda.

Prior to working for APM, Daniel previously worked as a project practitioner leading projects for the University of Bedfordshire, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and GFirst – Gloucestershire’s Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). 

Accomplished Managing Director and Board Director with 17 years global experience in Manufacturing and Engineering businesses. Successfully implemented major change for significant cost and operational gains whilst also growing new markets by utilising a strategic mindset with proven ability to develop and execute to multiyear plans.

Worked frequently as a change agent operationalising new manufacturing and service facilities globally, in addition to running and improving existing. Leading international acquisition SME businesses whilst managing the integration to unlock synergies.

Strong operational and commercially focused P&L & Fulfilment leader with many years experience in finance (ACMA), commercial and operational roles with a passion for business and talent growth. Executed in growth and down cycles. Graduate of GE Executive leadership program Corporate Leadership Staff (intake of ~3 from 40,000 employees). Received multiple awards for achievement with CEO awards for operational and funational leadership, sales records in controls and strategy implementation.

SME experience both directly working in manufacturing SMEs (including advising the board in an FP&A capacity) and also running SME business units within larger organisations later in my career.

Peter Hargraves

Director

Turner & Townsend

Steve Wake

Project Delivery Consultant

Former Chairman of the Association of Project Management

Steve Wake has worked in the print, automotive, aerospace, defence, insurance and IT industries as a project manager and consultant. He is an internationally acknowledged expert on Earned Value Project Management and has written and presented many times. He was chairman of the Board of the Association for Project Management in the UK steering it to Chartered status whilst pursuing a campaign of Listening, Learning and Leading as a way of being as well as doing Diversity properly.

Steve has also had to become an accomplished event organiser and chair with his own EVA conference in its 22nd year as well as continued close involvement in the high profile PMI UK Synergy events, both productions with a reputation for the unusual and innovative. His long passion for all kinds of music is almost matched by his continued appreciation of silence.