From the Author
A Dedicated Career in Enterprise IT Projects
My journey in enterprise IT project delivery has been shaped by 25 years of experience in complex IT programmes and projects within the Financial Services industry, including Wealth Management, Financial Markets, Insurance, and Superannuation. Additionally, I have contributed to impactful federal and state government initiatives. My work has taken me across Australia, including the ACT, NT, NSW, and Vic, with a stint in the USA. These projects have delivered:
Product and service innovations
Business transformations resulting from acquisitions and divestments
The foundational installation of a trading platform for high-net-worth individuals
Replacement of core systems, including product administration and records management systems
Enhancements to existing systems and the development of data validation and reporting mechanisms for regulatory compliance.
My commitment to lifelong learning has led me to earn the following certifications, providing a solid foundation in enterprise IT project delivery:
Certified Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) Program Consultant (SPC)
Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®)
Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®)
Six Sigma Black Belt
ITIL® Foundation
PRINCE2® Foundation and Practitioner
Process Mentor Business Analyst (UML).
While methodologies and frameworks evolve, I have intentionally allowed some certifications requiring renewal to lapse—not because their principles have lost relevance but because the fundamentals remain unchanged. I see little value in paying annual membership fees solely to maintain an acronym after my name, particularly when the content is often a restructured version of the same core topics. Keeping up to date with methodology or framework updates is essential for those who strictly adhere to them in their projects, but my focus remains on translating theoretical knowledge into smart practices relevant to real-world challenges.
From Experience to Expertise
What defines me as a project professional is a solid theoretical understanding of project delivery, enriched by practical experience in overcoming real-world challenges. Although qualified for various project roles, I built my career around business analysis, a discipline that aligns with my strengths—attention to detail, structured thinking, and strong written communication. I take a hands-on approach to resolving delivery bottlenecks, guiding teams toward industry standards and best practices, and ensuring accountability in execution.
With Enterprise IT Projects: Messing Up Optional, I aim to share knowledge, coach the next generation, and contribute to improved project outcomes.
Lessons from a Misguided Start
Reflecting on my early career, I recognise how overconfidence often masked a lack of formal project knowledge. I moved from contract to contract, convinced I was building a career—yet my expertise was shaped solely by experience and exposure to flawed project practices.
I lacked formal IT project qualifications for years, unknowingly relying on misguided opinions and questionable approaches from equally unqualified project leaders. In hindsight, the first ten years of my experience were a write-off—I thought I knew it all, but I was blissfully unaware of what I did not know.
Bridging the Knowledge Gap
Professional development can be expensive, often disproportionate to future job prospects. However, for me, it was a necessity. As English is not my first language, I could not convincingly convey knowledge without fully understanding it. I invested in learning and development to speak the language of industry standards and grasp the intricacies of complex IT project delivery.
To keep costs manageable, I chose self-study, limiting expenses to study materials and certification fees. Fortunately, there are options for various budgets, whether guided classroom learning, self-paced online courses, or self-study.
This leads to the core premise of Enterprise IT Projects: Messing Up Optional:
