If one has to identify the Most Valuable Professional in any business, the Project Manager would probably win every time. Why? It’s simply because these highly experienced individuals keep things running smoothly and help operations cut costs, boost efficiency and meet deadlines.
As more businesses put more premium on efficiency and prefer to run a “lean and mean” operation, project management has become a key element in their success. Because of their ability to help teams complete projects on-time, on-budget, and up to organizational standards, Project Managers are valued in a big way.
“In a nutshell, project management is helping clients realize the goals of their vision,” says Lloyd Wallace, a Project Management Specialist and head of a multinational project management consultancy firm with operations in Southeast Asia and the Philippines.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wallace’s work as a sought after project and construction manager has taken him to many parts of the world including the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and most recently the Philippines where his family is currently based.
To date, Wallace has accomplished project management roles in various locations across the globe from the AED 2 billion Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort and Spa in Abu Dhabi to Solaire Resorts and the new IKEA soon to open in the Philippines.
In addition to his experience, Wallace has undergone extensive training and is certified as an expert in his field. For him, the Project Manager “is the driving force that brings the project stakeholders together, the one that ensures that the set obligations and commitments of the team are delivered effectively and smoothly.”
The intricacies of the development cycle and the economics of project management are impossible to ignore. The services of a seasoned project manager or project management firm are available end-to-end. There’s the sourcing of land, procurement strategies, setting of targets, qualifying and appointing of design teams and contractors, supervising the construction phases and finally the smooth handover of the finished project.
“Finding true partners for such a large task often requires more than just local presence or a name, but an element of trust and reliability on the people within the team,” Wallace pointed out.
In further explaining his take-charge approach to his work as Project Manager, he said it is his job to be “the charismatic leader in between all the stakeholders in any project and ensure that the team is in a position to succeed by meeting the clients’ expected outcomes so that they’ll get what they pay for.”
To this end, Wallace says it is the job of the Project Manager to “work with clients at all stages of a project cycle.”
“We’ve got the people, experience, systems and knowledge to deliver a client’s vision, with focus on a transparent roadmap, reviewed and refined at every stage of the process,” he further explained.
Over the years, Wallace and his various teams have managed to deliver projects of all sizes in various segments of the property sector. This includes public and private projects, big and small, and at all extremes and degrees of luxury – from high-end properties to more affordable, large scale products.
Given that construction is a big contributor to the local economy, Wallace likewise believes that quality has its place in all project types. In an upbeat industry characterized by massive infrastructure projects as stimulated by the national government, he sees plenty of “significant opportunities” for both individual project managers and project management companies to work closely with developers in building the future.