I learnt today that a great professional I know got laid down. After more than 30 years in the same company. Delivering amazing projects. Making millions… if not billions – yes, with “b” for the company. A big, important guy. A great guy, by the way. Personally and professionally. He’s shocked. And in his late 50s… after being at the top in uncountable projects, deciding over the lives of hundreds of employees, contractors and subcontractors. He feels vulnerable. Not sure if you had realized....
1 day ago • 1 min read
One of the people I mentor told me last Tuesday that he wanted to know more about PPPs. I said. You’re wrong. Time to remove your mask. You don’t want to “learn about PPPs.” You want Make more money Access big projects Differentiate yourself professionally Break out of stagnation Gain authority / status Work on things that matter Your pain is not technical. It’s existential and professional. So time to be honest with yourself. If you do great things that nobody sees. If you want to pass from...
2 days ago • 1 min read
“I work in infrastructure, but not on the projects that matter.” Strong CV Solid experience Little access to top projects Professionally stuck Feels like “they always choose others”… Life in the comfort zone tends to be short… As you become replaceable. Always in operational roles Not standing out Just another piece in the puzzle Still, you are ambitious. You want better. • Access PPPs / megaprojects • Higher salary • Stronger personal brand • Better career And you don’t want theory. But...
3 days ago • 1 min read
Problem: I work on multi-billion-dollar projects… and I still don’t understand how anyone makes money. And if you have it… You’re not the only one. You’re parachuted in projects and they expect you to know everything. Little training. Almost no mentoring. You get your head over the water or you sink. What if I told you that there is a place where You’ll understand how a PPP is structured Who makes money When Why And how to avoid being the one who loses Yeah… Unfiltered opinion about How money...
5 days ago • 1 min read
It’s surprising human’s resistance to change. A clause. A clause destined to fail. And it did. Problems. Disputes. Relationships destroyed. Delays. Claims. And you know what… They repeat in the next project… Even if it is evident that the clause will generate issues. Too much grey. Sometimes this grey has advantages within a group of reasonable and experienced people. But unfortunately, common sense is uncommon. I explained the issue. Everybody nodded. And of course… the clause remained…...
6 days ago • 1 min read
I love going to local markets. I tried one this weekend. All vendors shouting: “Try this.” “Taste that.” “Best cheese in town.” “Organic honey.” Everyone fighting for your attention. It’s nice. It feels human. You try things. You buy things. You feel good helping local producers. I love that. But price is sometimes an issue. It’s not cheap. And it can’t be cheap. These guys work at very small scale. Their margins need to be enormous just to make a living. I don’t blame them. And honestly,...
7 days ago • 1 min read
I’m an engineer. By accident. But an engineer nevertheless. I’ve seen landslides during construction, and after construction. Specifications not converting properly between inches and cm. Expansion joints popping up in summer like popcorn. Pavement failing in the first winter after opening. Subcontractors going broke. Or bought by the competition you stole the project from… But still… 80% of serious PPP failures are NOT technical… They are contractual. Risk allocation errors Toxic KPI regimes...
8 days ago • 1 min read
You know I’m no fan of the World Bank. But from time to time, curiosity opens some doors. This is what I found. More than 50% of PPPs are renegotiated… Let that sink in. 50%. And usually in favor of the private sector... 50–60% of PPP contracts in developed countriesand up to 70% in emerging marketsare renegotiated within the first 5–7 years. So the contract you sign is not the contract you live with. What does it mean? Simple… It means the real risk allocationis not the one approved by...
9 days ago • 1 min read
This week I received a message from a subscriber that should make every government, agency, and consulting firm uncomfortable. It came from a man who led one of the most successful Education PPPs in the world. A $165 million program funded by USAID.Implemented across 10 districts in Sindh, Pakistan.State-of-the-art schools.A pioneering Education Management Organization (EMO) model.One of the few genuine unsolicited PPP projects in the country.A full PPP Guide & Toolkit still in use today. He...
10 days ago • 1 min read