
S10E217: Lisa Silander on 30 Years in UK Project Controls
From The Project Chatter Podcast by Dale Foong and Val Matthews
May 1, 2026 · 55 min · Season 10 · Episode 217
About this episode
Lisa Silander discusses her 30-year career in UK project controls and the importance of human involvement in projects amidst AI advancements.
Dale and Val are joined by Lisa Silander, Global Practice and UK Technical Lead for Project Controls at AtkinsRéalis. With 30 years leading planning and project controls teams across aviation, rail, water, manufacturing, and nuclear, Lisa has shaped delivery on some of the UK's most demanding capital programmes including Heathrow Terminal 5, Heathrow Q6, the Heathrow Expansion Project, Thames Water AMP5, and Yorkshire Water AMP7. In this episode we cover: Lisa's career journey into project controls What attracted her to the discipline and kept her there for three decades The initiative she's leading to build UK project controls capability at AtkinsRéalis Why humans will always be involved in projects, even as AI reshapes the work The daily habits that have shaped her career Grit, determination, and the human side of leading high-performing teams Perspective as a woman building and leading teams in a complex industry A grounded, practical conversation with one of the most experienced voices in UK project controls. Connect with Lisa Silander on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-silander-fcasa-b078645/ Follow the Project Chatter Podcast: Website…
People in this episode
Hosts: Dale Foong, Val Matthews
Guest: Lisa Silander
Topics covered
- project controls
- career journey
- AI in projects
- leadership
- women in industry
- high-performing teams
Keywords
- project controls
- career
- leadership
- AI
- women in engineering
- high-performing teams
- planning
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: AtkinsRéalis
Places: UK, Heathrow Terminal 5, Heathrow Q6, Heathrow Expansion Project, Thames Water AMP5, Yorkshire Water AMP7
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