Speaking & Media

Talk Topics

I tailor each presentation to the audience and format. Below are some of my most requested topics.

Why Projects Fail, and How to Fix Them

The planning fallacy, the Iron Law of Projects and the systemic challenges that derail delivery. A challenges-causes-cures framework drawing on the world's largest project database, reference class forecasting and debiasing techniques.

How to Measure Anything in Your Project

Key themes from the bestselling book: why many measurement techniques are flawed and how to measure what really matters in projects.

AI for Project Oversight

The story behind Hong Kong's Project Surveillance System, where ML models predict cost overruns across hundreds of capital projects, and how large language models can accelerate public consultations, drawing on experience with the UK Planning Inspectorate.

Net-Zero Projects & the Cost of Carbon

Maintaining capital discipline while decarbonising energy systems. Covers carbon pricing, integrated assessment models, discount rates and equity weighting, and how these parameters shape trillion-dollar policy decisions.

Risk, Noise & Cost Overruns

Monte Carlo simulation, sensitivity analysis and the value of information. Why unbiased estimates still produce systematic cost overruns, how estimation noise and competitive selection create a winner's curse, and how to quantify risk under deep uncertainty.

Biodiversity & Ecosystem Valuation

Contingent valuation, choice experiments and natural capital accounting. How to value environmental impacts and integrate biodiversity into cost-benefit analysis.

Upcoming Events

Apr 2026

Fremtidens samarbejde i store bygge- og anlægsprojekter

Keynote: Why do large projects systematically fail on time and budget? A data-driven diagnosis using the Oxford Global Projects database. Co-hosted by Plesner and COWI. Copenhagen, Denmark.
Event details
Jun 2026

Ledelseskonferencen Offentlig Ledelse

Public leadership conference. Odense, Denmark.
View programme
Sep 2026

Concept Symposium

Norwegian Ministry of Finance / NTNU Concept Research Programme. Oslo, Norway.
More info
Oct 2026

Megaprojekter og store bygge- og anlægsprojekter

Bygherreforeningen / Danish Association of Construction Clients (DACC). Copenhagen, Denmark.
More info

Selected Past Events

Nov 2025

Project Controls Expo

London, United Kingdom.
Nov 2025

Meet the Authors

Major Projects Association
Watch recording
Sep 2025

Megaproject Conference

Bygherreforeningen / Danish Association of Construction Clients (DACC). Copenhagen, Denmark.
Aug 2025

Danish Environmental Economics Conference

Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jun 2025

AACE International Conference
Nov 2024

Project Controls Expo

London, United Kingdom.
Nov 2024

Machine Learning Week Europe

Munich, Germany.
Nov 2023

Offentlig Ledelse Leadership Conference

500 attendees. Odense, Denmark.
Oct 2023

PyData

Berlin, Germany.
Sep 2023

British Academy of Management Conference

Brighton, United Kingdom.