Paul Turner, P.Eng, PMP

My name is Paul Turner. I am an electrical engineer and a project management professional. I have specialized in testing and commissioning of complex systems to deliver improved project performance.

I started my engineering career in the aerospace industry building satellites and rockets for the Canadian Space Agency, and payloads for the International Space Station. These were amazing projects to be part of, and I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything. Working in the aerospace industry taught me the importance of quality, and the importance of extensive testing to make sure systems function correctly.

I then transitioned to the power industry, working on hydro-electric generating stations and HVDC transmission systems. From my aerospace experience, I was quite surprised to see the lack of attention to quality and the hap-hazard approach to commissioning on projects. It seemed people working on ground-based projects were too reliant on the luxury of being able to walk down the hall and press the reset switch, rather than putting more effort into design, giving more attention to quality, and ensuring comprehensive testing to make systems function correctly the first time. And in fact, 9 out of 10 projects are late and over-budget with this lazy approach to building infrastructure projects.

Transitioning to the water industry, and seeing the same disregard for improved project performance, was really upsetting, and I knew I had to help more project teams meet cost, schedule, and quality requirements with improved project processes, with the experience I had gained in my 25+ career.

That’s when I started Turner Capital Projects, the Commissioning Academy, and the Industrial Commissioning Association. Through these organizations, we offer consulting, training, and advocacy, to help project teams implement world-class commissioning processes starting at the beginning of projects for improved project outcomes. Project teams must start with the end in mind if they want to achieve project objectives, and the only way to do that is with a clear picture of what success looks like during commissioning.

If you want to achieve commissioning success on your projects, then visit the consulting, association, and academy links below, and see how we can help you start with the end in mind to achieve success on your projects.