Samir Is-hak is one of Team Downer’s experienced Integrated Work Package managers who works at the Department of Defence’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group where he is the National Lead for the Defence Materiel Logistics Function.

He recently wrote a piece for Connect – the magazine of the International Centre for Complex Project Management – about enriching stakeholder relationships in the face of increasingly volatile, uncertain and ambiguous operating environments.

‘Project management can be challenging at times, and particularly so with the kind of long-term complex projects we see at CASG,’ Is-hak said. ‘Creating and sustaining strong relationships with your stakeholders can net a lot of benefits that help to reduce that complexity and keep things on track.’

As a Major Service Provider to CASG, Team Downer is stocked with experts in their field who are committed to sharing their knowledge and experience to build capability for their clients, and for the broader defence industry.

‘I was happy to write this piece for the ICCPM so that I could put my thoughts on the record about the ways that stakeholder engagement and complex project management interact in a project,’ Is-hak said. ‘Knowledge sharing is one of the key ways that Team Downer seeks to elevate our partner Small-to-Medium Enterprises, as well as the existing workforce at CASG.’

‘My article is called Crossing the Rubicon: Drawing upon authentic and enabling leadership traits to enrich stakeholder relationships,’ said Is-hak. ‘Crossing the Rubicon refers to when Julius Caesar crossed the river boundary and entered Ancient Rome with his legions. It means committing wholeheartedly and irreversibly to a course of action — in this case enhancing your relationships for the good of your projects.’

ICCPM has given Team Downer permission to share the piece.