Before the panel started, the moderator was warned: "Good luck controlling this bunch." Four AACE presidents. 150+ combined years. They lived up to it. Recorded live at the 2026 AACE Houston Gulf Coast Symposium, host Orion Matthews sits down with four current and former AACE International Presidents for an unfiltered conversation on leadership, AI, remote work, and the future of project controls - drawing on decades of experience across megaproject delivery, cost engineering, claims, and global capital programs.

The megaproject industry hits cost, schedule, and production targets just 1% of the time. Martin Darley dropped this number mid-conversation and the panel barely flinched - because they've all seen it. The question isn't whether there's a problem. It's why, after 150+ combined years of experience, the same mistakes keep repeating. The panel's answer points to a gap that has nothing to do with technical skill.

The gap between a strong technical contributor and a trusted advisor isn't technical - it's soft skills. Martin put it directly: "The differentiator between doing the work and advising a GM at Chevron is soft skills. Cost engineers aren't wired that way." Chris Caddell echoed it with a paper he wrote on the "so what?" problem: too many project controls reports lay out numbers without making a recommendation. Learning to influence, communicate, and own a call is the career unlock most technical professionals never fully make.

Remote work works better for experienced practitioners than for people just starting out. The panel wasn't anti-remote, but the sharpest line came from Martin, quoting IPA's Ed Mirro: "If you're in your bedroom on a laptop, how do you manage your career?" Michael Bennick added a specific concern: new professionals starting out fully remote miss the informal learning, mentorship, and calibration that only comes from proximity to experienced practitioners. The consensus was clear - site presence builds instincts that can't be replicated through a screen.

AI won't replace project controls professionals - but it will change what the job looks like. As sitting AACE president overseeing 6,000+ members, Michael Bennick framed it as an opportunity, not a threat - and argued the association has an obligation to help members get out front on it. Martin's enthusiasm was the strongest in the room: "I've been waiting all my career for an enabler like this." Mike Nosbisch held the line on what won't change: someone still has to interpret the output, make the recommendation, and own the decision. The judgment-makers aren't going anywhere.

00:00 – Intro & Welcome to the LIVE AACE Panel

01:30 – How the Panelists Found Their Way into Project Controls

05:00 – Early Career Lessons & Megaproject Experiences

08:30 – Technical Skills vs Leadership Skills

12:00 – Why Communication Is Critical in Project Controls

16:00 – AI in Project Controls: Opportunity vs Hype

22:00 – How AI Could Change Reporting & Decision-Making

26:30 – Remote Work vs In-Person Collaboration

31:30 – International Projects & Cultural Differences

35:00 – Why Megaprojects Keep Repeating the Same Mistakes

38:30 – Advice for Young Professionals Entering the Industry

41:30 – Final Leadership Lessons & Closing Thoughts

• Michael Bennick — Current President of AACE International, Managing Director at J.S. Held
• Chris Caddell — Former AACE President, Director at Spire Consulting Group
• Martin Darley — Former AACE President, Former Senior Advisor at Chevron
• Michael Nosbisch — Former AACE President, Visiting Professor at Texas A&M University