Tetra Tech’s Leadership Academy Class of 2019 Hones Their Risk and Financial Management Skills

Participants in Tetra Tech’s 2019 Leadership Academy class recently spent four days in Denver, Colorado, focused on financial and risk management tools, contract negotiations, and strategic planning to optimize performance in their operations. Thirty Tetra Tech project managers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States are engaged in a year-long training program to expand their understanding of Tetra Tech’s global operations and hone their operational, financial, and interpersonal skills.

Tetra Tech senior leaders from across the company’s operations and corporate offices provided lectures, hands-on exercises, and role-playing to reinforce the concepts presented. The participants interact closely with in-house experts who ensure the content is tailored to Tetra Tech’s business.

“In the contracts negotiations session, we had the teams divide into two groups representing clients and Tetra Tech,” said Brendan O’Rourke, Tetra Tech Enterprise Risk Management Officer. “They had to negotiate specific terms and conditions that are the key components of a strong contract.”

Students used laptops to access Tetra Tech’s performance tools to analyze key project metrics. “It’s amazing that we have all of these customized tools that help us manage our projects in almost real-time and can be used by any key member,” said Purvi Nandi, Leadership Academy participant from Ontario, Canada. “The tools are not limited to just project controls staff. While I use most of these tools daily, I learned about several new enhancements that will help me manage my projects more efficiently and enable me to share the data with my colleagues.”

The final component to this session focused on strategic planning and the importance of developing strategies to grow our operations. Participants divided into teams that were tasked with developing a strategic growth plan focused on technology solutions, which they pitched to the class. The group then voted for the most viable plan.

The Leadership Academy is a cornerstone of Tetra Tech’s platform of Leading with Science® to provide its clients with industry-leading services. As participants expand their Tetra Tech networks, they can offer their clients additional expertise and local market knowledge, backed by the support and power of a more than 18,000-employee company.