“Everything Was Fine... Until It Wasn't” – Lessons from the Sharp End of Project Failures
Alan Mills
- Organisation:
- Falcon Global Ltd
- Region:
- Anywhere
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Professional
- Fee:
- Paid: Speaking fees typically range from £500 to £2,500 depending on audience, event format, preparation
- Category:
- Entertainment
- Updated:
- 4th May 2025
- Tagged:
- Project Failure | Disasters And Near Misses | Safety-Critical | Training
True (but sanitised) stories of avoidable failures in major capital projects — from oil rigs and renewables to nuclear facilities. Why smart people still make bad decisions, and how CSU can be the silent hero (or the invisible villain). With a dose of dry humour and real-life near-misses, Alan unpacks the hidden chaos behind glossy project dashboards. Expect tales of missing bolts, misunderstood handovers, and managers who insisted, "It’s good enough." Spoiler: it wasn’t.
Views: 22 | Enquiries: 0About Alan Mills
Alan Mills – Why Safety Can’t Be Optional in Safety-Critical Industries Founder of Falcon Global and Creator of Zenator
Alan Mills is a globally respected expert in Systems Completion and Commissioning & Start-Up (CSU), with over 40 years of frontline experience in the oil & gas, petrochemical, nuclear, and renewables sectors. A Chartered Engineer and Fellow of IMarEST, Alan’s career was shaped by the aftermath of the Piper Alpha disaster. Since then, “Safety became my Why” has guided his mission to improve safety culture and operational performance in high-risk industries.
Alan is the founder of Falcon Global and creator of Zenator, a powerful software platform used by major Operators and Contractors to deliver safer, faster project completions. He is also the force behind the MasterClass CSU training program, which has educated hundreds of professionals worldwide and is accredited by API and ECITB.
An inspiring speaker with deep technical knowledge and lived experience, Alan delivers powerful talks on safety, leadership, and the essential role of CSU in major projects. His presentations resonate with engineers, executives, and frontline teams alike — making a compelling case for why CSU training is no longer optional.
Other Talks on SpeakerNet by Alan Mills
- After Piper Alpha, Safety Became My Why – Why CSU Training Can’t Be Optional
- “We Skipped the Training — What Could Possibly Go Wrong?”
- “The Moment We Knew We Were in Trouble” – How to Spot a Project Sliding into Chaos
- “Trust Me, It’s Ready” – Famous Last Words Before the Alarms Go Off
- “Safe, Late, or Broken – Pick Any Two?”
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