AACE International Activities: Farooq joined the AACE International as a member in 1995, and received the Certified Cost Engineer (CCE) designation in 2001. He served as President of the Arabian Gulf Section (2002-03) and of the Kuwait Section (2008-10), besides serving in various other positions in the local sections. He was instrumental in reactivating the Kuwait section.
He holds an MS in construction engineering and management from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Saudi Arabia.
Farooq has multifaceted experience of 17 years in academia, industry and consulting fields and is currently working as Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Business Consultant for Aspen Technology, a world leader in software development for process industries.
Over the years Farooq has been active in promoting the development of cost and project management professional community in the Middle East, through volunteer training and mentoring candidates for AACE certifications. He has been an active proponent of reaching out to professionals and effectively facilitating common platforms, especially electronic media, to interact and network with each other.
He is also an active member of many other professional bodies including PMI, ASQ, and SPE.
Goals and Objectives:
Promoting growth and professional development, among cost and project management professionals in the region, has been a key passion for me. As Director for Region-7, I would continue with the efforts of my peers to support the current sections in their activities and growth, while continuing to pursue and encourage opportunities for establishing new viable sections in this fast developing growth region. As Director for Region-7, I would pursue the following initiatives:
- Enhance awareness, recognition, and prestige of AACE International, our profession, and cost engineers in business, academic, and professional communities in the region.
- Continue the growth of AACE International by encouraging more activities and knowledge sharing at local sections.
- Pursue opportunities to establish new local sections where viable. Support and facilitate mentoring requirements for new and potential sections.
- Encourage local sections to promote member visibility and networking, with a special focus on electronic media.
- Seek significant membership growth through encouragement of a wider volunteer base.
- Support avenues for cooperation and mentoring at both member and section levels in the region to promote the transfer of cost management skills and knowledge.
- Integration of local section boards within the region to use the synergy to meet the association’s global objectives.
- Promote and initiate regional symposiums and conferences by encouraging and facilitating inter-sectional cooperation.
- Support local section operations through regular meetings and established feedback.
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AACE International Activities: Ghulam Mujtaba Shaikh is an active member of AACE for last eight years. He has served at the Southern California Section as President for 2008-09. He led several outreach events for the Section at universities and has taught CCE certification classes for multiple years. As President, he initiated and delivered a new tradition— the Annual Spring Symposium for over 70 people with 17 world renowned speakers. The section has been a regular recipient of President’s Circle Award during his years and is now the 5th largest in membership. At the AACE level, he has attended and has presented at Annual Meetings. He attended the first leadership conference and worked closely with Diversity and Young Professionals Task Forces. He recently moved to Karachi, Pakistan, and has been active in introducing AACE locally.
Professional Experience and Expertise: Ghulam has been working in the engineering/construction industry for over 11 years and has extensive experience in project management, cost/schedule controls, and claims. He has worked on several large award-winning projects, including San Francisco Rapid Transit Extension, Los Angeles Bus Rapid and Light Rail Projects, Los Angeles Freeway and Airport Improvements, and Karachi Circular Railway. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from NED University, Karachi and a MS in Project Management from UC, Berkeley. He is a professional engineer, holds PMP certification, and has taught at UC Berkeley and UCLA.
Goals and Objectives:
Region 7 is the 2nd largest region in the world by geography and includes the UAE Section which is the largest section by membership. I plan to use my experience of Southern California Section and raise awareness about AACE International activities, certifications, technical resources, and networking opportunities. Building upon the success of UAE Section, I will work closely with other sections to share resources and experiences. I plan to:
- Establish and maintain close communication with all sections through regular conference calls.
- Support growth of existing sections by reaching out to acquaintances in AACE to have them volunteer as mentors.
- Help establish new sections in the region – my target is three by end of the first year. Promote AACE’s mission/vision.
- Continue to use web, VOIP, and social networking sites to have board members collaborate and build relationships.
- Make best use of the section newsletters to reach out to potential members as the region is wide spread.
- Institute a plan with colleges and universities for scholarship and certification awareness.
- Focus on certification’s understanding and value in the region. Use the recently released seminar in a box.
- Work with industry peers and recruiting firms to make AACE certifications a requirement.
- Work toward success of the first International TCM Conference in Dubai in November 2012.
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