Q&A: Mary McKinlay

One of the trailblazers of the project profession and the first female Fellow of APM, Mary McKinlay celebrated her 80th birthday in February. Project spoke with Mary about her career and the changes she’s witnessed in the profession over the years.

Q How did you become interested in project management?

A  I’ve had a lifelong interest in engineering and technology. I enrolled to study biochemistry at Chelsea College and then undertook an Open University degree. While studying for that, I came across a course in systems thinking, which I was inspired to apply to project management. After gaining my degree, I began working for GEC Marconi in 1978.

Q What have been some of the highlights of your career?

A My first role at GEC Marconi was a technology role, and I was assigned to a team working on the iconic Tornado combat aircraft. I wanted to enhance the management and delivery of projects within the company and was encouraged by the desire of the Chairman, Lord Weinstock, to improve project management within GEC. Lord Weinstock established an internal programme dedicated to project improvement. I became one of their trainers and troubleshooters. I remember one day flying in the company aircraft from Rochester to Norwich. We detoured to another RAF base to deliver some parts. While we were there, three Tornadoes parked on the runway were waiting to take off. Up until then, I hadn’t seen my aircraft fly. They took off and I was in tears. That was six or seven years of my life in those planes. It was incredible to see.

Q What are some of the main ways project and programme management has changed since you began your career?

A Years ago, I found the profession to be quite exclusive of people who weren’t involved in construction. Now we know that project management is a transferable skill that can be used – and is used – in all industries. Other main changes have been concerned with people and technology. Initially we used machines like DEC VAX. Access was by booking a dumb terminal to input data or providing paper to be used to create punched tape. We received the output sometime later as mounds of paper, which were hard to analyse. With the advent of PCs, access was easier and results were obtained more quickly. Networking and email improved things further while bringing different problems – it was easy to set things up but harder to integrate. There has also been greater acceptance of the fact that people make projects. Recognition of this brought about changes in how project personnel were treated. The psychological environment on projects became warmer.

THIS ARTICLE IS BROUGHT TO YOU FROM THE SPRING 2023 ISSUE OF PROJECT JOURNAL, WHICH IS FREE FOR APM MEMBERS.