003 - Energy and People Building the Teams Behind Tomorrow’s Power Projects with James Wiseman

In this episode of The Major Project Podcast, host Orion Matthews sits down with James Wiseman, Major Project Capital Manager in the Energy Industry with 25 years of experience spanning Chevron, Tesla, Santos, and Alyeska Pipeline. Together, they explore the intersection of people and energy — how to deliver on the world’s exploding demand for power through smarter project execution, modern leadership, and new technologies.

James shares lessons from executing billion-dollar energy projects around the globe, from deepwater oil fields to Tesla’s lithium refinery. They discuss how traditional stage-gate project models are giving way to faster, more adaptive methods, how renewables like solar, geothermal, and battery storage are reshaping the industry, and why people — not processes — remain the ultimate key to success.

🎧 You’ll learn:

• How billion-dollar projects scale under today’s global energy crunch
• Why project execution models must evolve beyond the stage-gate approach
• The rise of lithium, geothermal, and long-duration energy storage
• How AI, modular construction, and manufacturing-style efficiency will define the next decade
• What leaders can do to inspire teams and shape project culture
• Career advice for the next generation entering the energy transition

🌍 Guest: James Wiseman — Major Projects Leader (Chevron, Tesla, Alyeska Pipeline)

🔗 Connect: LinkedIn – James Wiseman

Learn more at themajorprojectpodcast.com