Custom AEC Project Management Development Programs Using the AEC PM Ecosystem

Like many firms, our team is technically strong, but stepping into a project management role requires a completely different skill set. We had tried internal training, but it wasn’t enough to prepare our team for the communication, negotiation, and client-facing responsibilities that drive project success.

EMI stood out because they understand our industry and don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. They worked with us to build a customized program that directly addressed our challenges.

Since the training, we’ve seen increased confidence in our project managers and heard firsthand how they’re applying these skills in real situations. Just as importantly, EMI made the entire process easy. They listened, understood our needs quickly, and delivered exactly what we were looking for.

It was a very positive experience, and I would highly recommend them.

As our firm grew and brought together people from many different backgrounds, we realized we needed to clearly define how project management worked at Lochmueller. Our PMs came from different companies and had each picked up pieces of project management along the way — so people could manage a project, they just each did it their own way. That made consistency hard and made training new PMs even harder. We needed a Lochmueller way of doing things, and we knew we needed a partner to help us build it.

What stood out about EMI was the personal connection and their ability to customize the program to fit our organization. This wasn't just some bootcamp. Instead of telling us how the industry does things, they took the time to understand how Lochmueller does things and built the content around our processes, language, and priorities. It felt like a program designed for us — which, for a firm that cares deeply about how we do the work, mattered.

Since implementing the program, our PMs are more aware of the processes and tools they should be leaning on — where before, they didn't always know what to be aware of. The structure has given our team a shared language and a clearer sense of how we want things done here. It's still a work in progress, as any cultural shift is, but we're making real progress, and our PMs now have the structure they've been looking for.

Overall, EMI has been a valuable investment in our people. The industry-wide perspective they bring — combined with their willingness to meet us where we are — is something we couldn't have built in-house. For any AEC leader on the fence: go for it.

During a period of rapid growth and multiple mergers, we realized we needed to clearly define what project management looked like across our organization. Like many organizations, project management responsibilities were broadly shared, though roles, expectations, and career paths were not clearly defined.

What stood out about EMI was the ability to customize the program to fit our organization. Instead of a one-size-fits-all training, the content incorporated our internal processes, language, and priorities, which made it immediately more relevant to our teams. Since implementing the program, we’ve seen project management concepts become part of everyday conversations, and our teams are more intentional about how they approach their work. We’ve also received strong feedback from participants who value the investment in their development and wish they had access to this type of training earlier in their careers. Overall, it’s been a valuable investment in our people and has helped us better identify and support our project managers as they grow.

As we began promoting more engineers into people management roles, we continued to invest in internal mentoring and development, while also looking for ways to reinforce and expand that support through structured external training.

In the past, we experimented with self-paced learning to supplement our internal efforts, but it was difficult to keep people aligned and consistently engaged. We wanted an approach that would integrate more seamlessly and create a shared experience for our team.

What stood out about EMI was how relevant the content is for engineering firms. The scenarios and discussions reflect real challenges our teams face, and the ability to tailor programs for both large groups and smaller cohorts made it easy to align content and format with our varying internal needs.

We partnered with EMI on both a larger group training for new managers, drawing on content from EMI’s Engineering Leadership Accelerator offerings, and a smaller leadership cohort built around guided discussions on EMI Leadership podcasts. The facilitated format made it easier for our team to stay engaged while keeping the time commitment manageable.

Since implementing this approach, we’ve seen stronger participation and more consistent engagement compared to previous supplemental efforts. Our managers are growing into their roles with more confidence, and EMI has been a valuable complement to our internal development strategy. It also reinforces to our team that we’re invested in their growth and long-term success.

Following a comprehensive internal training needs assessment, I partnered with Anthony Fasano and the team at EMI to design and deliver a custom leadership development pilot program. EMI created six focused modules based on the top ‘hot topics’ identified through the assessment, and the sessions—delivered in fall 2025 to our senior project delivery leaders—provided practical, immediately applicable leadership tools. I am happy to say participant feedback was very positive, and plans are in the works to offer the program again in 2026 and expand its impact to broader cohorts of project managers.

At Colliers Engineering & Design, our project management training had been division based. We'd offer a course here and a course there, and Different divisions were approaching it in different ways. We wanted a core project manager curriculum so the entire firm was working from the same framework. What made EMI different was that it wasn't a one-and-done training. The program is designed to be woven into day-to-day work, and participants apply what they learn to a real project they're working on, not a sample case. That's what makes it stick. It also lands differently coming from licensed professionals. Having licensed engineers teach the course, and work with our own licensed professionals to tailor it to our firm, made all the difference.

The feedback from our pilot cohort was so strong that we scheduled two cohorts this fall instead of the one we originally planned. There was that much interest, both from managers wanting their staff to go through it and from staff wanting to participate themselves.

Working with EMI has been truly collaborative. It's never been 'here are our offerings, this is what you get.' It's been 'let's figure out how to help you do what you're trying to do,' from the PM Development Program to building a masterclass that gives us a common project management language across the firm, to supporting our PM Essentials refresher series.

I've been through a lot of PM training over my career, and EMI's is the best I've found.