Learning to Lead from an Industry Veteran

Douglas King has spent more than 40 years focused on construction, design, healthcare planning, and regulatory compliance around the world, including the past five as healthcare sector vice president at Project Management Advisors Inc. (PMA), a national real estate advisory firm. 

This past year, students in Northwestern Engineering’s Master of Science in Project Management (MPM) program benefited from that experience. 

King played a key role in reshaping the program's two-quarter capstone course, helping refine 15 challenges based on actual projects he was involved with during his career. Each team of three or four students tackled a different challenge, researching solutions and developing a project management plan. 

The challenges ran the gamut from implementing intelligent building systems for an enhanced user experience at an urban zoo to navigating currency fluctuations for a billionaire's Mexican villa. 

“What excited me was watching the students grow in their knowledge and understanding of project management,” King said. “They were excited. They liked what they were learning and were willing to share it. They became engaged in a topic that is meaningful and current.” 

Other projects students worked on included implementing intelligent building systems for a corporation and exploring the feasibility of converting an unused pavilion at a children’s hospital into a revenue-generating restaurant.  

The practical nature of the projects resonated with students. Graduates’ feedback overwhelmingly reflected how projects involving actual situations have helped them build their careers.  

King recounted giving students an assignment related to fire-related regulatory matters in healthcare settings based on his experience co-chairing Chicago’s Building Code Modernization project. That project updated the Chicago Building Code in a wholesale manner for the first time in 70 years. 

“It was a big leap because none of the students were fire protection engineers,” King said. “They had to read a little bit about fire technology, active versus passive systems, a little bit of case history, and big fires that occurred. They got into it because it was a real situation, and updating the building code really did happen.” 

Beyond the technical skills, King sees immense value in the program’s international diversity. When students from the United States, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia come together, fascinating solutions emerge, he said.  

With this, MPM accurately reflects today’s globally connected business environment, according to King.  

As a co-instructor for the course, King regularly met with students to track their project progress and offer advice based on his own experiences. Several other PMA employees served as volunteer subject matter experts and met with student teams throughout the two-quarter class. 

"In both cases, students gained valuable experience working closely with industry professionals," capstone co-instructor Paul Beilstein said. "This allowed students’ research to become less of an academic exercise and more of a professional practice. By simulating real-world experience, the course now prepares students for their professional futures as life-long learners." 

As the program continues to evolve, King hopes to see even more industry involvement.  

“The margins of profitability with many of the companies that we're dealing with depend on good project management," he said. "This training that is taking place at MPM is invaluable.”