Student Profiles
Peter Bennington
Chief Technology Officer - City of Stirling
Masters of Science (Project Management)
Why did you choose to come to Curtin?
I chose Curtin because I completed my under graduate degree at Curtin , excellent learning facilities and I liked the way Curtin balanced the learning of theory with the practical application of what is being taught. Curtin is on of the few Universities in Perth that offer a Masters in Project Management.
What did you think of your time at Curtin?
During my time at Curtin, I not only increased my knowledge and skills in the area of project management, but you also grow as an individual in terms of additional life skills such as growing your confidence and networking with a wide range of people from many different disciplines. The journey you go through at Curtin is just as important as the final destination.
What was the highlight of your degree? What did you enjoy most?
Completing a dissertation by course work was very satisfying. The dissertation was published by the Project Management Institute in their Project Management Journal. This resulted in increasing my profile in Perth and many invitations to present to industry on the results of my research – Benefits Management in IT Projects.
With the Project Management masters being generic in nature, you were exposed to a wide range of people across many different disciples and you actually learnt from these interactions
Please detail your career path since you graduated…
Since graduating I secured the role of Chief Information Officer for GESB which I held for 2 years. From there I moved to the City of Stirling as their Chief Technology Officer which I have held for the past 3 years. I manage their Corporate Information Services Business Unit with around 35 staff.
Do you think your degree helped you in your career path?
Having a Master’s qualification has no doubt further my career in senior management roles. Organisations are realising that using project management processes is the only way to accomplish strategy implementation consistently and successfully. Many of the projects that involve technology deliver tangible benefits and project management underpins the realisation of these.
What did you think of the staff at Curtin?
The staff at Curtin were well qualified and experienced in their area of expertise. Typically they were easily accessible outside of lectures and more than helpful in providing information and feedback on course work.
Would you recommend the degree to others?
If you work in projects, irrespective of your background, then the Masters of Science in Project Management is highly recommended as the course of choice to advance your career.