Artificial Intelligence, risk management and project decision making 12.00 pm — 1.00 pm AEST, 03 June 2026 Webinar Overview Almost all conventional project reporting—across industries and organisations—focuses on what is already known. It’s a break-fix model, often working against efforts to anticipate and avoid, new or unique problems. This is compounded by a dominant risk paradigm built on process-heavy approaches, simplistic tools, and opinion-based weak and often pseudo quantification. At the same time, we’re flooded with AI hype—bold claims, half-truths, and constant noise. Even experts struggle to keep up, so it’s no surprise most professionals do too. Yet this moment creates a real opportunity. Risk managers can become truly decision-relevant by leveraging AI for dynamic, evidence-based quantification—because in decisions under uncertainty, the odds matter! Combined with timely data driven insights and new workflows leveraging multiple AI models, this enables better decisions earlier, helping risk management truly deliver on its promise.  The catch? AI can’t be used well or responsibly without understanding how it shapes critical decisions—and why. This session cuts through the noise. It defines the problem for project-based organisations, explains AI fundamentals in plain language, highlights common technology pitfalls, and offers practical, low-risk heuristics to start applying it.Learning outcomesUnderstanding of why AI will make a fundamental difference to the risk management in projects Introduction to the different branches of AI, their strengths and weaknesses Awareness of common AI technology traps Practical heuristics to get the best out of AI and avoid the pitfalls. About the speakers Elena Zagorenko Senior Risk, Portfolio, and PMO Leader at BHP Biography Elena Zagorenko is a senior risk, portfolio, and PMO leader with a track record of establishing and leading high-performing enterprise PMOs across complex capital portfolios. In her industry roles she has been responsible for embedding fit-for-purpose governance, assurance, and risk management frameworks that enable disciplined decision-making under uncertainty. Her expertise spans portfolio-level risk integration, investment governance, and the design of control systems that link strategy, delivery, and assurance in highly constrained and dynamic environments.Elena is actively engaged in advancing the risk engineering profession through her work with the Risk Engineering Society (RES), where she focuses on strengthening the connection between theory and practice. She brings a pragmatic, systems-oriented perspective to risk management, grounded in real-world delivery experience and a commitment to improving how organisations anticipate, govern, and respond to uncertainty. She holds credentials including EngExec, GAICD, APX, and is a Fellow of IPMA Australia. David Porter Founder of Octant AI Biography David has over 25 years’ experience delivering complex infrastructure, building and rail programs across Australia and internationally. He founded and led a substantial project consultancy Ranbury (now RP Infrastructure/DCWC), growing it from a site-based startup into a large consultancy with a strong reputation in rail and major projects, before exiting in 2016. Taking a sabbatical, he completed an MSc in Major Programme Management at the University of Oxford (2016–2018), researching global best practice to improve the performance of major projects and portfolios. In 2018 he co-founded Octant AI, a deep-technology company emerging from collaboration with co-founder Cuong Quang and Oxford academics, applying machine learning and predictive analytics to improve project and portfolio outcomes. The objective of the Octant AI technology is to make a stepped sustainable improvement in on time, on budget performance for project based organisations in every industry, globally. David is internationally recognised for his work on applying AI to project-based organisations in both government and the private sector and has presented at conferences in the UK, US, Indonesia, Australia and the Middle East, His experience spans governance, project and commercial leadership, stakeholder management, delivery strategy, and building high-performing teams in high-stakes project environments. He also maintains a strong global network of infrastructure leaders and senior professionals. Dr Warren Black Secretary of Queensland Chapter of the EA, Risk Engineering Society Biography Warren is an established project & infrastructure risk specialist.He currently serves as the Queensland based, Risk & Resilience lead for KBR Global Engineering. He has demonstrable experience in shaping the risk strategies of some of Australia’s most iconic infrastructure programs.Warren holds a PhD in Risk Engineering and is a recognised thought leader in the complexity sciences and its’ application to infrastructure risk & resilience. He is also a governing member of Engineers Australia’s, Risk Engineering Society, an active industry collaborator, university guest lecturer and conference speaker. Warren brings deep knowledge as to the practical applications of Monte Carlo, probabilistic simulations in project risk management and planning.  DisclaimerAs Australia’s national body for engineering, we encourage robust discussion and debate about engineering issues facing Australia and the world. Engineers Australia involvement, sponsorship, organisation or promotion of an event should not be taken as endorsement or support by Engineers Australia of any views or opinions expressed or information provided, or an indication that Engineers Australia opposes or disagrees with any contrary views or opinions. Share this page Last updated 29 May 2026 Register Pricing OnlineMember: FreeStudent Member: FreeTechnical Society Member: $30.00Non-Member: $30.00 Registration close03 June 202601.15 pm AEST Maximum CPD hours 1 Event contact 1300 653 113 [email protected]