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Alex Hurst

▸ Qualifications

Credentials that support delivery leadership

Professional qualifications that support programme and portfolio leadership practice — what each covers, why it matters at senior level, and how the knowledge relates to delivery work. In-progress pathways are labelled as such.

01

2026

APM Full Member (MAPM)

Association for Project Management

Covers

Professional membership recognising project and programme management competence against APM standards for ethics, practice and continuing development.

Leadership relevance

Signals commitment to professional standards expected of senior delivery leaders who set governance, assurance and organisational practice.

How it connects

Aligns with establishing delivery standards, assurance expectations and professional conduct across multi-programme portfolios.

02

2018

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Project Management Institute

Covers

Project lifecycle management including scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, stakeholder engagement and delivery integration.

Leadership relevance

Provides a common language for planning, controls and risk that underpins executive reporting and cross-functional delivery.

How it connects

Supports integrated scheduling, risk management, forecasting and the discipline of bringing complex deployments to controlled closure.

03

2019

Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Practitioner

AXELOS

Covers

Programme governance, vision and blueprint alignment, benefit realisation, tranche management and organisational change through related projects.

Leadership relevance

Relevant where multiple projects must be coordinated toward strategic outcomes rather than managed as isolated deliveries.

How it connects

Informs portfolio and programme structuring, governance forums and the link between delivery streams and business outcomes across multi-region infrastructure work.

04

2015

PRINCE2 Practitioner

AXELOS

Covers

Controlled project environments: stages, roles, product-based planning, exception management and management by exception.

Leadership relevance

Useful for establishing lifecycle controls, stage gates and clear decision ownership in complex delivery settings.

How it connects

Underpins stage-gate thinking, escalation thresholds and product/acceptance definitions used in infrastructure programmes from earlier career roles through to current portfolio delivery.

05

2022

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

IASSC

Covers

Process improvement methods focused on reducing variation, removing waste and improving process performance with structured problem-solving.

Leadership relevance

Supports continuous improvement of delivery systems where rework and inconsistency erode predictability.

How it connects

Complements the focus on repeatable deployment models and reducing unnecessary variation between programmes. It is not presented here as the sole cause of specific cycle-time outcomes.

06

2015

ITIL Foundation

AXELOS

Covers

IT service management fundamentals including service lifecycle concepts, operational readiness and the relationship between projects and live service.

Leadership relevance

Relevant for leaders responsible for handing infrastructure into operations without leaving ownership gaps.

How it connects

Informs operational readiness thinking, runbook and handover expectations, and the transition from project mode into production service.

07

2019

Microsoft Project Advanced

Microsoft

Covers

Advanced scheduling and controls using Microsoft Project for plans, dependencies, resource views and progress tracking.

Leadership relevance

Supports rigorous schedule construction and critical-path analysis when delivery confidence depends on dependency clarity.

How it connects

Aligns with integrated planning, dependency management and the schedule discipline required for multi-site infrastructure programmes.

08

2026–27

Chartered Manager

CMI Level 7 pathway

In progress

Covers

Strategic management and leadership development toward Chartered Manager status through the CMI Level 7 pathway.

Leadership relevance

Extends leadership and organisational capability beyond project controls into strategic management practice.

How it connects

Supports ongoing development in organisational leadership. This pathway is in progress and is not presented as a completed credential.