1. Can you tell us a little about yourself? (Name, title, background)

My name is Kevin Giroux, and I am the Director of Projects at TTS. I started my TTS journey in 1998 immediately following graduating with my engineering degree. I spent the first 6+ years designing, installing, and commissioning TTS designed Turbine/Generator Controls and Auxiliary systems. After a short hiatus in a different industry, I returned to TTS for another 8+ years in senior and technical leadership capacities. 

In December of 2021 I returned to TTS for a third time as Director of Projects. The opportunity to return to TTS and set up a Project Management function was very timely. I was at a point in my professional career where the prospect of shifting from a predominantly technical leadership track to a project management track was very appealing to me. Although I have managed many projects over my professional career, I was always in an engineering role. I felt this was a natural progression and see my technical and leadership background as significant assets to my role as a Project Manager and a Director within the organization.

2. What does Director of Projects do at TTS?

The Director of Projects plays a critical role in ensuring that TTS’s projects align with our strategic goals, are executed efficiently, and deliver value to our Customers. My role requires a combination of strategic thinking, leadership skills, and an understanding of project management principles.

I am ultimately responsible for the scope, schedule, and budget of all projects that TTS is awarded. For TTS, a project is classified as having deliverables (i.e. engineering, documentation, hardware, software). 

Another key part of my role is to develop, maintain, and enforce project management processes and procedures that establish the guidelines for project initiation through closeout. These processes must work in lockstep with our Business Development processes to ensure a successful transfer of an opportunity from award to execution. Additionally, these processes integrate with our Engineering processes to define and manage expectations of all roles that contribute to the execution and closeout of our projects.

3. What are the 3 most important parts of your job?

Being a successful project manager involves a combination of skills and knowledge. The three (3) most crucial components for not only my success, but also the success of TTS, are:

Communication Skills – Effective communications are critical to the overall success of the project. This includes communication between myself and the rest of the execution team, between myself and my internal stakeholders, and between myself and our external Customers. It is important for me to foster a positive and collaborative environment that encourages open dialogue in both directions. Not only do I need to convey information, but I need to actively listen to my team and our Customer. 

Time Management – I manage numerous projects of varying sizes (both in budget and scope). This involves creating realistic project timelines, setting milestones, working closely with the Engineering project team, and monitoring progress to ensure that the projects stay on track.

Adaptability – We service several different industries, ranging from Power Generation to Oil & Gas to Pipelines to Space Exploration to Theme Parks, which requires me to adapt to a board range of Customers and Customer-types. In addition to being flexible with the way that I interface and manage our customer base, our project teams constantly demonstrate adaptability due to unforeseen challenges that naturally arise over the life cycle of a project. Being able to adjust plans and strategies in response to changing circumstances is a “trademark” of TTS and has allowed our Team to overcome obstacles and deliver results for our customers.

While these three components are essential, it’s important to note that successful project management involves a combination of various skills, including technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, and thorough domain knowledge of the industries that TTS services.

4. Is there anything particularly challenging you deal with in today’s business environment?  

At the project execution level, I would say that supply chain stability is still a significant challenge to our overall project success. Although deliveries for the equipment and components we specify in our designs have generally improved in the past twelve (12) months, there are still outliers on every project. The most challenging part is that component lead times and vendor reliability are not consistent project-to-project. Common I&C parts that we use across multiple projects often have vastly different deliveries, even if ordered in close proximity to one another. Additionally, the validity periods for quotations from our vendors and suppliers are much shorter in this post-COVID business environment. These variabilities introduce an additional layer of complexity to managing projects that affects not only myself, but also our Engineering department, Project Controls group, and our Operations team.

5. What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy making money for the Company and making a positive contribution to the overall success of TTS. In my role, I am perfectly situated to be a major contributor to TTS’s success. Success is truly a team effort at TTS; everyone has the opportunity to contribute to the success of their project, of their line of business, and to the organization as a whole. In my role, not only am I uniquely positioned to have a direct influence on the outcome of projects, but I am expected to. I enjoy having that level of responsibility placed on me. It keeps me focused on delivering results both to our customers as well as to the ownership of TTS. 

6. What do you enjoy most about working at TTS?

The people. TTS has always had a family feel for me. When I was in college, I worked part time at a small engineering firm for a couple of years. That company became a second family of sorts for me. When I was approaching graduation and looking to relocate to the southern part of the US, a key criterion for my first fulltime job was working for a company that would replicate that feeling. I interviewed for TTS with George (Gramatikas) and the conversation for the first 30-45 minutes of the interview had nothing to do with gas turbines or the position I was being considered for. We talked about everything else, which gave me valuable insight into the type of organization that TTS is. After I came on board, integrating into the workforce, the company, the culture was seamless. It was a very tight-knit group that supported one another in and outside of work. We worked hard and we played hard. That’s the way it was in 1998 and is still the way it is in 2024.

About TTS

TTS Energy Services (TTS) is the corporate parent for TTS Power and TTS Midstream. TTS provides engineering and construction expertise for the energy industry worldwide. The company’s long history and experience in providing technical solutions to global energy entities make it a leader in its field. TTS has successfully managed numerous power and compressor station modernization projects and supplied innovative and unique engineering solutions to challenging problems for our energy customers. Since 1983, their leadership and engineering teams have provided innovative technologies and engineered high-value solutions to over 450 clients worldwide.