In the fast-paced world of construction, the role of capital program and project managers has never been more critical. Among these top-tier professionals, Wanqiu Chen stands out as a leading expert in construction consulting. With her sharp strategic vision and hands-on expertise, she consistently helps large-scale construction programs stay on track — safeguarding both her clients’ budgets and their reputations.
According to McKinsey, large construction projects are, on average, delivered 20% later than scheduled and exceed budgets by as much as 80%. In other words, nearly every second major construction project worldwide suffers from delays and cost overruns. These setbacks cost the industry billions annually, often stemming from a lack of strategic planning and efficient project management. This is precisely where experts like Wanqiu Chen make all the difference, helping clients navigate complex challenges and deliver successful outcomes on even the most ambitious undertakings.
What Does a Capital Program and Project Manager Do?
Far beyond the traditional project manager role, capital program and project managers oversee the entire lifecycle of major construction programs — from initial budget planning to final execution and closeout. Some capital programs are volume-heavy, including as many as 30,000+ projects. Managing multiple large-scale projects simultaneously, they orchestrate collaboration between contractors, architects, government agencies, and investors alike. The strategic insights of consultants like Wanqiu Chen dramatically reduce the risks of catastrophic delays and costly litigation.
Why are such specialists so highly valued? Simply put, they are rare. The role demands a unique blend of strategic thinking, financial acumen, and real-world experience managing complex, high-stakes construction initiatives.
A Strong Professional Foundation
Wanqiu Chen’s success is built on a robust educational and professional foundation. With degrees in construction engineering and an MBA, she combines deep technical knowledge with leadership excellence. She began her career in construction services at Greystar and later expanded her experience across roles in both project engineering and consulting. At Exponent, she has led multimillion-dollar capital programs for major utility clients, driving results through data-driven decision-making, stakeholder coordination, and advanced financial modeling. Her hands-on approach and leadership have helped deliver over $500M in electric distribution projects on time and under budget.
Since 2022, Wanqiu has been part of Exponent, a premier engineering and scientific consulting firm in the United States.
“I received 5 job offers by the time I graduated. I chose to come to Exponent because the scope of the projects they are supporting is larger than other companies. I know I want to manage large capital programs and projects in the future. Consulting – I enjoy my consulting experience at my MBA program at UIUC. I love working with clients and other consultants to solve hard problems.”
— Wanqiu Chen
Delivering Measurable Impact
Wanqiu Chen’s contributions to the field are both innovative and impactful. One standout achievement is her leadership in managing a $500+ million capital program for a large utility company. She developed a cutting-edge work-in-progress financial analysis model that improved capital expenditure forecasting accuracy by 20%. This model remains in use by a large utility company today and has been adopted as an example for other programs, offering granular cost tracking and dynamic forecasting capabilities.
At Exponent, she also implemented enhanced review processes that accelerated 30 urgent construction projects, saving a large utility company $24,000 and 240 labor hours. Perhaps most impressively, in 2023, her efforts to strengthen stakeholder engagement across more than 18,000 projects, develop data-driven processes, and implement advanced tracking tools (including Power BI dashboards, SQL built-in trackers) enabled her client to meet the wildfire risk reduction target of 48%.
Wanqiu also led a $110 million operational program, exceeding production goals by 8.5% and delivering the project with a minimal budget deviation of just 1% — an outstanding achievement by any industry standard.
Additionally, she managed a team of five consultants and a multi-million-dollar consulting contract, mentoring both her internal team and client stakeholders in advanced program management and financial modeling techniques.
“I am extremely organized on deliverables, timeline, and scope. In terms of people management, I make sure I provide the appropriate training and resources to my team members, and provide opportunities for them to grow and lead their own scope. I am proud to scale and spread my knowledge.”
— Wanqiu Chen
Impact On The Industry
What sets Wanqiu Chen’s approach apart? One of the most notable aspects of her work is the use of data-driven decision-making. As mentioned above, Wanqiu actively employs modern analytical tools to keep projects within budget and on schedule, while also responding effectively to potential risks. This not only helps reduce costs but also allows for quick adjustments when unexpected issues arise.
Wanqiu places particular emphasis on climate resilience. As the construction industry increasingly needs to account for climate change, Wanqiu implements innovative solutions that make projects both environmentally sustainable and long-lasting. These measures not only help minimize environmental impact but also significantly improve the long-term profitability of projects.
Furthermore, Wanqiu is actively fostering a culture of continuous process improvement at all levels. This enables faster construction work, resource savings, and better collaboration among all project stakeholders. In her practice, every stage of work, from planning to execution, is crucial. This approach helps avoid many common issues, such as delays and budget overruns.
Thus, Wanqiu Chen’s experience serves as an important example of how to tackle the current challenges facing the construction industry and elevate it to a new level. Her methods offer practical solutions that can serve as a benchmark for other professionals and companies in the industry.
An Industry Leader and Community Builder
Beyond her corporate accomplishments, Wanqiu Chen is deeply committed to advancing the construction management profession. She serves as President of the AACE International San Francisco Section, leading a team of five and organizing regular industry events that foster knowledge sharing and professional growth.
She is also an active member of leading professional organizations, including Western Energy Institute, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), and Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for business excellence.
Through these affiliations, Wanqiu not only reinforces her status as an industry expert but also helps shape industry standards, promote best practices, and cultivate the next generation of construction leaders on a global scale.
“Now, I want to scale my effort further by mentoring more consultants and junior program managers.”
— Wanqiu Chen
