We are MicAyla
We’re passionate about making a difference. That means delivering better outcomes for our clients, helping our people to realize their potential, and doing our part to create a prosperous community.
We offer independent advice, safeguarding the commercial interests of clients embarking on investment programs across infrastructure and natural resources.
We absolutely love what we do, we are reliable, we take pleasure in helping our clients become successful, and we bring enthusiasm and commitment to every project we take on.
We are experienced
We are a worldwide team of consultants, engineers, construction workers, and data scientists all with one thing in common: we love to be challenged. Every day, we come to work to solve the complexity of the energy, chemicals, and resources sectors. Our teams have had and impact on some of the biggest in the industry.
Global capacity, local delivery
Canada
U.S.A
U.S. Virgin Islands
Bahamas
Angola
Egypt
Nigeria
U.A.E
Saudi Arabia
Oman
Qatar
Bahrain
Iraq
India
England
Scotland
Equatorial Guinea
Russia
Tanzania
Uganda
SME’s
Value
Experience
Solutions Oirented
Results Driven
Our leadership team
Born in East Africa Tanzania to an American father and a Tanzanian mother, Verniss grew up between Africa, Europe, and America, attributing to his independent world view and adaptive qualities.
Highlights of his education and work experiences that helped Verniss hone and strengthen his leadership and innovative skills, intuitive sensibilities and purposefulness include the following:
- Graduated with honors in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University. Member of the second oldest collegiate honor society in the U.S., the Tau Beta Pi.
- Worked with the leadership teams of the space shuttle and international space station divisions at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.
- Attended and completed the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class in Quantico, VA.
- He entered the marketplace as a project controls specialist for many large organizations, having impacts on projects in multiple sectors from Commercial to Infrastructure and Energy.
- He successfully led capital and turnaround projects around the world ranging in size from $40 million to $21billion.
His time in the role of Subject Matter Expert in strategic planning, scheduling, and productivity improvement enhanced his passion for driving successful projects. Inspiring him to develop multiple in-house solutions that saved organizations millions of dollars on projects and resulted in safe, on-time, and under budget completions.
Receiving his certificate on Disruptive Strategy from the Harvard Business School confirmed and improved his ability to safely and efficiently execute projects with higher productivity.
Drawing on all of his skills, experience and insights, Verniss has dedicated himself to providing services and solutions to organizations of all sizes. Helping them achieve their project development and business goals.
In his free time, Verniss enjoys traveling the world with his three beautiful daughters, riding motorcycles, jet skis, snowmobiles, and pretty much anything with a motor…
Thomas has 34+ years project management and project service and controls experience in various sectors, such as, the oil & gas. infrastructure, buildings, power, petro-chemical commercial construction industries. Hands on experience in all phases of EPC work from FEED through execution and close out. Contract administration, , scope development and execution. Experience in onshore and offshore. As well as upstream and downstream work. Field Construction experience compliments outstanding technical skills.
SME in Planning and Scheduling, Project Controls, Risk Analysis and Claim Mitigation. Experience writing and auditing Project Execution Plans (PEPs) and Procedures. Expert use of industry software including Primavera P6 and MS Project. PMI Cost Management REP.
Career Highlights:
Project Services/Controls /Manager on the following Oil & Gas major projects:
- Jazan ASU Project – Largest (6) Train Air Separation Units in the world. Jazan, KSA
- BP Plant Wide Modernization Project included (4) new units (Crude, Coker, Hydrotreater, SRU) ($10.2B). Whiting, IN
- Pipeline Crude Oil “C” Sunoco Oil
- (4) Simultaneous New LSG Units ($2.1B). USA
- (3) Simultaneous New Ultra-Low Diesel units ($900M). USA
- Regen Head Replacement & New COB Boiler, Marcus Hook PA
- Offshore Platform and Undersea pipelines replacement, Bahama Oil Co,
Schedule Risk, Cost Risk, and Claims Management assignments include:
- Defend claims for various clients in the Middle East.
- Defended Claims and Deposed as Expert witness on FPL Co-gen, Marcus Hook PA ($750M).
- Authored claim for a contractor for $3.6M, settled for $3.1M, Successfully Defended $20M delay claim on behalf of the owner on New Gas Oil Hydro Treater Unit ($1.2B).
- Negotiated $20M claim to $6.2M), Successfully Defended schedule delay claim on behalf of the owner on Mining & Metal: Phase 2 & 3 New Tunnel and Aluminium Smelter ($14 B) Terms Confidential.
Tom is always looking at the long term which is what you get when you’ve spent a lot of time working in corporate strategy. Tom studied Law at Bournemouth University before heading into financial services where he started working as a project manager. After a few years of working in change, Tom moved into corporate strategy focusing on market analysis, strategic vision, and trend analysis before moving on to work on a number of M&A deals.
Tom has worked on a number of M&A deals ranging in size from a few million pounds all the way up to £1 billion. During M&A deals Tom’s expertise and focus are on commercial due diligence and the creation of the long-term strategic direction of the business. Tom has particular expertise in exploring macro trends and understanding how that influences the long-term strategy and vision.
In his spare time, Tom set up the record label Saint November which he ran until 2018. In that time he worked with a range of artists and released the Grammy award-winning album ‘Ellipse’ by Imogen Heap, bringing the album to vinyl for the very first time. He also negotiated multiple licensing deals with major record labels such as Warner and Sony Music. Most recently Tom has been completing his MBA at Cranfield University and exploring what the upcoming revolution in the electrification of transport means for the future of how we travel.
Caroline has over 27+ years experience, with 15 years as a Project Controls Professional developing and implementing cost controls in capital programs and projects, with an emphasis in the oil and gas industry. Extensive experience in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), and the downstream sector. Developed Estimate to Complete/Estimate at Completion workbook to forecast project at completion performance. A recipient of a Core Innovative award and an Outstanding employee performance. Provide constant Mentorship to the Cost Control team.
Career Highlights:
- Senior Project Cost Controller for BASF: Responsible for cost control process on various large capital projects through detailed engineering and the construction phase of the project. Prepare, maintain project cost forecast, and proper variance explanation for the root cause analysis. Prepare Work Breakdown Structures, Cashflow, and preparation of project cost reporting.
- Lead Cost Engineer for BP-Husky: Responsible for project cost forecast, Work Breakdown Structures, Benchmarking, Cashflow, Management of Change tracking, Finance, Procurement & Supply Chain Management Interface, and Project Reporting on projects more than half a billion dollars.
Projects include Crude Processing Metallurgical Upgrade to safely enable increased capacity of Hi-TAN crude, feed optimization for the Desalters, and installation of a new FCC Naphtha Post Treater at the BP-Husky Refining LLC (BPH) Toledo Refinery in order to meet the US EPA Tier 3 gasoline regulations. - Lead Cost Engineer at BP GOM Thunderhorse Offshore Water Injection (Worley Parsons): A BP brown field project on water injection efficiencies on the Thunder horse platform. Where she was responsible for EPC cost reporting and forecasting, management of project change control, WIP /VOWD, internal financial reporting to Worley Parsons.
- Project Controls Lead at BP Thunder Horse & BP Atlantis (FMC Technologies Inc) :FMC managed BP projects in the GOM for subsea production system; Scope included subsea trees, manifolds, pressure cap, and completions services to BP.
A result driven professional Director with over 18+ years of experience in Account Management, Project Management, Project Controls, Engineering, and Business Development. Experience in all phases of projects from concept phase, FEED, detail design thru execution to commissioning, start-up and operational support in Oil & Gas sector and Commercial Construction.
Twice selected for Global Leadership Training programs and been guest speaker at multiple energy sector conferences.
Career Highlights:
Strategic Accounts Director-IOC
- Develop and maintain business client relationships for strategic accounts in Iraq (BP, Shell, Lukoil), Oman, Egypt and Qatar.
- Achieved 20% increase in sales and exceeded targets 3 years in a row.
- Developed and carried a focused Digital Transformation, Asset & Energy Optimization, and Shutdowns/Turnarounds message to IOC accounts.
- Develop account plans for strategic accounts and identify new opportunities.
- Develop account plans for strategic accounts and identify new opportunities.
- Set up strategies for the pursuit of major IOC strategic accounts.
- Interface with all external and internal stakeholders.
Senior Program Manager / Strategic Account Lead
- Independently lead programs and contracts ($5M+) of moderate to high complexity and risks for BP, Shell, and Lukoil.
- Overall accountable for project scope, deliverables, cost, profitability, schedule, quality, and resources.
- Interfaced with the internal project teams, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
- Managed cross-business unit orders and resolve business issues for IOC accounts in Iraq.
- Developed and maintained business client relationships for strategic accounts.
Michael Songer is an investment professional with over 30 years of experience. Prior to turning his attention to private equity, he founded and managed Chicago based Spectrum Asset Management LLC, a research driven alternative investment advisor specializing in managed futures and currencies. He developed computerized trading systems used to trade nearly every liquid global futures and forward market 24 hours a day. Spectrum managed $300 million and Spectrum’s clients included top tier banks, fund of funds, family offices and wealthy individuals from around the world. Spectrum’s management and research team included investment professionals with many years of experience and diverse backgrounds ranging from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to quantitative finance and aerospace engineering.
Michael’s career started in 1988 after graduating from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts with a B.A. in Economics. He immediately went to work for Kidder Peabody & Co. in Boston as a stockbroker. After a few years, his interest in commodities and trading system development brought him to Chicago where he went to work on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and eventually ran Pacific Rim trading for two of Chicago’s most famous and successful commodities trading advisors. After years of research, Michael put the finishing touches on his multi-model, multi-market trading program and with the backing of a well-known Chicago investor, founded his own investment firm in 2001.
Between his time on the trading floor and managing a trading desk, he also spent a few years working in his family’s business. Michael’s family owned foundries in Milwaukee and Racine Wisconsin that manufactured brass, bronze, aluminum and stainless-steel castings. The foundries served the pump, aerospace, medical, defense and many other industries. His experience at Kramer International and Alloy Casting Company exposed him to a wide variety of industries and manufacturing processes.
Michael currently resides in Chicago’s Northwest suburbs with his wife and two kids.
In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, diving and spending time with his family riding their horses.
A native of Scotland, Stephen has spent his entire 35+ year career in the Energy Industry. Spending 4 years as an apprentice Fabricator and Welder in the largest construction yard in the country he went on to experience time in the Safety, Metallurgical Laboratory, Materials Management, and Dimensional Control departments before entering into Project Controls as a Planner.
From there he built a reputation and a career leading teams and business and holding P+L responsibility in new ventures. Stephen’s experience spreads across 4 continents and ranges from EPC contractors to Consultants to Operators. He has skills ranging from Project Controls, Planning & Scheduling, Estimating, Qualitative and Quantitative Risk Management to Economics, Contract Management, Claim Defense, and Training.
Career highlights include:
- Developing contracting strategies for major projects and services which included win-win continuous improvement incentives
- Negotiating multi-million-dollar savings on contractor change proposals
- Taking EPC contractor through 200% growth as head of 150 strong function
- Starting a consultancy division and turning over $multi million within 12 months returning 30% margins
- Improving staff retention 6-fold as head of project services function
- Multiple major ($b+) project experience internationally (Elf Elgin Franklin PUQ, BP Mad Dog and Holstein, Shell Fram, Apache Ness Nevis, Lloyds Energy Near Shore FLNG)
- Extensively experience in stage gates and associated governance processes
- Developing economic return models on $multi billion project interfacing with big 3
- Investor interface and data room build and management
- Successful distressed project intervention, regaining partner confidence and accurately predicting project cost and schedule outcome
- Developing a graduate & trainee program, launching over 100 careers
Stephen is an enthusiastic personnel developer and enjoys bringing the best out of the next generation of professionals.
In his spare time, Stephen enjoys his family, Scotch, reading, music, his football team, and his Alfa Romeos.
Mike brings 40+ years of Management experience in Construction, TAR, Capital, and Megaproject integration. Former, Manager, Construction OSBL for Chemical Growth Project and a Construction Manager on the Polyethylene project at the Motiva Port Arthur Facility. (Projects put on hold by Motiva). Major Projects Construction Manager for Andeavor / Marathon for new NDU Unit at Mandan and Renewable Diesel project at Dickinson Refinery. Deputy and/or Construction Director for the 6 years multi-billion $$ BP Whiting Refinery Modernization Megaproject. Led as TAR Event Manager or TAR SPA, numerous Turnarounds, Capital Projects, and Engineering. Acted as Inspection Supervisor and Inspector activities throughout my early years at BP.
Career Highlights Include:
- Design safety into construction aspects to optimize safety across all my jobs.
- Utilize a Global vs. Silo perspective which allows the sight to periphery vs. just focused only options.
- Great communicator/listener that integrates team to act as one to develop and work their plan.
- Critical problem solving and solution options development due to experience in Inspection, TAR, Construction, Project, and Megaproject environment.
- Tireless worker dedicated to producing extraordinary results.
- Managed teams of different sizes dependent upon the situation or need.
- Led monthly tripartite meeting with Building Trades Business Agents and Construction management and awarded ‘Excellence in Owner Leadership Award’ at NWIBRT, Northwest Indiana Business Roundtable during WRMP megaproject.
- Presented the 12 PS Transitional Outage Story at the Lean Construction conference in Houston 2014.
- Capital Projects Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Construction and Demolition
Part of BP Peer reviews teams providing expertise and cold eyes feedback for Whiting, Texas City, Toledo, Cooper River, Carson, and Bulwer Island, Australia, and recently for Tesoro LA refinery.
George is a licensed PE with over 39 years of experience in the Mining and Oil & Gas industries. In his role as construction manager for Chevron, he was responsible for overseeing the success of multiple fabrication and manufacturing companies supplying to the refinery. This included process, procedures, performance, and capability improvements.
George helps teams, both large and small, address complex production, maintenance and supply chain management issues by providing guidance in the development of sustainable work processes and solutions.
Career Highlights Include:
- Construction Manager at Chevron: Responsible for the safe, efficient construction of the Retrofit Project. Set up a work tracking and management system to assign, follow, approve, and report on field construction activities including work performed, inspections performed. Tracks work on an asset level so that a complete construction history can flow seamlessly to maintenance.
- Supervise and Mentor the Salt Lake Small Projects Group – Utilize Chevron project execution tools, when appropriate, to manage the Small Capital Portfolio of the Salt Lake Refinery. Became the go-to group for getting results the right way.
- Project Manager – Utilize the CSOC and Project Management processes, implemented capital and expense projects including
- Safety – Successfully developed and implemented numerous safe work practices and JSA’s for the maintenance department.
- Maintenance Management – Administer labor contract with the United Mine Workers of America. Developed KPIs and tracking tools for safety, maintenance, productivity, and availability.
- Supervision – Manage the maintenance department with 67 employees including 6 direct reports, 6 indirect, and 61 represented employees.
- Accomplishments include a 6% increase in major equipment availability while meeting OPEX requirements.
- CMMS – Implementing a computer maintenance management system to track maintenance history, availability, and failure modes and effects analysis.
o Implemented a systems integration project that gathered data from the financial system, CMMS system, and dispatch system and created custom reports for multiple business processes. Generated custom data entry screens to streamline business processes. Uses could view near real-time operations, cost, and maintenance data on demand. - Provide technical assistance to other departments including safety, engineering, operations, and finance.
- Operational Excellence Sponsor and Advisor for various Reliability and Efficiency processes.