George Lowden

Background

About George Lowden

Well, hello there! I work in project and program management, where I try to live by Albert Einstein’s advice: “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.”Over the years, as a consultant, I’ve learned that rushing to answers is a great way to end up solving the wrong problem. So, I focus on defining challenges before attempting to fix them. Recall the saying:"Good landing, wrong airport." Once the problem is clear, then the fun begins.I’ve managed projects across industries, sizes, and levels of complexity—including the urgent and the “everyone is suddenly paying attention” kind. In ICF’s Project Management Office, I help colleagues launch and manage projects and programs, offering practical support grounded in real-world experience.I enjoy giving back to the profession. I'm Head of Delegation for the U.S. to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for project, program, and portfolio management standards. I chair the U.S. Technical Advisory Group through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) supporting these activities with our international counterparts.Along the way, I’ve had the opportunity to share my experiences—both good and not as good—through authoring papers and giving presentations at 20 or so national and international conferences. And if you’ve made it to the end of this profile, thank you.