Profile

Tom Phalen

Lecturer in Engineering Leadership, PMP

Bio

Tom Phalen joined Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL) in July, 2015 after a 38 year career with Fluor, a Fortune 100 Engineering and Construction Company. He brings proven leadership and management skills to the Center, having led large multi-cultural and multi-discipline teams in executing projects. During his career at Fluor, he held a variety of positions including process engineer, department management, engineering management, project management and operations management. Throughout his career, he led teams varying in size from a few members to over 2,000 as General Manager of Fluor’s Houston office. He has served as a Project Director on large projects and has led teams that included multiple offices and cultures simultaneously. Mr. Phalen combines technical engineering expertise with experience in project planning and control, and as an RCEL member, he strives to bring learners the practical lessons learned from leading teams and managing people in today's global environment.