Rob Leslie-Carter

Rob Leslie-Carter
Rob Leslie-Carter
Born	24 October 1970 (age 54); Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
Occupation	Architect
Awards	UK Association for Project Management awards 'Project Manager of the Year' 2003
Practice	Rider Levett Bucknall
Buildings	Laban Dance Centre, London; The Water Cube, Beijing

Robert Michael Leslie-Carter MICE, MAIPM (born 24 October 1970) is a British engineer and project manager with construction consultancy Rider Levett Bucknall. He was named 'Project Manager of the Year' at the 2003 UK Association for Project Management awards for his role leading the new Laban Dance School in Deptford, London. In 2008 he collected the 'International Project of the Year' awards from both the Australian Institute of Project Management and the UK Association for Project Management for managing Arup's design team on the Water Cube in Beijing.^[1]

In 2009 the Association for Project Management named him one of the top 10 project influencers in the world. The 'impact list' highlights individuals who have had the biggest influence on the project management profession – recognised for shaping major programs and projects and also for inspiring and motivating others in their profession.

In 2015 he was awarded the UK Building International Project of the Year award for his role on the New Acton Nishi development in Canberra,^[2] and the MCA Innovation Project of the Year award for his work on the Croydon Integrated Five Year delivery Plan with Croydon Council.^[3]^[4]

Project Management career

Leslie-Carter is a project manager with construction consultancy Ryder Levett Bucknall, having worked with Arup since graduating from Bristol University in 1992 until 2023.

From 1998 to 2002, Leslie-Carter was Client Project Manager for the Laban Dance School in Deptford, south-east London. He was named 'Project Manager of the Year' at the 2003 UK Association for Project Management Awards, for his leadership of the project. Designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, Laban also won the Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2003, the UK Royal Fine Arts Commission Trust Award, and a High Commendation at the British Construction Industry Awards.^[5] In 2008, five years after it opened, Laban was named Britain's most inspiring building by the Daily Telegraph.^[6]

Between 2003 and 2008, Leslie-Carter managed Arup's multi-disciplinary design team for the Beijing National Aquatics Centre (the Water Cube), for the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2008 Leslie-Carter collected the 'International Project of the Year' awards from both the Australian Institute of Project Management and the UK Association for Project Management for his role on the Water Cube. Working with PTW Architects, and CSCEC International Design. The Water Cube also won the 2004 Venice Biennale Architecture Awards, the Sir William Hudson Award at the Australian Engineering Excellence Awards, and the MacRobert Award – the UK's biggest prize for engineering innovation.^[7]^[8]

Between 2009 and 2012 Leslie-Carter led Arup's Project Management team on NewActon Nishi - ‘Australia’s most sustainable building’ and the centrepiece of Canberra’s award-winning NewActon precinct. Nishi was named International Project of the year at the 2015 UK Building Awards.^[9]

Selected Projects

Rob Leslie-Carter's major projects include:

Completed

In Progress

Published Academic Papers and Research

Future of Project Management^[13]
Leslie-Carter R and Zou P (2013) Business Relationship Development and Management in China – The Australia-China Investment Relationship Law, Governance and Policy
Leslie-Carter R and Zou P (2010) Lessons Learned from Managing the Design of the “Water Cube” National Swimming Centre for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games