Books by Michael Kaplan
What should govern the next commitment of capital?
Two coordinated volumes connect changing project evidence to delivery risk, financial exposure, and accountable executive decisions.
Available now on Amazon in Kindle and paperback.
Michael KaplanAbout the author
Michael Kaplan is a Senior Principal Program Manager at MAK CON and a U.S. Marine veteran. He builds delivery organizations, integrated plans, and financial controls across enterprise technology, cybersecurity, transformation, and capital projects.
He hires and develops staff, manages performance, and directs Project Managers, workstream leads, and site superintendents. His experience connects portfolio governance, funding, schedules, vendors, and operational readiness to clear delivery accountability.
He is the author of The Sentient PMO and the two-volume Forensic Capital Governance series, live now on Amazon.
Selected delivery experience
Independent project and program management practice. Selected career experience below includes consulting engagements, contract assignments, and employee roles.
Morgan Stanley Finance and Controllers
500 projects / $1B annual project spend
Led the design, build, and deployment of a $4.5M enterprise project portfolio management system for 400 users. Hired engineering talent and managed delivery specialists within a global team, giving Finance and Controllers visibility across the represented project portfolio.
Ameren
$25M utility cybersecurity portfolio
Led cybersecurity, identity and access management, privileged access management, and governance, risk, and compliance delivery and recovery. Ran Oracle funding and baseline reconciliation, monthly forecasts, labor and vendor cost controls, purchase-order and invoice reconciliation, accrual tracking, and variance reporting. Managed annual project initiation and closeout and $5M in cumulative scope and funding adjustments.
Home Depot Millwork Remodel Program
275 stores / estimated $30M program
Built the program PMO and delivery organization linking design approval, manufacturer and procurement coordination, scheduling, and field execution. Hired and managed planning and site leadership, including site superintendents, and contracted and organized 125 contingent field staff.
Pentagon Renovation Program
$5.3B program context
Created the master integrated schedule connecting construction, telecommunications, procurement, swing space, occupant moves, testing, and turnover. Hired and managed the scheduling team and integrated workstream dependencies in an occupied, mission-critical facility.
Current applied work / Project Mesquite
Project Mesquite applies the questions in Michael Kaplan’s books to a fictional 56 MW modular data-center commitment. It connects factory production, site construction, long-lead procurement, utility power and commissioning to the dates, financial exposure and decisions leadership must own.
Examine the Mesquite case →Ideas from the books
Explore how changing evidence, investment assumptions, and accountable decisions connect. The complete library contains eight practical explainers.
The delay between material evidence changing and accountable leadership recognizing what that change means.
Open brief →Why delivery status and investment quality are related—but not the same governing question.
Open brief →The explicit assumptions, expected outcomes, constraints, and value logic that made an investment reasonable.
Open brief →Selected writing
Essays connected to the ideas and production of the two volumes.
Contact Michael Kaplan
Houston-based and open to full-time senior project, program, portfolio, and PMO leadership roles across enterprise technology and capital projects, with relocation considered.
Book conversations, interviews, and professional correspondence are also welcome.
Email Michael directly or connect on LinkedIn.
michael@forensicgovernance.com