Stephen Taipala

About Stephen Taipala

Over my career I have found my strengths in leading teams with a diverse background to a common goal. These teams have supported large energy projects, detailed compliance audits, complex health care construction, and strategic process reviews. No matter the project, certain elements always are required - effective communication, clear expectations, understood responsibilities, collaboration, and leadership. In a management role, I have learned that leadership aspects can change with an emphasis on strategy as well as direction. Strategic emphasis is a balance of business requirements, success elements, professional growth, and metrics. I lean toward servant leadership as it is my personal and professional pride to see others succeed due to opportunities and influences provided or facilitated by me. I also believe a leader needs to do (or at least understand) the work being done. This helps with work load evaluations, technical discussions, respect, communication, and empathy. I enjoy leading technical contributors - utilizing my engineering background and experience base. I have a record of success in managing and mentoring employees, strategic planning and measurement, and controlling multiple projects with excellent organizational and communication skills.Specialties:Strategic PlanningProgram ManagementProject Management - large projects with significant stakeholder inputProject Controls expertRisk ManagementMetricsExecutive ReportingManagement/Supervision of staff and contractorsTeam LeaderMentoringTraining DevelopmentScheduling - Primavera P6; MS ProjectNERC ComplianceBid PreparationContract NegotiationBid EvaluationInterests:LogisticsCustomer InteractionLeadership positionsProject ControlsConstruction analysisConstruction claimsConstruction litigation

Experience

1. Manager

   Alliant Energy

   May 2025 — Present · Madison, WI, US

   Lead a multidisciplinary team supporting Strategic Capital Projects• Lead Project Controls in areas of Cost Analysis, Scheduling, Document Control, and Contract Administration to support a $12 billion capital generation program including thermal and renewable energy solutions, energy storage, and LNG.• Responsible for a team of 25 direct reports including workload management, utilization, development, and performance management.• Prepares project status and performance reports for the project director and/or construction manager as required. Attends planning, scheduling, progress, and cost review meetings, taking the lead in presentations, explanations, and discussions on topics related to project controls and interactions with stakeholders, contractors, vendors, and suppliers.• Establishes standards for measurements that all projects should adhere to and progress measurement methods for all levels of project.• Responsible for all communications related to project controls, including the development and determination of format, frequency, material, and audience for the communications.• Responsible for communicating with the project sponsor, project customers and other key stakeholders of the project. Review change requests and assess the performance of quantity take-offs for work installed.• Develops and maintains contractual requirements relating to Project Controls, reporting, and document control, including participating in both contract development and contract negotiations.• Responsible for Unifier system and integrated automations.• Ownership of federal funding procedures.• Ownership of SOX reporting.

Education

• Purdue University

  Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering

  1989 — 1994

Skills

• Risk Management
• Primavera
• Project Planning
• Smart Grid
• Power Generation
• Leadership
• Construction Management
• Electricians
• Risk Assessment
• Management
• Primavera P6
• Contract Management
• Scheduling
• Integration
• Cpm Scheduling
• Analysis
• Ms Project
• Energy
• Project Management
• Microsoft Project
• Engineering
• Project Estimation
• Process Improvement
• Project Control
• Budgets
• Process Scheduler
• Construction
• Staff Management