Rick Morris, an internationally known project management expert, recently joined Centric Consulting as its new Delivery Lead for the Enterprise Portfolio and Program Management (EPPM) practice.
DAYTON, OHIO – November 10, 2023 – Centric Consulting, an international business and technology consulting firm, has announced the appointment of Rick Morris as the company’s new National Delivery Lead. Morris will help Centric deliver its own EPPM solutions, and he will work with Centric clients to build or enhance their EPPM capabilities.
“I was looking for someone who was passionate about delivery as we expand our project management practice,” said Joyce Meyer-Warren, National Lead of Centric’s Enterprise Portfolio and Program Management (EPPM) practice. “Delivery excellence is rooted in Centric’s value of providing unmatched client experiences, and Rick is recognized internationally as an expert who can speak dynamically about the most important delivery challenges our clients face today.”
Meyer-Warren noted that Centric first interviewed Morris as a contractor, but she quickly realized his unique qualities.
“I could tell early on there was something special there,” she said. “He scored very highly with our team for fit and culture, and he knows the work and how to hire people. I knew he could understand and appreciate the beauty of a well-run project management practice.”
Meyer-Warren added that Morris — a self-described “project management evangelist” — will help build Centric’s project management capabilities at high-profile speaking events across the country, as well as working as a project management consultant and business development leader for the company.
“He knows how to represent Centric’s brand, and he has a tremendous ability to capture an audience’s attention with his story-telling skills,” Meyer-Warren said. “His stories often feature his strengths and experiences as a business owner in his own right. His connections with his clients are very important.”
Morris partners with Centric’s Delivery Excellence group to create and enhance Centric’s EPPM methodologies and delivery resources, shares knowledge about his own EPPM best practices and emerging trends, and provides coaching and direct hands-on support to Centric and client engagement team members. Morris said project management is in his blood. His father owned a successful software company that manufactured the first software for automating insurance claims. In 2006, Morris started his own business project management (BPM), EPPM, and business intelligence practice. He noted that BPM and EPPM represented about 80 percent of his business.
“We were successful because we went in with strategy first,” Morris said. “Most companies think implementing software will solve their project management issues. Instead, I used software implementations as the opportunity to come in and discuss real change. It allowed me to enhance their project management processes prior to implementing the software.”
In addition to his speaking career, Morris has written six books and launched several podcasts. His industry experience ranges from financial services, entertainment, and construction to non-profit, hospitality, pharmaceutical, retail, and manufacturing. He has also consulted with organizations such as GE, Xerox, and Computer Associates International (now Broadcom subsidiary CA Technologies) while consulting with numerous clients on more than 150 project and portfolio management and agile systems projects.
“I am excited about the opportunity to use my 15 years as a thought leader in this space and career of delivering successful projects to help build Centric’s brand as a premiere project management organization,” Morris said.