PM Point of View

Where do projects go wrong? What tendencies or approaches of Project Managers are NOT helpful to executives? What do they want their PMs to focus on more? How can PMs move up the ladder? In the second part of our 2-part series from the C-Suite, we get the scoop directly from a group of executives, representing a wide swath of enterprises.

Listen, learn, and get a free PDU!

PDU Information

Use the following information in PMI's CCRS system to register the PDUs for this podcast:

• PDU Category: Online or Digital Media
• Provider Number: 4634
• Activity Number: PMPOV0082
• PDUs for this episode: 1

About the Speakers

Jeffrey Goldman is the CEO of GoldSentinel, which he founded in 2015 to address the growing need for better decision making through insight discovery. Prior to his current position, Jeffrey launched and led GoldBot Consulting, Inc., growing the company to a thriving multi-million dollar software development and analytic business.

Tom Klaff is a passionate entrepreneur and angel investor who has founded, led and sold six technology startups over a 25-year career. He is currently co-founder and CEO of Revolution Cooking, LLC, a technology platform company that designs, markets, and sells high-speed cooking appliances powered by its proprietary InstaGlo™ Fast Heating System.

Ken Loy has been CEO at Hensoldt, Inc. since its inception in 2018. As a Defense Industry veteran, Ken led engineering development programs and business development accounts for Lockheed Martin Corporation, Engility Corporation and Georgetown University.

Jeff Mascott is CEO at Adfero, a communications agency with an entrepreneurial mindset. Prior to launching Adfero, Jeff co-founded Fireside 21, a leading provider of CRM and web services to the U.S. Congress. He formerly led digital strategy for Congressman J.C. Watts, Jr., Chairman of the House Republican Congress.

Erin Pitera is the CEO of FMP Consulting, a strategic management consulting firm that delivers evidence-based workforce and organizational management solutions. As CEO, Erin Pitera provides strategic leadership and direction over FMP's organizational performance by driving long-term business growth and providing exemplary client service.

Jeff Powell is the CEO of Strongbridge LLC, a government IT services provider. Mr. Powell has over 30 years of experience in government contracting, having led both small and large businesses in bidding, winning, and operating IT infrastructure and software development projects.

Pat Sheridan is co-founder and Managing Partner of Modus Create, a global consulting firm that helps global 1000 businesses accelerate their digital transformation. Founded in 2011, Modus Create has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States for the past five years in a row.

Trevor Willby founded T-Rex in 1999 with a focus on long-term value creation powered by successful client delivery and employee successes. T-Rex Solutions is a proven mid-tier business, delivering next generation IT solutions for large enterprise transformation and modernization Cloud based efforts.

Steve Williams is president of Pentagon Strategies, LLC. He has decades of experience in defense and aerospace, and is an expert in global teaming, multi-national programs, and government-industrial relations. As a CEO, Steve grew a private Transatlantic company to qualify as a top 100 global defense firm and named the F-35 Fighter Aircraft Supplier of the Year.

Covid-19 has changed the way we operate on every level, including how we manage projects. It has made clear the fragility of our reality, and the fancy dancing required, not only to survive, but to move forward constructively. In the 4th and last episode from our series highlighting presentations from UMD's 2020 Project Management Symposium, we focus on the leadership skills and approaches that are needed in today's volatile, fast-shifting environment.

To listen to all the symposium presentations in their entirety, you have until April 2021 to register for the 2020 UMD Project Management Symposium. Go to pmsymposium.umd.edu/pm2020

Listen, learn, and get a free PDU!

PDU Information

Use the following information in PMI's CCRS system to register the PDUs for this podcast:

• PDU Category: Online or Digital Media
• Provider Number: 4634
• PDU Claim Code: 4634YQTYGS
• Activity Number: PMPOV0081
• PDUs for this episode: 1

About the Speakers

Steven Gruyters partners with visionary leaders to design and deliver enterprise transformation initiatives geared towards speed, flexibility and maximum business value. He has been breaking down silos between business and technology organizations for over 20 years. He is currently booting up ZZEE Partners, focused on optimizing how people work together to unlock their potential.

Dr. Al Zeitoun is a business optimization and operational performance excellence leader with global experience. He has worked with leading organizations, developing Enterprise Digital Transformation and Program Management Offices; guiding systematic methodology implementations, and executing complex missions and programs across diverse industries and cultures.

Harry Zolkower has spent over a decade as professional project manager, with many years of expertise in IT and all sectors of business, both public and private, for-profit as well as nonprofit. He is currently a project manager for Acumen Solutions, a consulting firm that specializes in Salesforce project implementations.

What do executives want from their Project Managers? What are their expectations? What do they like about how PMs work? What do they not like? In this first of two episodes covering the Executive Point of View, we talk to 10 executives from a wide spectrum of businesses - software, kitchen appliances, construction, defense, etc. - to find out what it is that executives value in their PMs.

Listen, learn, and get a free PDU!

PDU Information

Use the following information in PMI's CCRS system to register the PDUs for this podcast:

• PDU Category: Online or Digital Media
• Provider Number: 4634
• PDU Claim Code: 4634C7VD5A
• Activity Number: PMPOV0080
• PDUs for this episode: 1

About the Speakers

Roger Collison is the CEO of Beracah Homes in Greenwood, Delaware. With over 17 years experience, first as VP, then President, now CEO, Roger has learned much about the construction industry. His focus has been on developing LEAN initiatives as well as DOE Energy Certifications.

Jeffrey Goldman is the CEO of GoldSentinel, which he founded in 2015 to address the growing need for better decision making through insight discovery. Prior to his current position, Jeffrey launched and led GoldBot Consulting, Inc., growing the company to a thriving multi-million dollar software development and analytic business.

Tom Klaff is a passionate entrepreneur and angel investor who has founded, led and sold six technology startups over a 25-year career. He is currently co-founder and CEO of Revolution Cooking, LLC, a technology platform company that designs, markets, and sells high-speed cooking appliances powered by its proprietary InstaGlo™ Fast Heating System.

Ken Loy has been CEO at Hensoldt, Inc. since its inception in 2018. As a Defense Industry veteran, Ken led engineering development programs and business development accounts for Lockheed Martin Corporation, Engility Corporation and Georgetown University.

Jeff Mascott is CEO at Adfero, a communications agency with an entrepreneurial mindset. Prior to launching Adfero, Jeff co-founded Fireside 21, a leading provider of CRM and web services to the U.S. Congress. He formerly led digital strategy for Congressman J.C. Watts, Jr., Chairman of the House Republican Congress.

Erin Pitera is the CEO of FMP Consulting, a strategic management consulting firm that delivers evidence-based workforce and organizational management solutions. As CEO, Erin Pitera provides strategic leadership and direction over FMP's organizational performance by driving long-term business growth and providing exemplary client service.

Jeff Powell is the CEO of Strongbridge LLC, a government IT services provider. Mr. Powell has over 30 years of experience in government contracting, having led both small and large businesses in bidding, winning, and operating IT infrastructure and software development projects.

Pat Sheridan is co-founder and Managing Partner of Modus Create, a global consulting firm that helps global 1000 businesses accelerate their digital transformation. Founded in 2011, Modus Create has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States for the past five years in a row.

Trevor Wilby founded T-Rex in 1999 with a focus on long-term value creation powered by successful client delivery and employee successes. T-Rex Solutions is a proven mid-tier business, delivering next generation IT solutions for large enterprise transformation and modernization Cloud based efforts.

Steve Williams is president of Pentagon Strategies, LLC. He has decades of experience in defense and aerospace, and is an expert in global teaming, multi-national programs, and government-industrial relations. As a CEO, Steve grew a private Transatlantic company to qualify as a top 100 global defense firm and named the F-35 Fighter Aircraft Supplier of the Year.

Scrum with distributed teams. Agile in a traditionally non-Agile environment. Project Management in the time of Agile: is it still relevant? These are the topics we cover in the third episode of our series from the 2020 UMD Project Management Symposium. Listen to highlights from the three presentations, along with follow-up interviews with the presenters.

Listen, learn, and get a free PDU!

PDU Information

Use the following information in PMI's CCRS system to register the PDUs for this podcast:

• PDU Category: Online or Digital Media
• Provider Number: 4634
• PDU Claim Code: 4634ASFWPF
• Activity Number: PMPOV0079
• PDUs for this episode: 1

About the Speakers

Christine Brennan Schmidt has worked at the American Chemical Society for approximately 27 years. She has managed education programs and two textbook projects. In 1999, she made the jump to technology. She has worked on technology-based projects and products in positions within IT and Membership divisions. She currently has a wide variety of functions, including project manager for various department-led initiatives, product owner for a social collaboration platform, consultant on various enterprise-wide projects, and staff liaison to a governance committee.

JJ Sutherland is the CEO of Scrum Inc., a consulting and training firm that uses Scrum to rapidly deliver results in companies across the globe. He is the author of The Scrum Fieldbook: A Master Class on Accelerating Performance, Getting Results, and Defining the Future, and coauthor of Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time, written with his father, Jeff Sutherland, the co-creator of Scrum.

Richard Wyatt has worked across the globe in UK, US, Australia and Indonesia delivering projects of growing size and complexity. He recently spent nearly five years as Director of Strategic Programs at TIAA, a leading Financial Services provider. During his career he has observed project managers struggle, as the size of their projects increase, and has researched and articulated the skill set required to be successful.

How can you manage a groundbreaking innovation project when you are surrounded by auditors and compliance- and risk-managers? And how can you ensure that what you deliver will truly benefit the organization and its stakeholders? Two presentations from University of Maryland's 2020 Project Management Symposium describe the pitfalls and offer solutions to both these questions. Richard Wyatt of TIAA talks about "The Project Management of Innovation," and Shane Perkins of Aurelius Group in Australia covers "Project Tricksters and Frauds: Why Benefits Realization Practices Matter." Host, Kendall Lott, conducts in-depth follow-up interviews with both presenters. To check out the complete presentations at UMD's 2020 Project Management symposium, go to https://pmsymposium.umd.edu/pm2020/ Listen, learn, and get a free PDU! PDU Information

Use the following information in PMI's CCRS system to register the PDUs for this podcast:

• PDU Category: Online or Digital Media
• Provider Number: 4634
• PDU Claim Code: 4634Q4IZ6Q
• Activity Number: PMPOV0078
• PDUs for this episode: 1

About the Speakers:

Shane Perkins is a disrupter and thought leader, making a dramatic impact in the world of benefits realization. With over a decade devoted to the application and development of benefits practices, his contemporary approach has now been successfully deployed to hundreds of projects valued at some $3 billion of investment capital.

Having previously headed the portfolio and program practice for a leading listed company, extensive big four consulting experience, and successfully leading programs and projects into Australia's major businesses and across government, Shane challenges conventional thinking.

Richard Wyatt is the Director of Strategic Programs at TIAA, a leading Financial Services provider. He has worked across the globe in UK, US, Australia and Indonesia delivering projects of growing size and complexity. He currently manages projects with budgets in excess of $100m. During his career he has observed project managers struggle, as the size of their projects has increased. Richard has researched and articulated the skills set required to be successful.

Ever since COVID-19 swept the globe, our world has shifted, and that includes the world of Project Management. A panel of digital project managers talks about the changes they have noted already and what they envision for the future vis-à-vis project environment, tools, and ways of meeting, collaborating and doing business. The possibilities are limitless and a brave new world awaits the Project Manager who is bold enough to seize the opportunities this moment affords. AI, Virtual Reality, meetings beyond Zoom, collaboration tools and ways of rethinking how and why we operate the way we do are covered in this episode.

Listen, learn, and get a free PDU!

PDU Information

Use the following information in PMI's CCRS system to register the PDUs for this podcast:

• PDU Category: Online or Digital Media
• Provider Number: 4634
• PDU Claim Code: 4634A9I92P
• Activity Number: PMPOV0077
• PDUs for this episode: 1

About the Speakers:

Ben Aston is a digital project manager and founder of thedigitalprojectmanager.com. He's been managing projects in the digital world for more than 15 years, working at London's top digital agencies including Dare, Wunderman, Lowe and DDB. He's delivered everything from film to CMS', games to advertising and eCRM to eCommerce sites. He's been fortunate enough to work across a wide range of great clients; automotive brands including Land Rover, Volkswagen and Honda; Utility brands including BT, British Gas and Exxon, FMCG brands such as Unilever, and consumer electronics brands including Sony.

Arianna Harrison has over 15 years experience as a technical project manager, and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. In her current role as Director of Technical Operations at Firewood Marketing, she leads technical project management, serving clients such as Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn. She specializes in delivery of complex CMS and e-commerce platform implementation projects, and has served clients in a wide variety of industries. However, her most rewarding work comes from mentoring other project managers.

Galen Low is a client services professional and Agile delivery specialist based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For the past 11 years, he has been architecting and implementing human-centered digital solutions for clients in government, healthcare, transit, transportation, and retail. Galen has held roles in project management, business development, and leadership within boutique agencies as well as large consultancies. Currently he is an editor at thedigitalprojectmanager.com, an online community for project managers working in digital industries.

This episode, the first in a series featuring highlights from University of Maryland's 2020 Project Management Symposium, focuses on culture and the importance of fitting in. We examine the hiring process, and maintaining a culture designed to retain top-notch staff. We also learn about a unique approach to stakeholder management. By observing organizational culture through an ethnographic lens, PMs can detect patterns and probabilities, and address potential gaps before they become serious roadblocks to project success. Host Kendall Lott delves deeper into these topics with the presenters from the UMD Symposium. Listen, learn, and get a free PDU! PDU Information

Use the following information in PMI's CCRS system to register the PDUs for this podcast:

• PDU Category: Online or Digital Media
• Provider Number: 4634
• PDU Claim Code: 46345J2V33
• Activity Number: PMPOV0076
• PDUs for this episode: 1

About the Speakers:

Nikola Ivanov serves as the Director of Operations at the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Laboratory (CATT Lab) where he manages operations and technical development, and oversees every aspect of software implementation from conception to deployment.

He has extensive experience with big data and information visualization, focusing on translation of data into actionable information. Over the last 15 years, Nikola has worked with state and federal agencies to build situational awareness tools for transportation operations and safety, emergency management, and security applications, using big data.

Wendy Wickham, MA, MS, PMP, has spent over 20 years in the IT implementation trenches as an educator and project manager. Her projects have ranged from early EHR implementations to enterprise-level Unified Communications installations, and she specializes in Learning Ecosystem architectures. Wendy holds a Masters in History from the University of Georgia and a Masters in Instructional Technology from Towson University.

To listen to these presentations in their entirety, you have until April 2021 to register for the 2020 UMD Project Management Symposium. Go to pmsymposium.umd.edu/pm2020.

The 9/11 boat lift in New York City and the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-56 were both hugely successful projects, with important lessons for Project Managers. The leaders did speedy but effective planning and set clear goals. They hit all the milestones, and adapted as they went along. They communicated effectively and strategically. They were alert to risks and responded swiftly and decisively. In this episode we hear from two project managers who have studied these historic events through a project lens.

Listen, learn, and get a free PDU! PDU Information

Use the following information in PMI's CCRS system to register the PDUs for this podcast:

• PDU Category: Online or Digital Media
• Provider Number: 4634
• PDU Claim Code: 4634SUUQ11
• Activity Number: PMPOV0075
• PDUs for this episode: 1

About the Speakers:

Mike Hannan is a leading-edge thinker and renegade who believes that we all must do more to unleash our boundless potential and solve increasingly complex global issues. He envisions a community-centric, expert-guided "power-to-the-edge" solution to most of these issues. He is a frequent speaker at annual corporate conferences, PMI events, and in the Agile & DevOps communities, with extensive experience coaching & training portfolio executives, PMO leaders,and PMs, and is lead author of the best-selling book, The CIO's Guide to Breakthrough Project Portfolio Performance.

Shaun M. Simms, PMP, SAFe, PMO-CP, CSSGB, constantly seeks to find an individual's strength to empower them, and in the process improve organizations. An award winning project manager with a portfolio over $1B, his favorite projects are those that bring equity to our society. He is intrigued by the power of projects to change the world, and the unity it can bring teams. Shaun is currently on the Board of Directors for PMI Metro St. Louis, and the Advisory Board for Missouri State University's CX Certification.

An effective Project Manager can't be stuck in a pre-established plan. You have to be able to re-route in response to current circumstances and developments. To make good decisions, you must have a complete understanding of the organization's culture, as well as the broader strategic purpose behind the project.

In this episode, three experienced PMs discuss effective communications strategies, the benefits of establishing a PMO (Project Management Office) within an organization, and the Indispensable Project Manager.

Listen, learn, and get a free PDU! PDU Information

Use the following information in PMI's CCRS system to register the PDUs for this podcast:

• PDU Category: Online or Digital Media
• Provider Number: 4634
• PDU Claim Code: 46346VWA7W
• Activity Number: PMPOV0074
• PDUs for this episode: 1

About the Speakers:

Janet Burns, PMP, has been in the project management field for over 20 years. She is president of JB Worldwide, a project management consulting and training firm, specializing in PMO development and maturity improvement. Janet was named to the PMI Power 50, a list of 50 prolific leaders in project management, and is currently serving as President of the Delaware Valley Chapter of PMI.

Dr. Thomas P. Galvin is Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies at the U.S. Army War College and a retired U.S. Army colonel. While in the military, Dr. Galvin served ten years as special assistant to the commander of several senior military commands in Bosnia and Germany. His duties included speechwriting and strategic communication and special projects officer.

Frank P. Saladis, PMP, PMI Fellow, is the Owner/Founder of Blue Marble Enterprizes Inc. and Project Imaginers, and provides training and consulting internationally. He is the author of 12 published books and over 160 project management articles. He is the Originator/Founder of International Project Management Day. He was PMI's 2006 Person of the Year, and served as President of the New York City PMI chapter from 1991-2001, He received the prestigious "PMI Distinguished Contribution Award in 2015.

According to research and reports such as the Chaos report, the success rate for projects is far from great. Despite all the methods, tools and lessons learned, we seem to be in a holding pattern vis-a-vis increasing the success rate. This episode of PM Point of View® tackles this issue, with some specific approaches and techniques that can help Project Managers get more bang for their project, and increase productivity.

Listen, learn, and get a free PDU!

PDU Information

Use the following information in PMI's CCRS system to register the PDUs for this podcast:

• PDU Category: Online or Digital Media
• Provider Number: 4634
• PDU Claim Code: 4634TH96EE
• Activity Number: PMPOV0073
• PDUs for this episode: 1

About the Speakers:

Colin D Ellis is an award-winning project management speaker and author and helps organisations around the world build delivery cultures that everyone wants to be part of. He has written three best-selling project management books (including his latest one The Project Book) and speaks with energy, passion, humour and honesty about the challenges that organisations face in creating project leaders and the cultures required to deliver successfully every time.

Sarah Hoban is a PMP-certified project/program manager and strategy consultant with ten years of experience directing complex multi-million dollar projects and leading teams. Her career is dedicated to incorporating project management techniques to improve organizational business processes. She is the author of a blog and podcast, The Stealthy Project Manager, focused on project management and productivity.

Alan Zucker has over 25-years' experience working in Fortune 100 companies, leading projects and large organizations. He spent six years as Director of Project Management at Fannie Mae, where he oversaw a huge organizational Agile transformation.

In 2016, he founded Project Management Essentials to provide training and advisory services in project management, Agile transformation, and leadership.