Artificial intelligence is transforming how project managers work, helping them build schedules, analyze data and identify risks. So what skills and knowledge will help project professionals thrive in the AI era? Guests discuss practical ways to build AI acumen—and how marketing your AI expertise can deliver a career advantage.

Key themes
[00:50] AI acumen: A career differentiator for project professionals
[03:16] How to build AI skills outside of work: Practice prompts and check out courses and webinars
[08:52] Ways to market your AI expertise
[11:16] AI knowledge sharing and use cases can help set you apart
[16:20] How to treat AI tools as “virtual colleagues”
[17:29] Why building AI skills will futureproof your project management career

Today’s tech-driven ways of working often mean more efficiency and flexibility. But all that hyperconnectivity can be a risk to the well-being of project teams. Guests flag the potential warning signs for digital burnout—and how they set boundaries. They also explain how project leaders can support teams to preserve a healthy relationship with work-related tech.

Key themes
[02:03] Technology is connecting more people—but with fewer communication limits 
[03:58] Creating work tech boundaries for your well-being 
[07:04] Watching out for tech burnout on project teams
[10:35] Tech positives for project professionals: Greater flexibility and a productivity boost
[13:53] Possible tech negatives: Changing stakeholder expectations and greater complexity in day-to-day work
[16:59] How reflection can create more balance

A career in project management isn’t always linear. Some people gradually advance from one position to the next, while others come to the profession from a different career path altogether. Guests discuss the moves they’ve made, how they assess when they’re ready for a new role, what they’ve learned from opportunities that didn’t work out, and why you should always invest in yourself—so you’re ready for next opportunity before it arrives.

Key themes
[02:17] How helping a colleague became a project management career
[04:51] Asking managers and colleagues for career advice and support
[06:20] Lessons learned from not getting hired—and upskilling for the next opportunity
[10:27] Starting a new position? Don’t be afraid to ask for help
[13:55] What’s the right time for a career move?
[15:54] Taking a job in a new sector—or a new country
[19:50] How transparency and vulnerability can help you succeed
[22:40] Gauging whether or not you’re ready to take on a new role

Technology is helping project teams make a positive social impact—an accelerator for addressing everything from the effects of climate change to gender equality. Guests discuss how they’re using tech in two projects: One helps adolescent girls develop skills in STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts and math—to create future tech leaders and build a more inclusive sector. The other project pairs tech tools with Indigenous knowledge to ensure local communities can more safely travel across Canada’s arctic region.

Key themes
[01:21] How UNICEF is preparing girls for futures in tech
[06:39] Using tech tools to gather feedback from stakeholders across the globe
[09:10] Measuring the Game Changers Coalition’s direct and indirect social impact
[14:26] Using tech in your project? Ensure it’s making a real difference
[16:14] Pairing tech with Indigenous knowledge: How SmartICE works with communities to measure sea ice thickness
[21:41] Engaging with stakeholders to create customer-centric project processes
[23:14] Embracing continuous improvement to develop better tech and training practices
[27:16] How project managers can focus on the social impacts of any project—no matter the sector

Building sustainable infrastructure doesn’t just protect people and the planet—it boosts the bottom line. Project teams must deliver assets that can withstand the extreme effects of climate change. Guests discuss the growing focus on climate-resilient infrastructure, how to manage stakeholders across project partners and communities, and which skills project professionals need to lead these initiatives. Plus, an in-depth discussion about a major infrastructure overhaul program in Peru, with projects focused on climate resilience and delivering long-term value.

Key themes
[02:28] Climate change’s systemic effects on infrastructure—and why that’s a challenge for project professionals 
[07:49] Must-haves for climate resilience projects: Curiosity, communication skills and community engagement 
[13:49] What trends are next in climate-resilient infrastructure
[17:29] The growing momentum for climate-resilient infrastructure
[19:53] How Peru is rebuilding after 2017 El Niño, creating climate-resilient infrastructure, education and health centers
[25:39] Future-proofing Peru’s reconstruction program through knowledge transfer

Navigating change is nothing new for project professionals. And this year is no different. How can being flexible and resilient help them seize job opportunities—and deliver value for organizations? Guests in this roundtable discussion talk about sector-specific job trends, the must-have skills needed to navigate challenges and how AI is changing project management now and in the years ahead.

Key themes
[01:30] Job opportunities for project professionals in IT, renewable energy and construction
[07:13] Top challenges project professionals might face for the rest of this year
[11:18] Market knowledge, influence, and leadership skills: The must-haves for today’s project professionals
[14:27] AI’s effect on project management
[18:32] What trends are creating a buzz for project professionals in 2024 and beyond

In today’s ever-evolving project environment, project professionals need to be flex-ready problem solvers. But how do they learn to choose the right ways of working—or know when to anticipate the need to adapt to change? Guests discuss how they empower project professionals at their organizations to become strategic decision makers—whether it means tailoring ways of working to fit projects and teams or implementing new tech tools.

Key themes

[02:19] Updating CDW’s PMO for greater collaboration, knowledge sharing and upskilling among project professionals 
[05:34] How continuous learning encourages greater autonomy 
[08:21] Empowering project professionals with clear guidelines, expectations and ownership of initiatives 
[13:13] Delegation and trust: Two must-haves for empowering project and program managers 
[14:52] How Airbus’ engineering PMO focuses on tailored, empathetic project support
[17:42] Why empowerment leads to better engagement and project outcomes
[19:56] What you need to know to choose the right ways of working for your team
[21:46] How PMO leaders can encourage teams to embrace unknowns in new tech or ways of working

There’s a glaring gender gap, in both artificial intelligence and project management. But as demand for AI talent surges, there’s an opportunity to close those gaps. Ahead of International Women’s Day, our guests discuss the gender gaps they’ve experienced in their careers in tech, how greater team diversity helps minimize algorithmic biases in AI projects, what they’ve learned from leading AI initiatives and building their AI expertise, and ways to help more women pursue careers in AI.

Key themes
[02:36] Bridging the gender gap: How diversity benefits AI initiatives
[05:21] Identifying and mitigating risks in generative AI projects
[07:52] Top advice to women in tech: Know your worth, be yourself and continue to learn
[12:55] Building AI knowledge in a changing business landscape
[16:15] Minimizing AI algorithmic biases with multiple perspectives
[19:08] Ways to help more women kickstart their careers in AI

Continuous learning helps project professionals keep up with the skills they need to excel in the profession—but it has to be done strategically. Guests discuss how to create a flexible and durable continuous learning strategy, how to balance upskilling with day-to-day project and personal responsibilities, which skills they see as must-haves for project professionals—today and in the future—and how PMO leaders can help project professionals in their continuous learning journeys.

Our guests include Alfred Maina, PMO-CP, PMI-ACP, PMP, technical project manager, Thunes, Nairobi; and Americo Pinto, PMO-CC, PMO-CP , PMP, managing director, PMO Global Alliance at PMI, Rio de Janeiro.

Key themes
[02:13] How to craft a continuous learning strategy
[06:12] Where to find upskilling opportunities
[07:19] Balancing work, personal time and continued learning
[10:20] Top skills to improve: technical and power skills, plus artificial intelligence know-how
[15:33] Why your continuous learning strategy should be flexible
[18:18] Using formal and informal education opportunities to upskill
[20:17] How to determine which skills to improve—and how much organizational objectives should be a factor
[24:27] Ways PMO leaders can help project professionals create and meet their continuous learning goals

Volunteering helps communities and organizations. But it also helps the volunteers who donate their time and skills. In a roundtable discussion, guests share how they started volunteering, how it has affected their careers and helped them grow as project professionals, the different ways they have taught project management skills to make initiatives run more efficiently and their advice to others looking to start their own community volunteering journey.

Our guests include Lebogang Ngoato, PMP, program manager, Absa Group, Johannesburg; Priya Patra, PMP, director, Capgemini, Mumbai, India; and Silvana Tovar, international trade coordinator, Kenvue, São Paulo.

Key themes
[01:52] Why start volunteering? Three professionals share their stories
[06:57] How volunteering can boost project professionals’ careers
[11:25] The value of sharing your project management skills
[14:07] How volunteering can help professionals upskill
[18:20] Keeping volunteers motivated to work on outside projects
[20:44] Advice for potential volunteers: share your knowledge, be honest about your availability and keep an open mind