Projectified

Women have faced an uphill battle in the workplace, especially during the pandemic. But they continue to make strides with game-changing projects across sectors and around the globe. We discuss the state of the state for women project leaders with:Nontobeko Mathenjwa, project manager at South African National Roads Agency, Johannesburg: Mathenjwa discusses the challenges she faced early in her career as a project leader in construction, what changes she’d like to see and her advice to women in the early stages of their project careers.Lorraine Ong, PMP, assistant director, advanced cybersecurity capabilities at Government Technology Agency of Singapore: Ong discusses how she’s seen the gender gap improve in IT, how COVID-19 has affected women leaders in her sector, and how professional organizations can help support women—and help them further their careers.Key themes[00:54] Organizations with women leaders perform better, research shows[01:52] Leadership lessons: Know yourself and build relationships[04:28] Women gaining traction in construction[10:16] The pandemic’s impact on women project leaders in IT[11:20] How mentors, professional organizations can support women—and boost their careers

Even with disruption and economic uncertainty, the job market for project talent is booming—and it doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. We discuss the changing world of work and career opportunities for project professionals with: Elton Soares, PMP, electrical engineer and project manager at General Electric, Florianópolis, Brazil: Soares discusses the rise of people-centric leaders, the increase in digital transformation and the growth in the energy sector.Malong Dong, PMP, director of the program management office at Westpac Group, Sydney: Dong discusses how the skills shortage is leading to opportunities for project professionals and the must-have skills they’ll need in 2022. Key themes[00:56] The increasing demand for project talent in 2022—and beyond[02:08] The rise of people-centric project leaders[03:43] Developing skills to lead digital transformation projects[07:21] New project possibilities in the energy sector [09:09] What the skills shortage could mean for project leaders[13:33] Leadership skills for the hybrid work environment

As digital transformation accelerates, companies may be leaving behind some users: the 1 billion people who experience some form of disability. Whether their project is in gaming or financial services, companies must ensure the digital world is an inclusive one. We discuss this with:Brannon Zahand, senior program manager, gaming accessibility at Microsoft, Seattle: He discusses creating the company’s Game Accessibility Testing Service—one of PMI’s 2021 Most Influential Projects—and increasing representation of the disability community in the gaming industry.Christina Papadimitriou, accessibility specialist and senior digital expert at Atos, Athens: She talks about the ways project leaders can embed accessibility into their projects right from the start and what’s next for digital accessibility.Key themes[02:28] Increasing accessibility awareness [03:48] Building accessibility guidelines for Xbox[07:46] Creating a scalable program to test video games for inclusive design[13:47] Integrating accessibility in processes and products [17:23] How project teams can learn about accessibility [19:36] What’s next in digital accessibility

The pandemic has healthcare providers pursuing innovation like never before—but they must also ensure those cutting-edge ideas and technologies deliver value to patients. We discuss this with:Antoinette de Bont, dean of the Tilburg School of Social & Behavioral Sciences at Tilburg University, the Netherlands: She discusses the BigMedilytics project—an initiative that aims to bring data science and healthcare together—and how project leaders can help team members collaborate.Christine DeVol, PMP, director of the enterprise project management team at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, USA: She shares how her team—the 2021 PMO of the Year Award winner—pivoted and reprioritized its project portfolio as COVID-19 spread. DeVol also discusses a project to help connect new cancer patients to experts quickly and safely. Key themes[01:34] Exploring new ways to use big data in healthcare[04:41] Improving collaboration [07:22] How data science could transform patient care[09:36] How Moffitt Cancer Center adapted during COVID-19[15:28] Ensuring innovation delivers value to patients 

As 2021 comes to an end, project leaders are looking back at what they’ve accomplished—and ahead to 2022. Projectified[R]  reconnects with guests from the last year to discuss the lessons they’ve learned, the biggest changes they’ve seen, the emerging must-have skills and what lies ahead in the new year.Guests include: Sevi Rich, BHP in Perth, Australia; Kris Sprague, PMP, PgMP, PfMP, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Tarrytown, New York, USA; Alice Chow, Arup in Hong Kong; Leyla Zelaya, United Nations Environment Programme in San Salvador, El Salvador; and Miguel Monteiro, Emaar in Dubai.

The financial services sector is evolving—using new technologies to meet changing customer preferences. We discuss the future of fintech with: Michal Raczka, PMP, IT director at mBank, Warsaw, Poland: Raczka discusses how shifting demographics and customer habits are pushing digital transformation in the financial services sector, plus how low-code platforms are helping his teams deliver innovative products.Kimwood Mott, project manager, digital currency implementation at Central Bank of the Bahamas, Nassau: Mott discusses creating Sand Dollar, the first government-backed digital currency—that’s number 5 on our Most Influential Projects list. He talks through how the team built buy-in and his advice to other leaders looking to launch similar projects.

Change is constant in The Project Economy. That means project leaders must adapt and evolve, too. Our guests discuss how leadership strategies are shifting—and offer hands-on advice for bringing out the best in teams.Tim Munden, chief learning officer and head of employee wellbeing at Unilever in London, discusses the move away from a command-and-control leadership model to one characterized by humility and vulnerability. He also offers tips for creating a more inclusive culture by leaders listening to team members and modeling the behavior they want to see.Plus, three project leaders discuss the changing leadership landscape: Jaspreet Dol, CAPM, PMP, DXC Technology in Manila, the Philippines; Geetha Gopal, PMP, Panasonic in Singapore; and Neeraja Ganesh, Aspire For Her in Bengaluru. 

Buckle up—the world is entering a new era of spaceflight as startup commercial ventures join forces with government agencies. We discuss turning cutting-edge innovation into reality with:Jermey Gajadhar, PMP, program manager at Virgin Galactic, Mojave, California: Gajadhar talks about building a project management foundation at Virgin Galactic, mitigating risk and what’s next for commercial spaceflight. Pierrik Vuilleumier, project manager at the European Space Agency, Noordwijk, the Netherlands: Vuilleumier discusses collaborating with established agencies and space startups on the Sentinel-6 project, and why teams must be ready to adapt and problem solve.

PMI’s 2021 Most Influential Projects highlights nearly 250 initiatives that deliver serious innovation in everything from healthcare to mobility. We discuss two of those projects with:Josh Katz, founder and CEO of YellowHeart, New York City: Katz discusses how his company collaborated with the Kings of Leon to create a first-of-its-kind NFT package—paving the way for other artists to use the emerging tech.Patrick Omondi, PhD, director, Wildlife Research and Training Institute, Naivasha, Kenya: Omondi discusses how the team overcame the challenges it faced conducting Kenya’s first systematic wildlife census and how the data will be used to protect the country’s wildlife—and its tourism sector.

Infrastructure projects form the bedrock of modern society­—delivering expressways, clean water supplies, internet access and a bevy of other essentials. Yet project leaders must also ensure these initiatives deliver value now—and for decades to come. We discuss this with:Innocentia Mahlangu, PMP, senior civil engineer and project manager at Hatch, Johannesburg: Mahlangu discusses the socioeconomic impact of infrastructure projects, the need for meaningful stakeholder engagement and future-proofing for long-term value. Casey Canfield, PhD, assistant professor, engineering management and systems engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri, USA: Canfield discusses how COVID-19 heightened awareness of the need for digital infrastructure, the pilot project she’s leading to expand broadband access in rural areas and how she’s measuring social impact.