PPM Academy

Sanaz Sadeghian MSc., PMP, PMI-SP, is a young professional in project management. She is the president of the Project Management Club at Boston University (BUS-PMC) and has published articles in scheduling and planning. She has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and more than four years of experience in Oil&Gas and construction industries. Sanaz has also focused on consulting and researching and she is a teaching assistant at the graduate level at the MET Department of Boston University. She has been recognized for her excellent cross-functional knowledge, leadership, and communication.   Linkedin Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanaz-sadeghian-msc-pmi-sp-pmp-33757785/

Dr. Michael O'Connor, Ph.D., MSPM, MSTM, MBA, has over 27 years of professional experience in the Medical Device Industry. He is the Director of Strategy and Project Management with Medtronic, Plc, and his corporate experience also includes 3M and Pfizer. Michael is an Adjunct Faculty Member teaching at the Graduate level Project Management, Project Capstone, Procurement, Culture / Organizational course(s). In 2012, he was selected as an American Society for Quality (ASQ), Quality Fellow, and in 2014 selected as a Medtronic, Technical Fellow. Michael also writes for PM World 360 about leadership and quality. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgoconnor/

Ken Boyd writes blogs, articles, whitepapers, and provides video content. He is the Co-Founder of Accountinged.com, and owns St. Louis Test Preparation (accountingaccidentally.com). Ken is the author of Cost Accounting for Dummies, Accounting All-In-One for Dummies, The CPA Exam for Dummies and 1,001 Accounting Questions for Dummies. As a former CPA, Auditor, Tax Preparer and College Professor, Boyd brings a wealth of business experience to educating an audience

According to Forbes magazine, “65% of organizations have an agreed-upon strategy but only 14% of employees understand it, and less than 10% of all organizations successfully execute it.”

Today we are speaking with Stuart Easton he is the CEO of TransparentChoice and is a veteran of the software space. His back ground includes stints working on reporting and data analytics and he is passionate about improving business outcomes for his customers. Stuart lives in the UK and enjoys hiking, mountain biking and playing with his kids. This recording will be our 3rd discussion, and we have a lot to chat about, so let gets started.   Strategically aligned projects are: 57% more likely to achieve business goals 50% more likely to finish on time 45% more likely to finish on budget

Today we are speaking with Rich Maltzman, PMP, co-author of several books on Project Management, including the Cleland Award-winning Green Project Management, and most recently, Bridging the PM Competency Gap, co-written with Loredana Abramo, PMP.  The two co-authors offer assistance in PM competence building via their consultancy Continuous Learning Environment (CLE Advisors).   Loredana Abramo, PMP® Worked 25+ years, in 4 continents Deployment lead engineer, operations and services readiness manager, PMO deputy director, senior quality PgM   Website link https://cleadvisors.wordpress.com/   Twitter: @CLE_Advisors   Book: Bridging the Project Management Competency Gap   https://www.amazon.com/Bridging-Competency-Gap-Improving-Capability/dp/160427140X   Bio for Rich Maltzman, PMP   Rich Maltzman, PMP, has been an engineer since 1978 and a project management supervisor since 1988, including a two-year assignment in the Netherlands in which he built a team of PMs overseeing deployments of telecom networks in Europe and the Middle East. His project work has been diverse, including projects such as the successful deployment of the entire video and telecom infrastructure for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, and the 2006 integration of the program management offices (PMOs) of two large merging corporations. As a second, but intertwined career, Rich has also focused on consulting and teaching, having developed curricula and/or taught at: Boston University Merrimack College Northern Essex Community College University of Massachusetts– Boston Clark University Benedictine University’s Asia Institute (Shenyang University of Technology) Rich has also professionally developed project management professional (PMP®) exam prep courseware, including exams and books. He even edited and was "the voice" for a set of eight audio CDs—a major part of a PMP prep course for an international company, for whom he has also facilitated PMP exam study groups. Rich was selected for the modeling team for the fourth edition of the PMBOK® Guide published by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and contributed to the chapters on quality and risk in both the 4th and 5th Edition, and provided input for the 6th Edition as well. Rich has written and presented papers at international conferences of PMI and IPMA (International Project Management Association), and the Conference Board in South Africa, The Netherlands, Costa Rica, and Mexico City and at PMI Congresses in North America.  He also presented, on request of the Government of Malaysia, at their Green Technology conference in Kuala Lumpur in 2013.   Rich’s educational background includes a BSEE from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst, and an MSIE from Purdue University. In addition, Rich has a mini-MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and a master’s certificate in international business management granted jointly from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and INSEAD of France.  Rich received his PMP in 2000 and was certified by Change Catalysts as a CQ Certified Change Management Professional in 2015. Rich has co-authored two other books – Green Project Management (CRC Press, ©2010, Cleland Award Winner) with David Shirley, PMP, and Project Workflow Management with Dan Epstein, in 2014.  A new book, Driving Sustainability Success in Projects, Programs and Portfolios, published in October 2015 by CRC Press.  J. Ross will be publishing another book, co-authored by Rich and with Loredana Abramo, PMP in late 2016, Bridging the PM Competency Gap.   Rich blogs regularly at earthpm.com and at “People, Planet, Profits, and Projects”, in the “Perspectives” section of projectsatwork.com, a PMI web site.   Bio for Loredana Abramo, PMP   Loredana has twenty five years of experience in deploying telecommunication networks for international projects, with roles such as lead engineer and technical deputy, business operations manager, and Project Managers competency development leader for emerging technologies (IMS, LTE). On her last Customer-facing assignment, she was the Deputy Director of the PMO for a major telecom project in Australia. She has worked and lived on assignment in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, and has presented at several PMI, IEEE and IPMA global events in North America, Australia, Malaysia, Italy. Loredana has translated Peter Taylor’s The Lazy Project Manager into Italian, (Infinite Ideas, Italian edition © 2013) Loredana has a Master’s in Electrical Engineering, and is board certified as a Professional Engineer in Italy, as well as a PMP®. Loredana has a Convergence Technologies Professional accreditation from Telecommunications Industry Association, and a Certificate in Advanced Project Management from De Paul University. Loredana is a Member of PMI, and a Senior Member at IEEE. She is currently based in Naperville, IL, USA.

Dr. Ginger Levin is an Author, Senior Consultant and Educator in project management.  Specialize in the areas of portfolio management, program management, the PMO, mentoring, metrics, change management, and maturity assessments. She is a certified PgMP and PMP as well as an OPM3 Certified Professional. She also has a book series with Taylor and Francis, a subsidiary of Auerbach. Dr. Levin provides training in program management, the PgMP, the PfMP, portfolio management, change management, and knowledge management and am a keynote speaker at conferences throughout the world. For information about my on line PgMP and PfMP boot camps, please see: https://project02.utdallas.edu/payment/ppp/test/ For information on my PgMP, PfMP, and PMP books please see: Amazon, the PMI bookstore, or www.crcpress.com Finally Dr. Levin is the  Adjunct Professor for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in its MSPM Program and for the SKEMA Business School in Lille, France in its doctoral program in project management.

Today we are speaking with Kailash Upadhyay, (MBA, PfMP, PgMP, PMP, MCP (EPM), MCT, CPISI, CSM, CSP, ITIL) founding director Addon Skills. Addon Skills is focused toward providing professional training and consulting services to its customer across the globe. Mr. Kailash Upadhyay is among very few professionals who acquired Project, Program and Portfolio management certification from differennt certfication bodies.

Uber is now known just as much for its scandals as it is for its cheap rides. Why do things continue to go terribly wrong at the San Francisco ride-sharing company whose CEO was just caught on camera in a heated argument over money with one of his drivers? Gerald Leonard, a Washington, D.C.-based consultant on corporate culture, says you don’t have to be a fan or critic of Uber to learn from its mistakes; these include an aggressive and unrestrained culture where harassment and phobias were ignored. Leonard says the company lacks the vision and values to put its employees and customers first that would have prompted management to openly address its problems at the first sign of trouble. As more customers continue to delete their Uber accounts, Leonard can share the three unifying principles that are hallmarks of great company culture and why so many companies fail the test. He is the author of “Culture is the Bass: 7 Principles for Developing a Culture That Works.”

Today we are speaking with Alana Hill. Alana is the principal consultant and CEO of 2Hill Consulting Services where she has provided PM consulting, coaching and training for the past decade.   Alana M. Hill, PMP is a passionate speaker, author, trainer, and mentor. Her experience as an engineer and certified Project Management Professional (PMP) in upstream oil and gas provides a real‐world insight into how people and teams can excel. She has been recognized for her excellent communication, leadership, and team‐building skills. Her international, cross‐functional business knowledge shapes her perspective of developing talent. Ms. Hill holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University and has 20 years of leading successful projects.   As a speaker, she conveys a message of compassion and resilience that inspires leaders, and as a trainer she is fun, engaging, and thorough. She combines PM methodologies with DISC personality assessments to help people and teams excel even in the face of adversity.   She is the author of Love is a Catalyst, where she shares her family’s trials and triumphs over cancer. When she is not traveling the globe, you will find her running and serving in her church and community. Solutions and Training to Maximize Your Business. www.2HillConsulting.com Book Alana to speak at your next event www.TheMsEngineerWay.com   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheMsEngineerWay/

Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez is the world’s leading champion of project management and strategy implementation. Born in Madrid, Spain, and educated in Germany, Mexico, Italy and the United States, Antonio is an Economists and has an MBA from London Business School, currently pursuing a PhD in Strategy and is fluent in five languages. He is the creator of concepts such as the Hierarchy of Purpose, or the Project Manifesto; which argues that projects are the lingua franca of the business and personal worlds from the C-suite to managing your career or relationships.   Antonio has been recently awarded the title of Thinker of the Month by the prestigious Thinkers50, who identifies the most influential management thinkers in the world, including Michael Porter, Clayton Christensen, Rita McGrath.   He is the author of the best-selling book “The Focused Organization”

Today we have with us Dr. Mark C. Bojeun.   Dr. Bojeun holds a BS in business administration from Strayer University, an MBA from George Mason University, and has a PhD in Organizational Management. He is one of a small number of people in the world to hold certifications as a Program Management Professional (PgMP), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI). In addition, he holds a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) in .NET and ITIL.   He has been responsible for teams of over 100 individuals and has managed contracts in excess of $50-million. He has also taught hundreds of students in program, project and risk management as both a professional instructor and adjunct professor at George Mason University, Strayer University, Mississippi University for Women and Ashford University. Finally, he's the author of the book, Program Management Leadership: Creating Successful Team Dynamics

JamalMoustafaev, MBA, PMP – Is the President and Founder of ThinkTank Consulting, is an internationally acclaimed expert and speaker in the areas of project/portfolio management, scope definition, process improvement and corporate training. Jamal Moustafaev has done work for private-sector companies and government organizations in Canada, US, Asia, Europe and Middle East. Contact Info: Web site link - www.thinktankconsulting.ca Facebook - www.facebook.com/projectmanagementthinktankconsulting Twitter links - twitter.com/ThinktankConsul LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/jmoustafaev

Understanding these seven straightforward ideas will help your organization implement change and create a culture at your workplace focused on common goals. When we think about the success of companies such as Ford, Amazon and Toyota and how they brand themselves and implement corporate-wide changes, we see that they take a holistic approach. They aren't just thinking about systems, processes and tools but about their entire organization. If you distill this holistic approach into seven simple principles, you can more easily accomplish your transformational goals and help your organization achieve greater success.

Joseph Flahiff is President and CEO of Whitewater Projects, Inc. and author of the book “Being Agile in a Waterfall World: A guide for complex organizations.” He is focused on bringing hope to people who work in difficult business contexts; making sense of these seemingly conflicting approaches, methods and cultures.   Joseph has more than over a decade and a half of experience; executing, coaching, consulting and training in traditional and agile delivery across large scale complex enterprise IT organizations as well as smaller boutique agencies. Joseph’s provocative, engaging, and energetic courses and keynote presentations are in demand across the USA and in Europe.

Dr. Bojeun holds a BS in business administration from Strayer University, an MBA from George Mason University, and has a PhD in Organizational Management. He is one of a small number of people in the world to hold certifications as a Program Management Professional (PgMP), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI). In addition, he holds a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) in .NET and ITIL.   He has been responsible for teams of over 100 individuals and has managed contracts in excess of $50-million. He has also taught hundreds of students in program, project and risk management as both a professional instructor and adjunct professor at George Mason University, Strayer University, Mississippi University for Women and Ashford University. Finally, he's the author of the book, Program Management Leadership: Creating Successful Team Dynamics.

Mike Hannan brings nearly 25 years’ experience as a Consulting Executive, IT Project Portfolio and Program Manager, Process Engineer, and Software Architect. His back ground in Project Portfolio Management started at NASA in the early 1990s supporting large, complex initiatives such as the International Space Station and High-Performance Computing & Communications (HPCC) programs. He has managed and consulted on $500M+ project portfolios, and trained CIOs and other senior executives in Federal Civilian, Military, and Commercial environments. Mike is an active speaker at industry events, including local PMI chapter and community meetings, webinars, PM symposia, and in the Agile community. He is a leading innovator of disciplined ways to integrate Agile, Lean, Critical Chain, and other techniques to drive dramatic breakthroughs in the performance of IT Project Portfolios. He is also the lead author of the recent book, The CIO’s Guide to Breakthrough Project Portfolio Performance.

Today I plan to share with you why I started the PPM Academy Podcast   ·       If you are the kind of person that loves to learn new insights and real world examples and hate boring management presentations or podcasts that are purely academic and void of real life examples, then this podcast is for you. ·       So, why start another Project Portfolio Management Podcast. PPM is simply the ability for an organization or individual to make the best data-driven decision in the selection of activities and tasks that are aligned to their goals while making the most of their limited resources. o   I love making the right decision o   I love prioritizing chaos and helping my family, friends and clients become more, do more, have more and live more as they achieve their goals and objectives. o   I want to make the concepts of PPM plan and practical 

Stuart Easton is CEO of TransparentChoice and is a veteran of the software space. His back ground includes stints working on reporting and data analytics and he is passionate about improving business outcomes for his customers. Stuart lives in the UK and enjoys hiking, mountain biking and playing with his kids. He also enjoys playing guitar... but his family would rather he didn't.

Today we have with us Gerry Kendall. Gerry is a recognized world expert at strategic planning, Theory of Constraints (TOC) and project portfolio management, with extensive implementation experience. His clients span the globe, including engagements in Malaysia, Bangladesh, Australia, Europe, United States and Canada. Gerry is married to his lovely wife, Jackie. They share 5 children and 7 grandchildren.Gerald's latest book, Advanced multi-project management, provides the detailed proven road map for getting major improvement in delivering a project portfolio on time, on budget and within scope. His Advanced Project Portfolio Management and the PMO is the top-selling book in the PMO and Project Portfolio Management space.Gerald also authored a chapter on Project Portfolio Management for the American Management Association Handbook of Project Management, 2nd Edition, and a chapter on Critical Chain in Dr. Harold Kerzner's book, Project Management, A System's Approach, 8th edition. The new TOC Handbook highlights Gerry's chapter on TOC Strategy and Tactics application.