Events

How fast is too fast? 

Project leaders find themselves pivoting and responding to rapid change. The Leadership Forum is an excellent opportunity for executives, senior leaders, and mid-level project management professionals to discuss not only the current trends in business but also prepare for a world radically changed by technology such as Artificial Intelligence, a quickly changing Startup culture, and new advances in project, program, and portfolio management. Attendees at this event will leave with actionable information and insights that can be applied to their organizations, making them more effective at delivering value. 

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Ed Hoffman (NASA, Columbia University)

Abstract: This leadership presentation is based upon, ‘The Smart Mission: NASA’s Lessons for Managing Knowledge, People, and Projects.’  The session is exclusive for the PMI Chicagoland attendees and is a safe space for active discussion and tailored engagement. This presentation is part of a larger Smart Mission Leadership Workshop and will focus on the following insights:

1. Intangibles drive economic growth and leadership performance. Specifically, I focus on six principles of knowledge, learning, team, story, culture, and global collaboration.
2. Our economy is about perpetual change and innovation, meaning leaders and teams must build capabilities in dynamic knowledge creation.
3. Radical uncertainty and systems complexity are the norm, and we need behaviors that account for change, adaptability, and complex systems.
4. Performance happens at the team level, where experimentation, trust, and learning reside.
5. Strategic advantage comes from collective intelligence, and the continued building of insight.

Bio: Dr. Hoffman is CEO, Knowledge Strategies, LLC.  Knowledge Strategies is engaged in research, education, and consulting services in support of organization performance. Dr. Hoffman retired from NASA as a Senior Executive. He was the first NASA Chief Knowledge Officer, and founder of the NASA Project Leadership Academy. Following the Columbia Shuttle failure, he led the team that designed the Strategic Management and Governance Handbook. He received the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal in 2010. Dr. Hoffman is a Senior Lecturer at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies researching and teaching on the future of work. Dr. Hoffman has co-authored The Smart Mission: NASA’s Lessons for Managing Knowledge, People, and Projects (MIT Press, 2022), Shared Voyage: Learning and Unlearning from Remarkable Projects (NASA, 2005) and Project Management Success Stories: Lessons of Project Leaders (Wiley, 2000). 

Keynote Speaker: Kyle Woolington (Caterpillar)

Abstract: This presentation will cover key elements of the PMI Project of the Year submission process and discuss the process from a PMO perspective.  Kyle will address the project team’s approach to stakeholder, risk, and change management, and project scheduling and execution that fueled their success.  

Bio:Kyle Woolington is Program Management Manager at Caterpillar and Winner of PMI's Project of the Year Award for the Prototype Battery Electric Mining Truck. This award is the highest honor, recognizing a single project leading the way in the project management profession. Kyle is a Six Sigma Black Belt managing a global team leading and guiding the largest scoped projects, tied directly to Caterpillar's executive strategy, including the battery electric program that won the 2023 PMI Project of the Year award.

Keynote Speakers: Laura Dribin & Cara Judy (Peritius Consulting)

Abstract: In organizations or industries where agility and value are frequently leveraged to enhance each other, the ability for businesses to respond to rapid change quickly yet still deliver value has never been more important. Cara and Laura will share their proprietary framework that allows project leaders to deliver effectively even in the face of unexpected external or internal distractions. They will share more details about the mindset necessary to achieve success, tactics in execution and share a few case studies to demonstrate success. 

Bios: Laura Dribin, CEO and founder of Peritius Consulting, and Cara Judy, VP of Delivery at Peritius Consulting, have devoted their professional careers to driving value in a variety of environments.  Laura worked as a Big Five management consultant. With over 25 years of experience, she has honed her skills to provide results by bringing the hands-on leadership necessary to guide project teams through complex initiatives. Cara Judy is Peritius Consulting's VP of Delivery. She is fueled by a passion for building strong relationships with stakeholders, key decision-makers, business partners, and staff to align and establish a shared vision. With over 20 years of delivering results in both corporate and consulting roles Cara helps organizations close the loop between strategy and execution, track and measure performance, improve business processes and streamline operations.

Peritius Consulting, Inc. is a premier niche consulting firm specializing exclusively in Outcome Management with a focus on strategic programs, and project management services. Their successful hallmarks include the creating a flexible but standard framework to align strategy, assess the impact of change, and respond and execute accordingly.