Project Management Institute President and CEO Leads Keynote on Future Industry Trends

The project management forum is hosted under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates-- (BUSINESS WIRE/ AETOSWire)-- President and CEO of Project Management Institute (PMI) Sunil Prashara will be a keynote speaker at the Dubai International Project Management Forum (DIPMF) on 7-10 December 2019 at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, the largest project management event in the region. Prashara’s global leadership experience and solid track record of strategy delivery, hitting growth targets, and successful transformation, combined with PMI’s expertise and global advocacy for the project management profession adds depth to this prestigious event’s program. Mark Lines, Vice President of PMI’s recently acquired Disciplined Agile, will also be speaking at the forum.

DIPMF is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council. The event is organized by Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) in cooperation with Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), Emaar Properties, PMI, and DP World.

The forum will attract more than 2,000 project professionals from around the region. Project management experts and thought leaders will discuss how smart, sustainable, and innovative project management practices are executed to ensure successful outcomes.

“As the global economy becomes more ‘projectized’ and requires new ways of working, this impressive event could not come at a more crucial time,” said Sunil Prashara, President and CEO of Project Management Institute. “Forum organizers and participants recognize that it’s more important than ever for project professionals to transform complex ideas and strategy into reality – as there are major business implications when strategy and execution are not directly linked.”

Region-specific data from PMI’s 2019 Pulse survey shows organizations in the Middle East waste an average of $104 million for every $1 billion spent on projects due to poor project performance. While this is an improvement compared to the global average of $119 million for every $1 billion spent, the Middle East’s many mega projects create an immense opportunity for practitioners and leaders to streamline their efforts and use best practices to ensure projects are completed on-time, on-budget, and within scope.

On Monday December 9 at 2:30 p.m., Prashara’s keynote titled “Future Trends in Project Management” will explore what project professionals can expect in the years to come. He will highlight the importance of strategy execution and why organizations fail to deliver on their strategy, how practitioners and leaders alike can be prepared to power The Project Economy, the increasing value of agility, and more.

On Monday December 9 at 9 a.m., Lines is participating in a parallel discussion titled “Hybrid PM.” Lines is the co-creator of the Disciplined Agile toolkit; co-author of several books on Disciplined Agile; and has more than 25 years of experience helping organizations around the world to be successful with project delivery using Agile, Lean, Traditional, and Hybrid approaches. To complement Lines’ expertise, the two-hour session will also feature project management thought leader Paul Hodgkins and Global Innovation Strategist Dr. Al Zeitoun.

Commenting on PMI’s engagement with DIPMF, Grace Najjar, PMI’s newly appointed Managing Director of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) said: “Dubai is seen as the City of the Future and continues to chart a bold course for the future. As His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has said, ‘The future is not built on possibilities and numbers, but on clarity of vision, planning, action, and implementation.’ As a country, the UAE has embarked on many mega projects that command global attention and position it as a leader in agility, planning, and execution. Therefore, it is fitting that PMI take part in such a prestigious event as this is an important region for PMI to serve. With such influential executive sponsorship, I see great opportunity for PMI to support the region’s organization leaders and project managers alike.”

In addition to designating a Managing Director of MENA, PMI has had a presence in the region since 2014 when it opened its Dubai office. This office handles the chapter management for the Middle East and Africa with the vision to extend support to key stakeholders in the workforce, as well as universities and other academic channels. Having a formal presence in Dubai allows PMI to better support practitioners in the region, as well as strengthen relationships with valued leaders in the Middle East.