Future Readiness

Passionate about transforming ideas into action, Ricardo Vargas is a chief advocate in the project economy. Specializing in implementing innovative global initiatives, capital projects and product development, Ricardo has directed dozens of projects across industries and continents, managing more than $20 billion in global initiatives over the past 25 years. Ricardo shares his expertise with millions of professionals around the globe through his “5 Minutes Podcast,” which he’s hosted since 2007. He has written 15 books on project management, risk and crisis management, and transformation, which have been translated into six languages and sold more than half a million copies. His influence on the sector was affirmed when he became the first Latin American to be elected Chairman of the Project Management Institute. Ricardo directs the Brightline Initiative, a Project Management Institute think tank bringing together leading organizations into a coalition dedicated to helping executives bridge the expensive, unproductive gap between strategic design and delivery. Prior to his work with Brightline, Ricardo was Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Infrastructure and Project Management Group, leading more than 1,000 projects and $1.2 billion in humanitarian and development projects. Ricardo holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Federal Fluminense University in Brazil and an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering, a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil.

Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez is a leading expert in project management and strategy implementation, recognized by Thinkers50 with the prestigious award “Ideas into Practice.” He is the author of the “HBR Project Management Handbook”, “Lead Successful Projects”, “The Project Revolution” and “The Focused Organization”, and has been teaching project management for almost two decades to senior executives through Duke CE, Skolkovo, Solvay Business School, and Vlerick. Former Chairman of the Project Management Institute, he is the founder of Projects & Co, and co-founder of the Strategy Implementation Institute and the global movement Brightline. Antonio has held executive positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers, BNP Paribas, and GlaxoSmithKline.

John Bowen is a Senior Consultant and Executive Speaker to CXOs, executive organizations and professional groups for Computer Aid, Inc. (CAI). He has more than 35 years of IT management experience including executive leadership, technology management, IT integration, IT due diligence, strategic planning and large-scale system implementation. John is also president of Management Envision LLC, a research and consulting company focused on innovative presentation of complex issues in process, portfolio, project and program management. He provides management consulting services to IT organizations in global expansion and manages projects in the US, Latin America, and Europe. Before joining CAI, John served for ten years as CIO of PPL Global, the international division of PPL Corporation. In that role, he was responsible for IT management and operations in Latin America and lived for several years in Argentina and Chile. He has managed multi-national projects involving teams in more than 25 countries. He authored an acclaimed project management methodology and established project management offices (PMOs) in multiple companies in the US and Latin America. John is a magna cum laude graduate of DePauw University with degrees in mathematics, computer science, and symbolic logic. He has taught international business, information engineering and project management for MBA programs at eight universities and is currently visiting instructor of international business and project management at Lehigh University’s Iacocca Institute and adjunct professor of project management in the Lehigh University College of Business and Economics Executive Education Program. John has taught international business and project leadership to more than 1000 professionals from more than 100 countries at the Iacocca Institute´s Global Village program. John’s industry knowledge spans power generation, energy distribution, telecommunications, higher education, software development and healthcare.

Justin began his career leading client-facing and internal projects in various climes and locales, including volunteer stints in Mexico and Israel, public sector initiatives in Washington DC and Colorado. Currently, he is a Senior Project Manager within Pearson’s Higher Education Services organization. As a project leader, Justin has successfully managed 12 direct reports and cross-functional project teams of 40 individuals, along with contracts of up to $40 million in revenue. His most recent project endeavors have focused on adapting key aspects of Toyota’s approach to Lean within a services environment.

Steven Fullmer contributes his mastery to the field of neurosociology –blending neurochemistry, physiology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, history and the science of change to understand the power of human potential. His mission includes helping others understand the natural chaos associated with change and choice, and organizing approaches to effectively address change scenarios. Successful approaches must consider human complexity, are always situational, and must incorporate the unique and diverse attributes of the individuals and the tribes that they form. Steven Fullmer is President of Blue Sphere Solutions (www.bluespheresolutions.com), a consultancy supporting choice through complex change. His forty years of experience includes strategic and tactical business, portfolio, program and project leadership. For over a decade he authored and delivered highly sought PMP and Business analysis courseware, video series, webinars, and micro-mastery events. He holds Project Management Professional (PMP) and PMI-Professional Business Analysis (PMI-PBA) credentials from Project Management Institute, an MBA in services marketing, and is certified as a Change Intelligence Professional. From graduate work in neurochemistry, MBA Service Management focus, and into a recognized career guiding powerful technological change, Steven quickly identified that people rather than technology brought success. The evolution of project related processes, tools, and approaches may deliver new hope to leaders guiding change, though they are more often effective because they distract participants who must focus first on the new ‘technique’. Despite decades of evolutionary technology and approaches, successful and sustainable change remains statistically elusive. Success more commonly occurs when leaders deliver purpose while applying an understanding of the human condition. Steve now researches and pursues a deeper understanding of the factors that affect successful change adoption and the pursuit of fullest human potential. An author and public speaker, Steve focuses on topics related to project management and social psychology – the sciences that together help client individuals and organizations to adopt successful change strategies.

Phil Weinzimer is president of Strategere Consulting and works with clients to develop business and IT strategies that focus on achieving business outcomes. Phil is currently conducting research for his third book, Strategic IT Governance 2.0: A Business Imperative for Competitive Success, to be published in early 2020 His previous book, The Strategic CIO: Changing the Dynamics of the Business Enterprise, focuses on how strategic CIOs leverage information and technology for competitive advantage. His first book, Getting It Right: Creating Customer Value for Market Leadership, focuses on how to transform an organization using a 3P strategy to Prepare personnel to work together as a team, Perceive customer needs, and Provide new products and services that create sustainable and profitable value. Additionally, he writes a column for CIO.com column: Transforming IT for Business Success and AITS.org-The Strategic CIO, and has co-authored a Harvard Case Study. Phil also conducts video interviews of IT Thought Leaders on his series The Strategic CIO. Phil speaks regularly at CIO & IT events on IT Strategy and How Strategic CIOs and IT organizations are changing the dynamics of the business enterprise. Phil is also corporate faculty at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in the Masters Project Management Program.

As a result of his work with PMOs, experiences leading or being served by a PMO, and research conducted in support of his published works, Mark Price Perry pioneered the concept of the Business Driven PMO. Often characterized as a “boat-rocker” and outspoken critic, Mark challenges the traditional approach to PMO setup and management that has been advocated and practiced within the industry and that has led to PMO failures and loss of executive support. Mark offers an alternative approach to PMO setup and management, an approach driven by specific needs of the business as determined by the leadership team, not industry standards or the latest PMO models, buzzwords and hype. Mark is the author of the Business Driven PMO three-book series, published by J. Ross Publishing.