The Missing Piece in Leadership Styles & Practices
Judith Umlas
SVP, Author, Trainer
International Institute for Learning (IIL)
About the Presentation
Join U.S Army Chaplain (Colonel) Primitivo Davis and IIL Author, Trainer, Center for Grateful Leadership Architect Judith W. Umlas, as they explore Davis’ Grateful Journey to become a Grateful Leadership™ Certified Instructor. Don’t miss Davis’ wisdom and applicable advice on mentorship, best practices for dealing with aspiring leaders, suicide prevention and much more.
About Judy Umlas
Judith W. Umlas is Sr. Vice President, author and trainer at International Institute for Learning, Inc. (IIL), a global corporate training company. She is the author of the ground-breaking book, The Power of Acknowledgment ©2006, IIL Publishing, which has been credited with changing workplaces and lives using the 7 Principles of Acknowledgment she developed. Grateful Leadership, Using the Power of Acknowledgment to Engage All Your People and Achieve Superior Results was published by McGraw-Hill/IIL in early 2013 and You’re Totally Awesome! The Power of Acknowledgment for Kids was published in 2013 by IIL Publishing.
Judith delivers inspiring, motivational and transformational keynote addresses all over the world and teaches full day virtual and traditional courses to organizations such as Volvo, the U.S. Army, Prudential, JMP Engineering, the World Bank, Fannie Mae, IBM, AT&T, Google, Amway, the New York Police Department and many others. In 2016 she founded the Center for Grateful Leadership, a division of IIL. She also certifies a growing number of qualified individuals to be Grateful Leadership® Certified Instructors, to carry on this transformational work in their own corporations and organizations.
About Chaplain Primitivo Davis
Primitivo R. Davis is an international speaker with 28 years of experience. He has presented around the world on leadership, team building, organizational management, spirituality, marriage, family, parenting, and suicide prevention.
He is currently a U.S. Army active-duty Colonel, serving as chaplain with over 22 years in uniform. He has served the United States in 4 combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan earning 3 Bronze Stars. He has just returned from his most recent operational deployment, “Operation European Assure, Deter and Reinforce”. He has led teams at every level of the Army.
Primitivo is experienced in organizational transformation, strategic advisement, team building and leadership. He is a Grateful Leadership Certified Instructor.
About the Speaker
Each day, organizations are tasked with keeping employees motivated, productive, and innovative so individuals and teams can reach and exceed their goals. Steven Kotler has taught over 250,000 people how to harness “flow” to establish and sustain peak performance, among them Olympians, Navy SEALS and employees at every level of organizations including Google, Deloitte, and Microsoft.
In this talk, he explains the science behind flow and provides tools for increasing productivity, enhancing performance, and improving focus and decision-making processes.
Key Takeaways
- Learn what “flow” is and how it is advantageous to growth and success.
- Learn how to trigger individual and group flow states to increase agility & performance.
- Gain powerful tools to provide clarity, motivation, and focus for yourself and your teams.
SPEAKER
Project Management 4.0, PMO Mindset, and Project Manager
Power Skills
Judith W. Umlas
SVP, Author, Trainer
International Institute for Learning (IIL)
About Judith W. Umlas
Judith W. Umlas is Sr. Vice President, author and trainer at International Institute for Learning, Inc. (IIL), a global corporate training company. She is the author of the ground-breaking book, The Power of Acknowledgment ©2006, IIL Publishing, which has been credited with changing workplaces and lives using the 7 Principles of Acknowledgment she developed. Grateful Leadership, Using the Power of Acknowledgment to Engage All Your People and Achieve Superior Results was published by McGraw-Hill/IIL in early 2013 and You’re Totally Awesome! The Power of Acknowledgment for Kids was published in 2013 by IIL Publishing.
Judith delivers inspiring, motivational and transformational keynote addresses all over the world and teaches full day virtual and traditional courses to organizations such as Volvo, the U.S. Army, Prudential, JMP Engineering, the World Bank, Fannie Mae, IBM, AT&T, Google, Amway, the New York Police Department and many others. In 2016 she founded the Center for Grateful Leadership, a division of IIL. She also certifies a growing number of qualified individuals to be Grateful Leadership® Certified Instructors, to carry on this transformational work in their own corporations and organizations.
About the Keynote
Do you wonder what the tricks and traps are for your PMO to succeed in your organization?
Would you like to know more about how project managers skills and interactions with stakeholders can evolve to adapt to the new reality?
If you are interested in knowing the answers to these questions any many more, including how the PMO has evolved in the past 5-10 years, you have an opportunity:
Listen and ask questions during an interactive session with Judith W. Umlas IIL SVP interviewing Rodolfo De Acutis Nestle Global PMO R&D Lead.
SPEAKER
Rodolfo De Acutis, Ph.D.
Nestlé Confectionary
SPEAKER
Project Management 4.0, PMO Mindset, and Project Manager
Power Skills
Rodolfo De Acutis
Global PMO Sustainability, Strategic Programs
Nestlé Confectionary
About Rodolfo De Acutis
Dr. Rodolfo De Acutis is the Global PMO Lead for Nestlé R&D (all categories) leading the implementation, governance, and continuous improvement of Project Management Offices (PMOs) across all Nestlé R&D Centres. In addition, he is the Sustainability Lead and Strategic Programs Lead for Confectionery and “ad interim” R&D Confectionery Lead for Packaging.
Dr. Rodolfo De Acutis has held roles in both R&D and operations within Nestlé over the last 23 Years. He led the delivery of the ground-breaking sugar reduction program for Confectionery and the plastic to paper packaging program. For both he has received the Global Nestlé R&D Awards. He has transformed the approach to Project Management in Nestlé R&D by systematically developing and implementing the PMO organisation and mindset across all categories. He has developed this knowledge and expertise over the last 3 decades and has promoted PMO organizational structures within Nestlé R&D over the last 8 years. Previous roles within the organization have included PMO Lead in Confectionery R&D, Category Lead for Kit Kat & Cereal Snacks for Confectionery R&D, Lean & Continuous Improvement Manager in York Factory.
Dr De Acutis is certified in PMP-PMI, Green and Black Belt Lean 6 Sigma. He has a master’s degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering with an Academic background. He has lectured Organic Chemistry at the Universitá “La Sapienza” of Rome and was a researcher at the Italian Cultural Heritage Department. Recently, he has also been visiting professor for Project Management at the University of Leeds for Ph.D. Students.
About the Speaker
Do you wonder what the tricks and traps are for your PMO to succeed in your organization?
Would you like to know more about how project managers skills and interactions with stakeholders can evolve to adapt to the new reality?
If you are interested in knowing the answers to these questions any many more, including how the PMO has evolved in the past 5-10 years, you have an opportunity:
Listen and ask questions during an interactive session with Judith W. Umlas IIL SVP interviewing Rodolfo De Acutis Nestle Global PMO R&D Lead.
SPEAKER
Mark Cruth
Atlassian
SPEAKER
Unleashing the Potential of a Distributed Workforce
Mark Cruth
Modern Work Evangelist
Atlassian
About Mark Cruth
Focused on power over theory, Mark is a pragmatic modern work designer and coach. With over a decade of experience experimenting with teamwork practices at places like Boeing, Nordstrom, Charles Schwab, and Rocket Mortgage, Mark’s mission is to inject modern ways of working, transformation mindset, and the power of expert storytelling into everything that he does.
Today Mark works for Atlassian, a company focused on unleashing the potential of every team! Mark spends his days coaching both Atlassian and customer teams on new ways of working, then sharing what he’s learned at events around the world!
About the Presentation
Distributed work is here to stay, so how do we embrace it? When it comes to new ways of working, it’s important to assess ease and practicality to bridge the gap and aid teams to work together collaboratively whilst reducing friction and remaining nimble. This session will be a case study with specific insights into how Atlassian, a leader in distributed teamwork, is developing new practices to nurture connection and ultimately support employee engagement.
Key takeaways:
- Review the ingredients necessary to promote healthy, distributed work in any organization.
- Learn how a 10,000+ person, world-wide company tackled the distributed work problem, showing it’s possible no matter your size.
- Leave with 5 concrete practices that you can introduce into your organization to help make distributed work actually WORK.
Jenn Donahue
Dare to Rise
SPEAKER
Becoming the Warrior: Strategies for Achieving Goals and Dreams
Jenn Donahue
Founder
Dare to Rise
About Jenn Donahue
Jenn Donahue PhD is a retired US Navy Captain and former Commodore for an 1,800 personnel Regiment. She is also an engineer who works on large-scale, high-profile projects. Over her 27-year military career, Jenn has built a bridge across the Euphrates River in the midst of the Iraq war, commanded an 800-personnel Battalion in Afghanistan, and constructed combat outposts in the middle of deserts filled with insurgents.
Along the way she mentored scores of young leaders. Jenn founded JL Donahue Engineering, Inc. and Dare to Rise. She also lectures at UC Berkeley and UCLA.
About the Presentation
You’re stuck. We all have passion-fueled dreams that may seem too bold or too risky. We are continually challenged to meet goals, either the goals of our organization, or the goals we set in our personal life. However, we often feel that our goals and dreams are out of reach, that we are not ready, we don’t have the time, or maybe we’re just not good enough.
In this 45-minute session, Jenn Donahue exposes the reasons you and your team are not moving forward. Many of us struggle with imposter syndrome, self-doubt, the fear of failing, and roadblocks. Jenn has too, many times while leading on the battlefield and in the boardroom.
With her five-step method, developed through scientific research and personal experiences, she provides the audience with the keys to moving forward into their potential. Her story-driven approach underscores the importance of believing in yourself and your team, and what’s needed to reach those unattainable dreams.
Key takeaways:
- Identify the key factors that are holding you and your team back from achieving goals and dreams.
- Analyze the steps to overcome fear, indecision, or disorientation to plan a path for success.
- Assess the benefits of pushing through the obstacles that stand in your team’s way.
Thomas Friend
Bank of America
SPEAKER
Maximizing Team Performance: The Intersection of Brain Chemistry and Team Building
Thomas Friend
Agile Coach
Bank of America
About Thomas Friend
Focused on power over theory, Mark is a pragmatic modern work designer and coach. With over a decade of experience experimenting with teamwork practices at places like Boeing, Nordstrom, Charles Schwab, and Rocket Mortgage, Mark’s mission is to inject modern ways of working, transformation mindset, and the power of expert storytelling into everything that he does.
Today Mark works for Atlassian, a company focused on unleashing the potential of every team! Mark spends his days coaching both Atlassian and customer teams on new ways of working, then sharing what he’s learned at events around the world!
About the Presentation
The success of a team depends on more than just technical skills and expertise. It also relies on the chemistry between team members. The right mix of brain chemicals like Dopamine, Serotonin, and Oxytocin can promote motivation, social bonding, trust, empathy, collaboration, positive energy, and focus, all of which are essential for High Performance Teams. In this presentation, we will explore how understanding the roles of these neurotransmitters in team formation and day-to-day business can help leaders create a team environment that supports positive team dynamics. We will provide practical tips for building a team that is cohesive, productive, and successful. Join us to learn how to maximize team performance by harnessing the power of brain chemistry and team building.
Key takeaways:
- Identify the different brain chemicals that affect team performance, including Dopamine, Serotonin, and Oxytocin, and explain how they impact team dynamics.
- Understand the importance of social bonding, trust, empathy, collaboration, positive energy, and focus on team building, and how they contribute to team success.
- Discuss practical tips and strategies for creating a team environment that supports positive team dynamics and maximizes team performance.
- Analyze the ways in which team members can leverage their knowledge of brain chemistry to optimize their individual contributions and interactions with other team members.
- Develop an action plan for applying the principles and strategies presented to improve team performance and collaboration within your own team.
SPEAKER
Embracing Hybrid Ways of Working
Cyndi Snyder Dionisio
Project, Program & Portfolio Management Lead
International Institute for Learning (IIL)
About Cyndi Snyder Dionisio
Cyndi Snyder Dionisio is the Practice Lead for Portfolios, Programs and Projects at the International Institute for Learning. She has over 25 years of project management experience leading international teams of project professionals. Cyndi is passionate about turning chaos in order, engaging with awesome teams, solving problems, and facilitating achievement.
Ms. Dionisio has extensive experience in training, facilitation, and consulting in the commercial and government sectors. She has written over a dozen books on project management, including PMP prep, project management templates and hybrid project management.
In addition to holding a master’s degree in business, Cyndi’s certifications include PMI’s Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Certified Scrum Master (CSM). Cyndi has received several awards, including PMI’s Distinguished Contribution Award and being named a PMI Fellow in 2018.
About the Presentation
You’re stuck. We all have passion-fueled dreams that may seem too bold or too risky. We are continually challenged to meet goals, either the goals of our organization, or the goals we set in our personal life. However, we often feel that our goals and dreams are out of reach, that we are not ready, we don’t have the time, or maybe we’re just not good enough.
In this 45-minute session, Jenn Donahue exposes the reasons you and your team are not moving forward. Many of us struggle with imposter syndrome, self-doubt, the fear of failing, and roadblocks. Jenn has too, many times while leading on the battlefield and in the boardroom.
With her five-step method, developed through scientific research and personal experiences, she provides the audience with the keys to moving forward into their potential. Her story-driven approach underscores the importance of believing in yourself and your team, and what’s needed to reach those unattainable dreams.
Key takeaways:
- Identify the key factors that are holding you and your team back from achieving goals and dreams.
- Analyze the steps to overcome fear, indecision, or disorientation to plan a path for success.
- Assess the benefits of pushing through the obstacles that stand in your team’s way.
James Trela
General Motors
SPEAKER
Arrows in Your Project Managment Quiver
James Trela
Corporate Staffs Lead Portfolio Manager & Team Lead
General Motors
About James Trela
James Trela has over 25 years of project management experience working with companies in various industries including: automotive, apparel, container manufacturing, electronic data interchange, sales lead management, podcasting, and a few more. Trela has his PMP Certification for PMI, a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Masters of Science in information systems and technology from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from Walsh College of Business and Accountancy. Trela received the 2018 Acknoweledgement Ambassador Award from IIL and the Greatful Leader Certified Professional Certification. Trella lives in southeast Michigan with his wife, his 9 children, and 8 grandchildren.
About the Presentation
Have you ever heard the saying: “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail”? That doesn’t make for much of a carpenter. The more tools you have, and have mastered, the more useful and valuable a carpenter you can be. The same thinking can relate to Project Management. The more tools, methods, and techniques you have to use, like arrows in a quiver, the more projects you can target and complete successfully. But this doesn’t mean that ever PM has the same arrows in their quiver. Like clubs in your golf bag, many people use different tools and techniques to make their shots, and complete the hole successfully. Where I struggle to use a fairway wood, I use my irons quite successfully. My friend, however, cannot his his irons to save his life, so he has a variety of woods to accomplish the same task. Once again, this same metaphor can be applied to project management. Versatility and success in a number of project scenarios comes from mastering a number of tools and techniques, and knowing when and where to apply them.
SPEAKER
Vincent Marguier
Caresilium
SPEAKER
From Risks to Requirements – An Approach to Project Initiation
Vincent Marguier
Manager of Life Sciences Programs & Projects
Vectura Fertin Pharma
About Vincent Marguier
Vincent has 17 years experience in life sciences at various geographical levels as a program/project manager and commercial operations expert who specializes in bridging the gap between strategy and execution, ranging from R&D to commercial. He initially worked 5 years in the machine manufacturing industry where he transitioned from industrialization to IT and management systems, which led him to CRM implementation projects at Cegedim (now IQVIA). Following a stint in consulting, he joined the pharma industry and worked in specialty pharma (Vifor Pharma), rare diseases (Shire, Pfizer) and most recently in inhalable solutions (Vectura Fertin Pharma). Vincent holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Grenoble INP in France and both PRINCE2 and PMP certifications. He currently lives in Switzerland.
About the Presentation
Most project managers know that risk management is a dynamic component of any project, where risks (but also opportunities) must constantly be assessed and monitored to deliver in the most successful way. But how can the Project Manager develop a ‘risk’ mindset within the project team? By kicking off a project with a Risks & Opportunities Assessment session! Such team building activities allow team members to share their own perspective based on their expertise, thus highlighting both the risk dependencies and the mitigation strategies that will pave the way to product requirements. Starting from the end user and all the stakeholders involved in the project, with a couple of high-level hypotheses, and using risk assessment techniques, we will explore a simple and original approach that will provide a strong basis for the project initiation, while forming the team and defining the workstreams in the most effective way.
Key takeaways:
- Learn a different, engaging way to kick off a project.
- Make risk management an integral part of the project culture.
- Build and empower the project team and keep it both aligned and focused.
- Help to define product requirements in a more contextual way.
Bob Umlas
IIL
SPEAKER
Excel Tips & Tricks You Probably Haven’t Seen Before
Bob Umlas
Excel Consultant & Trainer
International Institute for Learning (IIL)
About Bob Umlas
Bob Umlas worked for a major tax and accounting firm, using Microsoft Excel® 8 hours a day, writing custom applications for staff and clients from 1998 to 2018.
He has been using Excel since 1986 and was voted an “MVP” (Most Valuable Professional) by Microsoft each year from 1994-2018 (25 years!) for his contributions to the various online Forums about Excel and is known world-wide as the Excel Legend.
He is also the technical editor of many of Bill Jelen’s books. He has trained people around the world, mostly on tips & tricks!
About the Presentation
In the Excel Tips and Tricks session, you will learn things which will reduce your time doing things you do frequently. These tips have wowed audiences worldwide, including companies’ Excel experts. For example, how would you insert a row between every row (double-spacing) a sheet with 5,000 rows in under 10 seconds? Ideas which will open your eyes to “think outside the box” will be presented. You will wish you had known these things years ago!
Key takeaways:
- Use Excel more efficiently.
- Have a more enjoyable experience using Excel.
- Spend less time doing what you already do.
