2023 Virtual Sessions Speakers
There are two ways to participate in PD Days 2023: 1) Virtually - there will be ten virtual sessions (between 1-1.5 hours each) spread over the month of May, including a virtual keynote speaker; 2) In-person: there will also be an in-person full-day workshop held in Moncton on May 23rd, followed by an in-person networking event.
1) Carmel Teasdale
Keynote: Change Management for Agile Projects
Monday, May 1 at 7 pm
Abstract:
Change Management for Agile Projects - How do you find the Delta? Change Management is all about bridging the gap between how things use to be and how they will be for clients. But what happens in an Agile Project, where the focus is on the future? ​In the end, the change management deliverables stay the same, but how we get there is different.
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Bio:
Carmel Teasdale has the privilege of working 20+ years building and implementing company-wide change management programs for multi-year corporate transformations in public and private sectors. She also has experience in creating and implementing communications strategies and employee engagement infrastructures for organizations with thousands of employees across North America.
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She has managed projects to develop mission, vision, corporate structure, governance and branding for in-hour services and led projects to develop service models, both for ITIL4 ITSM and IT Operations and SaaS service delivery models. She led a team of senior managers to develop a five-year strategic plan for a five-year multi-billion-dollar organization and another team of subject matter experts to create a 20-year demand plan.
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Carmel started her change management career working for a music festival (yes, change management is everywhere) and currently works as a Senior Consultant for CGI. She has presented at Change Management and Customer Care conferences and is excited for any opportunity to apply the change management lens to project management. She is proud to say that she achieved her PMP designation in 2020 (which felt much harder than a thesis at times).
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Originally from Antigonish, Nova Scotia and resident of Fredericton, NB, she's a proud alum of St. Francis Xavier University, University of New Brunswick, and Mount Saint Vincent University. ​
1.5 PDUs (Power Skills)
2) Troy Wallace
"Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Ignite Everyone’s Intelligence"
Wednesday, May 3 at 12 pm
Abstract:
There’s far more intelligence and energy inside organizations than we realize. Leaders are key to unlocking these capabilities. This session is an Executive Overview of FranklinCovey’s solution that enables leaders to become Multipliers who:
• Access and use the untapped capabilities on their teams.
• Rekindle energy and enthusiasm as teams achieve stronger results.
• Innovate by encouraging new and bold thinking.
• Breakthrough to new levels of performance by amplifying people’s intelligence. Multipliers deliver stronger results as people grow and teams excel.
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Bio:
As a Client Partner, Troy works for FranklinCovey bringing World-Class solutions on Performance Improvement, Leadership Development and Execution of Strategic Initiative to Atlantic Canada.
Troy was a Client Facilitator of FranklinCovey content for 9 years. He has facilitated workshops on Leading at the Speed of Trust, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The 4 Essential Roles of Leadership, Helping Clients Succeed (Sales Content) and was an Implementation Coach for The 4 Disciplines of Execution. Prior to FranklinCovey, Troy was a Manager, Corporate Trainer, Coach, Sales Manager and Sales Professional. Troy is the father of 2 teenagers, husband and lives and works from Sussex, New Brunswick.
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Please note, this session will not be available as a recording.
1.5 PDUs (Power Skills)
3) Alexandra Chapman
"How Project People Can Use Outcomes Thinking to Deliver High Value”
Thursday, May 4 at 7 pm
Abstract:
When projects fail, the finger usually unfairly points at the project manager, even though most projects fail because they are poorly conceived or lack clarity in what they intend to achieve. In this session, Alex will walk you through a complex transformation project to give a practical example of the three-step Outcomes Thinking technique - "Brain on the page", "Jigsaw Puzzle Sort", and finally "When we are successful”. You will learn how Outcomes Thinking was used to help the PMO and project managers align their execution strategy and projects to deliver a "working just future" and business value.
Bio:
Alex has been a project manager and project fixer for over 40 years, helping organizations achieve their goals and deliver results. Her expertise in Outcomes Thinking techniques is highly regarded worldwide, and she is committed to equipping every project professional with these skills. Alex has collaborated with major corporations in Australia, the UK, The Netherlands, and Denmark. She earned a Master of Business Administration from Cranfield School of Management in the UK and currently teaches Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Melbourne University's post-graduate level.
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1 PDU (Power Skills)
4) Edoye Thomas
"Why do most projects fail in developing countries? Lessons learned from a change management perspective"
Tuesday, May 9 at 7 pm
Abstract:
One of the critical indicators of development is having effective and efficient systems and processes within a state. There is the general question of why do projects fail in developing nations especially Africa? There is plethora of reasons to explain this current reality, but the focus of the presentation will dwell on the role of culture in project implementation. It will connect the dots on how and why individual, organizational and national culture is responsible for the failures of most of the projects in developing nations with emphasis on Nigeria.
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Bio:
Thomas Edoye is an HR and change management professional who has built most of his experiences in the public sector. He was part of the project team that implemented the automation of Nigeria's national tax authority Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) core Human Capital Management operations through the implementation of the Remedial SAP ERP Module/ Solutions. The Deliverables of the Project includes a more accurate Personnel Records, Detailed Organizational Structure, Automated Leave Administration System, Electronically maintain and process Training Plan, Recruitment and Personal Development/ Performance Management which was successfully rollout through the implementation of a nationwide change management activities for adoption by all staff of the Service. He led the change management stream in the implementation of two other projects which are the Call Center Project designed to provide customer centric services to taxpayers and the Cultural Realignment Project.
He is currently an MBA student at the University of New Brunswick Canada. He is a volunteer at the YMCA Saint John and works with InclusionNB as Job Coach to high school students with disabilities to prepare them for transition to the workforce.
1 PDU (Ways of Working)
5) Kristian Bainey
“Supercharge Your Project Management Skills with ChatGPT Practical Prompts: A Guide for Project Managers”
Thursday, May 11 at 7 pm
Abstract:
Ready to revolutionize your project management skills? Join us as we dive into the world of ChatGPT, an incredibly powerful language model that's about to become your new best friend in assisting you in managing projects! We'll start with a warm introduction to ChatGPT, giving you the fundamentals on what it is and how it works. Then, we'll take you on a journey to explore its incredible abilities it can help with in project management in seconds with the correct prompts.
We'll show you how ChatGPT can make the foundation of project documentation like a business case or project charter a breeze for you to customize like a pro saving you endless hours We'll also demonstrate how it can help you create summarizations, decision making analysis, critical paths, cause-and-effect diagrams, prioritize work and allocated resources, ROI, Earned value management, power/interest grids, agile user stories in no time.
Bio:
Kristian Bainey, an accomplished professional with over 15 years of diverse and progressively responsible Information Technology (IT) experience, demonstrates a remarkable combination of technical expertise and leadership skills. He holds a master's degree in information systems, a bachelor's degree, and a diploma in Information Systems and Computer Systems Technology. Additionally, Kristian is PMP, SCRUM/Agile, Prosci, ITIL certified, and soon to be AI certified. These qualities enable him to efficiently direct or manage IT projects, portfolios, and change initiatives. His experience spans the application of PMI-PMBOK, PROSCI Change Management, and Agile/SCRUM methodologies and extends to digital transformation project development in areas such as AI, ML, DevOps, and IoT. Currently, Kristian is specializing in artificial intelligence and data science within the context of project management.
Kristian has successfully managed technical delivery and provided IT project management and leadership across multiple diverse projects using SAP tools Enterprise ERP’s such as Oracle NetSuite, Agile/Iterative SCRUM software delivery practices, technical SOA architectures, object-oriented analysis and programming in an N-tier development environment.
Currently, Kristian holds the position of President-Elect for the Northern Alberta PMI Chapter (PMINAC).
Please note, this session will not be available as a recording.
1 PDU (Ways of Working)
6) Glynis E. Devine
"Pushing the RIGHT Buttons"
Monday, May 15 at 12 pm
Abstract:
This is the time for strong leadership as we navigate this unique business landscape the endemic
presents. Four of the five biggest challenges reported to keep senior Project Management leaders up at night are people problems. Are you like them?
The pandemic accelerated everything including a talent shortage that is estimated to lead to trillions of
dollars of unrealized annual revenues. The challenge with constant resource reductions is to get the
most out of your human capital without draining them. Your people ARE your most valuable asset.
Today, senior leaders are finding sustainable results by non-monetary drivers of peak performance that matter outside of a pay cheque.
Project Management leaders who recognize and leverage these drivers are:
• Hiring the right talent
• Improving their people’s performance and productivity
• Developing strong leaders who take ownership of the organization’s success.
Teams who leverage these drivers become more valuable to all stakeholders. In this hands-on journey, we’ll co-create a blueprint to identify and leverage your organization’s performance drivers to build a lasting and successful enterprise.
Primary Learning Points
• Understand why a pay cheque alone isn’t enough to attract and keep top talent
• Discover lesser-known and highly impactful non-monetary drivers
• Design a blueprint of creative ways to leverage these drivers for peak performance
• Increase your visibility and value to stakeholders
• Generate sustainable success for you and your organization.
Bio:
Glynis E. Devine works with organizations to take their women leaders to the next level. She is the President and Chief Empowerment Officer (CEO) of She-Suite Leaders, an organization of solutionists dedicated to getting more women into C-Suite roles.
She draws on the wisdom she gleaned as Senior Sales Director in a multinational organization in the cosmetic industry; her ability to lead a team dedicated to “relationships that last” put them in the top 25 of 350 teams across Canada for more than 25 years.
In addition to leading her own organization from the age of 20, she has served on the National Board of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (canadianspeakers.org). She trains female ‘high potential’ leaders in Saudi Arabia for Vision 2030. She is also certified in Core Motive - a psychometric that measures why people do what they do.
1.5 PDUs (Power Skills)
7) Danny Kane
"Advanced Small Modular Reactors Development"
Wednesday, May 17 at 7 pm
Abstract:
Since 2018, New Brunswick has been making progress towards the development and deployment of advanced small modular reactors – the next generation of nuclear technology. Development of these innovative clean energy technologies represents a significant opportunity to help New Brunswick, Canada, and other countries around the world reduce carbon emissions. In this webinar, Danny Kane, Project Manager at NB Power, will provide an overview of advanced small modular reactor development activities.​
Bio:
Danny Kane is an Industry leader with over 30 years of experience across multiple industries such as power transmission & generation, steel fabrication, mining, oil pipeline facilities, pulp & paper, and design build highway with focus on critical risks, controls and success factors for project development and implementation. Danny has been part of the development and implementation of complex projects involving multiple companies and rigid deadline parameters, fostering strong ties and open lines of communications with Rightsholders, external stakeholders, joint venture partners, clients, regulatory authorities, construction companies and internal stakeholders. Danny is currently with NB Power Corporate Project Management Office.
1 PDU (Ways of Working)
8) Munaf Abdea
"Project Management for Finance Teams"
Thursday, May 25 at 7 pm
Abstract:
This session aims to enhance your ability to leveraging power skills and project management practices to improve successful outcomes in finance related projects.
Bio:
Munaf has over 12 years professional experience working on various projects related to implementation of solutions, collaboration on business development, and project team building. He has worked in finance, consulting, and human resource industries. He has experience working in a shared service model to build centre of excellence for teams.
1 PDU (Power Skills)
9) Kevin McGowan
"The Paper Podcast"
Monday, May 29 at 12 pm
Abstract:
"The Paper Podcast" which runs folks through the entire process of developing a podcast for their business, non-profit, or hobby. So many people start with an exciting idea, and lose steam once they realize the work involved. Over the course of the workshop, the whole audience will work collaboratively to develop a realistic project plan for their podcast show.
Bio:
Kevin McGowan has worked as a Project Manager for nearly 3 decades. That’s a lot of projects. One of his specialties is in the Learning and Education space. He has developed everything from technical documentation for telecom switches to basic computing primers for the Canadian judiciary, from college-level Writing and Marketing programs to life-saving opioid awareness programs. He dedicates much of his time supporting organizations so they can better understand how to plan Learning Projects using standard Project Management methodologies.
His other primary specialty is working with small organizations who need Project Management expertise, in the high-tech and non-profit sectors. Not every organization can afford to have a full-time Project Manager on staff, so Kevin works with organizations who could use a hand getting organized and running their projects more efficiently.
A Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM), he currently works as a Senior Project Manager with EOS Nation, helping develop corporate level objectives and coaching development teams on using appropriate Agile and Scrum methodologies. He also sits on the board of Voicefound, an Ottawa-based non-profit organization. And he also does training and speaking engagements for global audiences.
1 PDU (Power Skills)
10) Shahin Faal
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Project Management”
Wednesday, May 31 at 7 pm
Abstract:
In this session you will learn how to utilize AI in project management. This includes reviewing the benefits, PM tools that incorporate AI, examples of AI used in projects, as well as the challenges and future of AI in project management.
Bio:
Shahin is a highly skilled project manager and architect, with a deep passion for creating both functional and visually appealing architectural solutions. With over ten years of experience in the industry, he has developed a sharp eye for detail and has earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the Islamic Azad University of Mashhad. He also holds a Master's degree in Project and Construction Management from Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, and a Master's in Organizational Management from Crandall University, Moncton, Canada.
Shahin is a registered member of both the Architects' Association of New Brunswick and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and is committed to adhering to professional and ethical standards in his work. Throughout his career, he has excelled in a range of roles, including architect, project manager, and implementation coordinator. He has worked on a wide variety of projects, ranging from small-scale renovations to large-scale developments worth millions of dollars.
1 PDU (Ways of Working)