Speaker interviews from APM Conference 2011 [Video]

You have a chance to hear from a selection of key speakers from this year’s APM Project Management Conference held in London last month by watching a selection of video interviews.

APM took time out from a very successful and productive event by interviewing some of the profession’s most senior figures at the new world, new project management themed conference, where they discussed the challenges that face project and programme mangers now and in the future.

APM spoke to Professor Eddie Obeng (pictured), who won the Sir Monty Finniston lifetime achievement award at the APM Awards dinner, and Michel Thiry, managing partner of Valense Ltd, who opened and closed the conference respectively. Eddie outlines how project managers can manage the big challenge of dealing with change, while Michel discusses how projects need to be reintegrated into the organisation with operations and strategy to form a whole.

Featuring alongside Jeremey Beeton, director general of the Government Olympic Executive, in the ‘working with business’ stream was Tim Banfield, David Ackland and Julian Foster. Tim, director at the National Audit Office, discusses how projects should be set up for success while David, head of PPM Profession at the Home Office, outlines the UK Government’s drive towards successful major projects. Julian Foster, who is programme director at BAA Heathrow, uncovers the three fundamental topics that aided in the transformation of the UK’s busiest airport.

Simon Henley, president at Europrop International GmbH (EPI), discusses the skills and approaches needed to deliver complex projects and deal with change. Simon featured in the ‘growing professionalism’ stream at the conference along with Sarah Craig, head of Business Programmes at Telefónica UK - O2, who identifies the important role that programme and project professionals play in leading teams that will ultimately deliver value. Simon and Sarah were also joined by Edward Bickham, who is a consultant, Trustee of the Institute of Business Ethics and former executive vice president of Anglo American plc. Edward discussed the social and ethical dimension in delivering major projects in developing countries.

All of the speakers at the conference were contributing to the new world, new project management theme that looked at how the profession will rise to the challenges of the new world - climate change, technological advances, globalisation, social networks, public health, security and economic regeneration and growth. The challenges require fundamentally new ways of making sense and shaping a world we neither control, nor fully understand. Professor Darren Dalcher, director and founder of the National Centre for Project Management, chaired the conference and was able to ‘set the scene’ at the beginning of the day and outline the main issues facing project and programme professionals in the new world.

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