Project Management Regional Conference 2022 Held in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The 8th Project Management Regional Conference was hosted in Thiruvananthapuram, by the Kerala chapter of Project Management Institute, the world’s leading for-purpose professional membership association for the project management profession.

The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Beyond the finish line – Towards sustainability’, with Dr. Kiran Bedi, the first women IPS officer in India gracing the occasion and the keynote addresses from Jennifer Tharp, Chair, PMI Board of Directors. The conference was attended by close to 350 project professionals from across South Asia.

The day-long conference was packed with insightful sessions from industry stalwarts like Shri Umamaheswaran R., distinguished scientist & Director HSFC, ISRO, Sreekanth K Arimanithaya, Global Talent and Enablement Services Leader, EY Global Delivery Services, Rich Maltzman, Co-Founder, EarthPM, Anand Malligavad, Lake Conservationist, and many others.

It was kicked off with Jennifer Tharp highlighting the role project management can play in combating global issues like climate change, followed by Shri Umamaheswaran R. speaking on the need for programs, projects, and missions to have sustainability imbibed at the core. Sreekanth Arimanithaya left the audience enthralled with his session on ambidextrous leadership to drive transformation and embrace change and agility. Other panelists such as Saveen Hegde, Founder, Unbox Experience spoke on the importance of bringing new thinking to existing workflows while Rich Maltzman expanded on proven techniques and best practices in green project management, including risk and opportunity assessments. While Anand Malligavad spoke about the utility of the project management skills he learnt previously in his conservation efforts, Dr. Kiran Bedi capped off the final session of the day by sharing experiences of how projects have always been an intrinsic part of her professional journey.

Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Srini Srinivasan, Regional Managing Director – South Asia, PMI, said, “We are privileged to host this conference in God’s own country with PMI Kerala Chapter. The focus on sustainability today, calls for a paradigm shift in our approach towards project management, where performance will be based on economic as well as social and environmental parameters.”

The PMI Kerala Chapter has been at the forefront of creating meaningful conversations and leading path-breaking initiatives that truly deliver social impact. The chapter pledged more than 14,000 hours to the UNGC Hours of Impact* campaign, contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals through regional social initiatives such as UDAAN, which sponsors education for over 600 underprivileged students and Sarvam Organic, which saw over 300 students come together to plant saplings and improve their immediate surroundings.