Speaker Spotlight: Terri Dickson, PMP

Leading up to the Project World and World Congress for Business Analysts conference, we're featuring the outstanding bios of some of our speakers. Today let's take a look at Terri Dickson, PMP, Program Manager, External Mandates & Compliance Implementation, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Owings Mills, MD.

A Project Management Professional since 2005, Terri has over 10 years of project management experience combined with 20+ years of experience in Information Technology, Health Care Insurance and Government contracts. In 2009, she accepted a position that took her from managing large scale projects with daily face-to-face team contact to a totally virtual team environment – literally overnight.

Terri will be presenting "Soft Skills in a Virtual Team Environment" on Wednesday November 16th 2011 in the From Project Manager to Project Leader track at Project World. You’ve mastered the art of soft skills with your team. You’re able to recognize every nuance of body language and team interaction and now your next assignment is managing a totally virtual team. What now?

Transitioning your soft skills to an environment without face-to-face contact can be daunting. Learn how to leverage your soft skills and communication skills to become an effective virtual team leader.

In this session you will explore:
• Transitioning soft skills from a face-to-face to a virtual team environment
• How to be an effective virtual Team Leader
• Tips and Tools for effective (and clear) communications and how to avoid the pitfalls that occur in a virtual environment

Learn more about Project World and the World Congress for Business Analysts by downloading the brochure here. Readers of our blog receive an exclusive 15% discount off the standard registration rate with code PW11BLOG. Register here.

Speaker Spotlight: Paul A. Capello, P.M.P.

Leading up to the Project World and World Congress for Business Analysts conference, we're featuring the outstanding bios of some of our speakers. Today let's take a look at Paul A. Capello, PMP, Project Office Manager, Bayfront Health Systems. Paul will be presenting "Managing the Increase in ARRA-Focused Projects: A Real Success Story with the Bayfront PMO Workbook" on Monday, November 14, 2011 in the Annual PMO Summit.

Bayfront Medical Center has established a Project Management Office to facilitate, educate and demonstrate Project Management principles and methodologies. Bayfront Medical has realized the benefits of putting work into projects within the organization; however the large number of projects and the complexity of the projects have resulted in difficulties around collaboration and communication. As the organization tries to transform itself from a reactive organization to a proactive organization and realize efficiencies and cost savings to meet the needs of an evolving marketplace certain tools are created. Thus, the project workbook was born.

In this session you'll learn:
• How to effectively communicate across project teams using a project workbook
• How to have Project Milestones documented
• How to introduce team members to Project Management methodologies

Paul Capello has extensive experience in a wide range of project management duties involving high technology systems development and integration projects, with particular expertise in project leadership and cost and schedule management. Paul is conversant with state-of-the-art technologies and complex technical subjects.

Paul’s recent activities include project management training and mentoring, project management presentations to large groups, leading a 35 person software development team to achieve client acceptance of a client/server budgeting system, writing a complete project management methodology for a health system, developing and delivering a 5 day project management training course, writing a software development methodology, managing a software engineering department and project teams delivering real-time embedded machine control systems, developing recommendations to strengthen a company's software development methodology, using MS-Project to provide planning and performance tracking for a large healthcare clinical implementation project, developing a scalable methodology to tailor project management disciplines to projects of different size and complexity, and conducting training courses in project management.

Prior to that, Paul was an IT manager and financial manager providing project management support to a multi-million dollar integrated software and hardware development project for Avco Financial.

In 2000, Paul was certified as a Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institute. Paul also sat on the Board of Directors for PMI South Florida from 1999-2003. Paul has recently been lauded in the Metropolitan Who's Who for Project Management.

To hear from Paul join us this November PW&WCBA! Learn more about Project World and the World Congress for Business Analysts by downloading the brochure here. Readers of our blog receive an exclusive 15% discount off the standard registration rate with code PW11BLOG. Register here.

Friday Flicks: "What The Heck is a Tech Nowist?"

Carlos Dominguez is a Senior Vice President in Cisco’s Office of the Chairman of the Board and CEO and a technology evangelist, speaking to and motivating audiences worldwide about how technology is changing how we communicate, collaborate, and especially how we work.

He describes himself not as a "futurist," but as a "Tech Nowist," which is to say someone who is interested in understanding what technology is available today and then using it to it's best advantage.

Dominguez will be presenting the keynote presentation "Becoming a Change Maker: What Technology Can Do to Bring You into the Future" on Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 at Project World and the World Congress for Business Analysts. In this session you'll gain insights on how to become a change-maker and create a culture that’s adaptable, agile and understanding of the virtual and global work environment and how you can leverage technology to advance your projects, portfolios and value to your organization.

Check out this video for a sneak peek of his presentation style:


To get started on improving your collaboration technique now, try these seven tips from a post on his blog:

1. Experiment – Many large enterprises have very strict processes and guidelines on the adoption of new company-wide technology deployments. I suggest adopting an approach of experimentation. Without experimentation you may miss a game changing technology.
2. Start Small – Engage in three to four small technology deployments and see what works.
3. Measure / Learn – At the onset of these experiments make sure you figure out a way to capture and measure the impact of these technologies. The data/results are key in gaining support from the executive team.
4. Executive Sponsor – Find an executive sponsor who is interested in technology or can gain the most from it. Keep them informed on a regular basis.
5. Expect Failure - Not everything will work. Keep documentation on what failed and why.
6. Trust – This is one of the key things to understand. Nothing replaces face-to-face meetings. The key human characteristic that enables or hinders collaboration is trust. Technologies like high definition video will have a significant impact on trust since facial expressions and body language are recognized. That makes HD video a valuable tool if the teams have never met or if their personal relationships are limited. Inversely, audio conferencing has very little impact on building trust. Use the right tool for the job!
7. Inside/Outside Company – To maximize the potential of any collaboration effort, consider how to get people outside your company to participate. Consider suppliers, partners and customers as potential participants and contributors. Some great things may happen!

Read the whole post here for more.

To learn more about Project World and the World Congress for Business Analysts, download the brochure here. Readers of our blog receive an exclusive 15% discount off the standard registration rate with code PW11BLOG. Register here.

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Project World November Keynote: Vincent Cirel SVP / CIO Norwegian Cruise Line

Vincent Cirel
SVP / CIO
Norwegian Cruise Line

Vincent Cirel joined Norwegian Cruise Line in March 2008. As Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Cirel is responsible for all aspects of Business and Information Technology, including both tactical operations and strategic planning.

Before joining NCL, Cirel served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Regent Seven Seas Cruises. After joining Regent as its first Chief Information Officer, Cirel built a world-class IT organization facilitating the systems and process requirements to fuel the Regent brand expansion. Cirel also served as a key member of the executive team facilitating the Apollo acquisition of Regent. Prior to joining Regent, Cirel served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Grand Expeditions (GEI). As VP/CIO, he was a key contributor to the M&A activities of GEI as a roll-up of eight global luxury travel brands.

Biography courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Lines

Project World June Speaker: Linda Jacobs Washington, Assistant Secretary for Administration, U.S Department of Transportation

On May 25, 2007, Linda Jacobs Washington was appointed as the Assistant Secretary for Administration. In this capacity, Ms. Washington serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Transportation on all matters relating to the organization and management of the Department and provides leadership in the delivery of centralized services to the Department's 10 operating administrations through a working capital fund. These services include human resources, security, transportation services, printing and graphics, mail, facilities, and procurement and grants programs. She was responsible for the planning and relocation of the Department to its new headquarters building in 2007. Ms. Washington joined the Department in May 2003 as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration.

Ms. Washington came to DOT after spending 9 years at the Library of Congress as the Director of Integrated Support Services (ISS). She began her career at the Library of Congress in 1994 as Chief of the Photo duplication Service, which provides microfilming services for the preservation of all of the Library's collections. As Director of ISS, she managed support operations, which included contracts and logistics, printing and mail operations, health and safety services, and facilities operations. She was the Library of Congress Designated Agency Safety and Health Official (DASHO) and the Library's Emergency Manager. As the DASHO, Ms. Washington managed critical incidents, including the 9/11 and anthrax emergencies.

In August 1997, she was asked to develop the Library's Internal University (IU) to provide training and education programs for the more than 4,000 employees of the Library of Congress. The IU's mission is to improve the Library's productivity, performance, and service to the Congress and the American public by developing management and work force knowledge and skills that promote individual and organizational excellence in support of the Library's strategic objectives. Since developing the IU, Ms. Washington implemented a Library-wide training program entitled "Facilitative Leadership", a methodology that empowers staff to work together to achieve common goals. She is also a trained facilitator and master trainer.

Prior to joining the Library of Congress, Ms. Washington spent 12 years with Xerox Corporation holding various sales and marketing positions, the last of which was in management with Xerox Business Services where she demonstrated skill at achieving customer satisfaction while meeting business goals. While at Xerox, Ms. Washington also received the President's Club Award and the Par Club Award. The team she led won one of the highest Xerox awards, "Team Excellence".

In 2003, Ms. Washington was appointed by Secretary Ann Veneman of the United States Department of Agriculture to the Board of the Department's Graduate School. Ms. Washington was honored by the Washington, DC, Chapter of the Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS), as the 2005 recipient of their Diversity Award, in Recognition of Outstanding Leadership in Transportation. The WTS, founded in 1977, is an international organization dedicated to the professional advancement of women in transportation. Ms. Washington is the Vice Chair of the Local Federal Coordinating Committee for the Combined Federal Campaign’s National Capital Region. Ms. Washington also represents the Secretary of Transportation on the Federal Council on Arts and Humanities.

In October 2007, Linda Washington was selected by the President as a recipient of the prestigious Presidential Rank Award for her leadership, professionalism and commitment to excellence in public service.

And most recently in March 2008, Ms. Washington was honored during Women’s History Month with the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Ms. Washington holds a bachelor's and master's degree from Morgan State University and the University of North Texas, respectively. She is a native of Annapolis, Maryland and has been married for 37 years to former Dallas Cowboy defensive back, Mark Washington. The Washington’s have one daughter, Lisa, who is married to David Noguera. They also have two granddaughters: Kaiya Alexis, and Reece Gabriella.

Thank you to the Department of Transportation for their gracious biography.

Find out more about our Project World 2009 June Event.