Interviewer: Martin Härri, PMP®, PMI-SP®, PMI-ACP®, Director Corporate Relationships PMI Switzerland Chapter
The PMI Swiss Corporate Networking Group (SCNG) is quite a unique organization within PMI, as very few chapters have a formal network which unites not project professionals, but company representatives. The SCNG was created back in 2010 and is bringing together representatives of over 20 organizations based in Switzerland to share best practices and experiences about project management topics of relevance to their companies. More about the PMI SCNG can be found here.
We are publishing portraits of the SCNG members in the newsletter, with a focus on the points that matter most to PMI members. We hope you will enjoy this new series of articles, and we are looking forward to your feedback.
Company: PostFinance Ltd. 
SCNG member since: February 2020
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“Stefan and Didier, can you tell us a few words about yourself, and how you got into your current position?”
Stefan: Working as a Service and Project Manager in the banking and IT industry for large transformation projects, I took over the responsibility for the Innovation and Agile Delivery Team at PostFinance in 2019. Additionally, I am lecturer for economics and project management in higher technical courses and postgraduate studies.
Didier: I am working at PostFinance since 2007. After a couple of years as a team leader, I initiated the largest transformation initiative of PostFinance, the replacement of the Core Banking System, in the role of project/program manager. After the successful introduction of the new system, I took the role of Head of Project Portfolio Management, which was then a new role in the company.
“What kind of projects does PostFinance have?”
We have an average of 180 running projects of different sizes at all times. The goal of these projects is manyfold:
- We want to ensure that our customers are getting the best service and offers possible. We therefore continuously increase our product palette and improve the customer experience (e.g., through Digital Transformations).
- Some other projects ensure Business Continuity, such as system upgrades.
- Being in a highly regulated environment, we also have many projects fulfilling these external requirements.
“How do you govern projects at PostFinance?”
Projects can be started at any time but need to go through quarterly gates to get the approval of the resources. This is done centrally by the portfolio management to ensure that the projects with the highest business values get implemented. Processes are defined for the execution, still leaving some freedom to the project managers.
“Which methodology do you apply when implementing projects?”
We apply an agile framework based on SAFe, but tailored to the needs of PostFinance, the "Enterprise Agile Delivery" framework. It covers processes, practices, roles, and methodological guardrails to scale agility in our large company and within the different programs. This said, it does not limit to classic project management tasks and roles but comprises the complete journey from solution ideation to rollout and maintenance.
“In the area of project management, what are the main strengths of PostFinance in your opinion?”
With the lift-and-shift of PostFinance's project management from a classic to an agile framework, we are continuously enhancing the framework to the new business units and stakeholder needs. We also permanently explore improvements in our way of working (e.g., closer alignment with strategy, data driven initiatives or financing processes).
“Where do you see the challenges/opportunities and trends for project managers at PostFinance in the coming years?”
With the agile change, the role of the projects manager is changing from a process administrator to a servant leader with a higher need of know-how in IT and Business.
As new technologies, such as AI, are incorporated into our processes and services, project leads must be able to successfully deal with both the tools and agile exploration of new business opportunities.
“Why should talented project managers and officers work for PostFinance?”
The financial industry is at the forefront when it comes to the application of new technologies. PostFinance lives an agile, daring, and independent working culture at eye level with management and customers.
Interested? Figure out openings in PostFinance project management on link.