Most of us cannot answer those three questions quickly. That is not a failure of professionalism. It is the predictable result of running a portfolio on numbers that are assembled by hand, arrive late, and are never quite owned by anyone. 

Two cost drivers you already know. Three you do not. 

Everyone in this profession knows the project that collapses entirely, and the one that simply keeps costing more than anyone promised. Total failure and cost overrun. Both are loud, both get a post-mortem, and every organisation can name examples. 

The other three cost drivers are quiet. They never appear in a business case and nobody books them to an account. They burn more of your profit than you would believe. In Zurich I will name all five and I will assess the size of each. 

Additionally, they are not five separate problems. They form a loop: each one feeds the next, so repairing a single driver lets the other four quietly refill it. That is why one more reporting tool, or one more governance workshop, does not solve the whole problem.

Who is telling you this

I am CEO and founder of Change Factory AG in Lucerne. We run PPM assessments, redesign processes and governance, and implement PQFORCE as sales and implementation partner of INTRASOFT AG. Together we are Gold Sponsors of this conference.

Before that I look back on fifteen years in international infrastructure at GE Capital, AOL Germany and Telefónica Germany, in director, board and CTO roles. That is where I learned what a portfolio costs when nobody keeps the overview. I hold a Dipl.-Ing. in computer engineering and an M.Sc. in Strategic Management, and I am the author of a book on board strategy and performance management in Swiss mid-sized companies. 

The software behind the answers 

PQFORCE is a Swiss-built platform for managing projects, portfolios of projects, resources and the costs behind them in a single place. It is the flagship product of INTRASOFT, a Swiss SaaS provider building software since 1992. That experience now runs through PQFORCE, giving project teams and leadership a shared, real-time view of where a project portfolio stands. 

For banks, cantonal administrations, hospitals, industrial and construction firms across Switzerland and the DACH region, data sovereignty is not a marketing argument, but a requirement. That is exactly why PQFORCE is built and hosted entirely in Switzerland. 

What you will leave with 

A way to assess your own projects and portfolios honestly. An understanding of how the five drivers reinforce each other. And a method to calculate what they cost you in total, so you can put the break-even of digitalised PPM in front of your management with figures that hold up. 

Before you come 

Session details and time are here: https://pmi-switzerland.ch/events/pm-conference#Sessions

And bring one figure with you: what your portfolio spent last year on projects that never delivered their benefit case. An estimate is enough. Change Factory and PQFORCE share a booth throughout the day — bring that figure over and we will work out what the rest of the loop costs you.

Not willing to wait until 29 October? We run the same calculation with your own figures in thirty minutes: https://calendly.com/changefactory/30min  

Find us at our shared PQFORCE and Change Factory booth, open all day if you want to keep the conversation going after the talk. 

Take back control: we are waiting for you on 29 October at SIX Convention Point in Zurich.

Every other month, the Curator’s Pick brings you selected learning content from the PMI library. Each article spotlights one key topic drawn from PMI focus areas, PMI Switzerland Members’ Choice, or emerging trends.

While AI is a great tool for managing complexity, it’s simultaneously one of the many drivers of project complexity. Combine this with factors like working with interconnected stakeholders, collaborating with distributed teams, or even regulatory uncertainty, and you find yourself in a place where complexity in projects is no longer the exception. It’s become the rule. 

This begs the question: if complexity is becoming the norm when it comes to project environments, what do project professionals need to do differently to navigate it successfully?

With complexity being one of the many threats to project success (with reportedly almost a third of complex projects reaching failure), it’s important to recognize the signs of complexity early.

The PMI’s 2026 Pulse of the Profession report explains complexity by clearly defining it as an unpredictable and dynamic interaction of interdependencies. It then goes on to outline the three dimensions where complexity originates, as well as the factors that drive it. It wraps up by showing the negative impacts it can have on projects and the best practices project professionals can use to navigate complexity and ensure project success. After reading this report, you might find yourself viewing things through a different lens and asking yourself questions like, “Is the complexity structural, or is it external?”

Once you’ve identified complexity, you may find yourself having to make decisions in ambiguous situations. After all, complexity and ambiguity go hand in hand. Our next resource, Training Manual for Managing Complexities and Ambiguities in Projects, lays out decision-making in two parts. The first part is especially valuable, helping project professionals assess their own tolerance for ambiguity and their desire to work in complex environments. The second part shares how project professionals can master emotional capability and leverage critical thinking as well as organizational resources to make effective decisions in ambiguous situations.  

Even after making effective decisions, many project professionals face the complexity of leading without the formal authority needed to implement and enforce those decisions. Our Project HEADWAY webinar series includes an Influence Without Authority session, which addresses the challenges of leading without authority, how to exercise influence, as well as how to build a personal influence strategy to optimize your approach in various situations. 

But what’s really intriguing is that AI can either be a tool used to drive success or be a driver of project failure. It can handle complex work better, yet increases complexity by creating new dependencies and uncertainty. This all depends on how it’s used (or not used) by teams. The Built for Complexity: How AI is Redefining Project Success webinar shows how creating an action plan for AI-enabled project delivery can accelerate learning and help manage risks. It also highlights the importance of team collaboration in creating adaptive project teams that respond well to complexity.

Successful project professionals aren’t the ones who don’t manage complex projects. They also aren’t necessarily the ones who eliminate uncertainty. They are the ones who are better equipped to operate within it, make sound decisions with incomplete information, and influence action when they don’t have formal authority. Most importantly, they adapt their responses to each situation. Explore the resources highlighted in this Curator’s Pick (as well as other PMI articles and webinars) to learn how you can better recognize, navigate, and respond to complexity in your own projects.

Dear members,

Project management used to be judged by a simple test: on time, on budget, to specification. That test still matters, but it no longer tells the whole story. Today's projects run on data and AI, carry sustainability targets, and often become critical infrastructure the moment they go live. Leading them takes more than a good schedule. It takes judgement, resilience, and the ability to decide under uncertainty.

That is the focus of this year's PMI Switzerland conference, Swiss Iconic Projects & Innovations: The Future of Project Leadership, taking place in Zurich on 29 October 2026.

Why this conference, why now

Projects are changing, and so is the role of the people who lead them. Today's projects are shaped by technology, sustainability goals, and public expectations, and many outlive the teams that built them. As AI takes on more routine tasks, project leaders increasingly add value through sound judgement, decision-making under uncertainty, and the ability to lead people across generations and disciplines.

This conference is built around that shift. You will hear from people behind some of the most demanding projects in Switzerland and beyond, exchange ideas with peers across industries, and take home fresh perspectives for your own work.

Morning keynotes

Dominique Gisin, Olympic Champion

We are proud to welcome Olympic champion Dominique Gisin as our keynote speaker. Olympic gold medallist, physicist, and former member of the Swiss National Alpine Ski Team, Dominique brings a unique perspective on leadership, resilience, and high performance. Drawing on her experience at the highest level of competitive sport, she will share lessons on performing under pressure, overcoming setbacks, setting ambitious goals, and staying focused on long-term success.

Project Management at the Extreme: How to Prepare on Earth for Space:

Dr Eleonore Cassandra Poli, CSEM Space is perhaps the ultimate environment for project management, where there is little room for error.

This session takes the conference theme to its most extreme setting.

Track 1: Iconic Projects

- Exploring the Building Blocks of the Universe at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN

Dr Olaf Steinkamp, CERN Member

The Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator, and one of the most complex scientific undertakings ever undertaken. A rare opportunity to hear from inside an organisation where international collaboration and scientific precision operate on an extraordinary scale.

- Leading Beyond the Gantt Chart: AI, Innovation and the Future of Project Management

Christian Pieper, Nestlé

The Gantt chart has long been a symbol of project management. As AI and innovation reshape how work is planned and delivered, this session asks what project leadership looks like beyond the traditional tools.

- Preserving Heritage, Enabling the Future: The Strategic Heritage Plan for UN Geneva

Cedric Kusendova, United Nations Geneva Office

Few buildings carry as much history as the home of the United Nations in Geneva. Projects that balance heritage with future needs raise questions many project leaders face: how to respect what exists while making room for what comes next.

- Holcim's Decarbonization Projects

Roberto Nores and Sandeep Garg, Holcim

Decarbonisation is one of the defining challenges for industry today, and it increasingly lands on the desks of project leaders. A view into how a global building materials company approaches this challenge through its projects.

- How Can Decades of Risk Expertise, Data and Modelling Be Made More Accessible to Large Organisations Through Technology?

Anja Naegli, Swiss Re

Every organisation holds valuable knowledge, but making it usable is a challenge in itself. This session addresses a question relevant to anyone working at the intersection of expertise, data, and technology.

Track 2: Innovations

- Doing Things Right in the Age of AI

Luca Gambini and Alessandro di Giulli, Sunrise

AI is changing how projects are run, but speed and automation are not the same as doing things right. A timely session for any project leader navigating AI in practice.

- CS to UBS Client Migration: "The Largest Client Data Migration in Financial Services M&A History"

Daniel Simonet, UBS

Few Swiss projects in recent years have attracted as much attention as the integration of Credit Suisse into UBS. A chance to hear from inside a migration of exceptional scale.

- From Project to Critical Infrastructure: Lessons from 10 Years of Building the eBill Ecosystem

Daniel Berger, SIX Group

What happens when a project becomes infrastructure that people rely on every day? Ten years of building an ecosystem offers a long-term perspective that few projects can provide.

-The Decision Advantage: What Swiss Iconic Projects Teach Us About Leadership Under Uncertainty

Dominique Chopard, EMCH + Berger

Uncertainty is part of every major project, and how leaders decide under it often determines the outcome. This session connects Swiss iconic projects with one of the most important leadership skills of all.

Track 3: Made in Switzerland

- Building Bridges: Why Intergenerational Intelligence Needs to Be Added to Boardrooms Today

Stephan Hillert, Millennials4Boards

Organisations today bring together more generations than ever. This session makes the case for bringing that diversity of perspective to where decisions are made.

- Orchestrating the Technology Programme of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics

Chan Heng Hong, International Olympic Committee

Few projects come with a deadline as fixed or as public as the Olympic Games. A technology programme on this scale is a unique case study in coordination at one of the world's most high-profile events.

- Where the Money Really Goes: The Five Silent Cost Drivers in Project Portfolio Management

Mike Portworsnick, Change Factory

Portfolio costs are not always where we expect them to be. A practical focus for anyone responsible for budgets, priorities, and value across multiple projects.

- The Decision Before the Decision: Who Is Accountable When AI Shapes the Options?

Roland Bartl Andreoli, Grow2Flow

AI can shape decisions before they are formally made. This session explores how to recognise AI's influence, challenge what it makes visible or leaves out, and define clear points for human judgement, accountability, and escalation.

- Advancing Project Management Culture: A Swiss Perspective

Anna Cisotta, Association of Project Management

Project management is evolving from a delivery function into a strategic business capability. This session explores how strong governance, portfolio alignment, and leadership can build a project management culture that connects strategy with execution.

Closing keynotes

Sustainable High Performance for AI-Era Project Managers & Teams: Lessons from an Olympian

Livia Altmann, Human Intelligence 2.0

Performing at a high level is one thing; sustaining it is another. Over a twenty-year ice hockey career, Livia Altmann captained the Swiss women's national team, won Olympic bronze, and played in the American college league, gaining first-hand experience of how performance, pressure, and team dynamics work when the stakes are high. She studied economics at the University of Zurich and Colgate University, began her career in consulting at EY, and later founded Human Intelligence 2.0, where she works with leaders and teams who want to perform at a high level with positive and sustainable energy. Her keynote brings the discipline of elite sport to the realities of project work in the AI era.

Beyond Delivery: The Next Era of Project Leadership

Pat Lucey, Member of the PMI Global Board of Directors

If delivery is no longer the whole story, what comes next? A fitting keynote to bring together the themes of the day.

The SIX PM Community – How SIX Connects and Develops Project Professionals

Evelyne Uhler and Sebastiaan Weekers, SIX

Strong project professionals rarely develop alone. A look at how a community can connect and develop project talent within an organisation.

The day closes with a networking apéro, a chance to continue the conversation with speakers and fellow members.

With Thanks to Our Sponsors

A conference like this would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our Gold Sponsors, Change Factory AG and itdesign GmbH; Bronze Sponsor, Capture (Switzerland) AG; and Venue Sponsor, SIX Group, for their commitment and support in making PM Conference 2026 possible. Their contribution helps us bring together inspiring speakers, ambitious projects, and the project management community for a day of learning, exchange, and connection.

Thank you for being part of PM Conference 2026.

Seats are limited – register now

Remaining places are going quickly. Don't miss the chance to hear an Olympic champion and the people behind some of the most ambitious projects in Switzerland and beyond, and to help shape the conversation about where our profession is heading.

👉 https://pmi-switzerland.ch/events/pm-conference

In a business environment shaped by constant change, increasing complexity, and new technologies such as AI, organizations need more than a long list of projects. They need clarity on where to invest, what to prioritize, and how to turn strategic ambitions into measurable outcomes. Strategic Project Portfolio Management (PPM) provides the framework to make these decisions with confidence. At itdesign, we combine our expertise in PPM, governance, and strategic management with Clarity, a leading enterprise solution for project portfolio management. Our approach is built around transparency, collaboration, and sustainable value, helping organizations make better decisions and focus their resources where they matter most.

Why Strategic Portfolio Management Matters

Many organizations face the same challenge: teams are working at full capacity, yet their most strategically important initiatives are not progressing as expected. Calendars are filled with meetings, teams are balancing multiple projects, and decisions are often based on fragmented information.

The result is familiar: competing priorities, duplicated efforts, resource bottlenecks, and increasing pressure on project teams. At the same time, leadership may lack a clear view of whether investments are truly contributing to strategic objectives.

This is where Strategic Project Portfolio Management (PPM) makes a difference. By connecting strategy, projects, ideas, resources, and budgets, PPM creates the transparency needed to make informed investment and prioritization decisions.

The goal is not simply to manage more projects more efficiently. It is to ensure that the right initiatives are selected, prioritized, and resourced at the right time.

From Strategy to Execution

The business environment is changing rapidly. Digital transformation and the increasing use of AI are creating new opportunities while also requiring organizations to rethink processes, business models, and ways of working.

However, transformation cannot be driven by technology alone. It requires clear strategic priorities, effective governance, and the ability to continuously evaluate where resources create the greatest value.

This is why the role of the PMO is evolving. Modern PMOs are increasingly becoming strategic partners to leadership. They are helping organizations evaluate investments, manage competing demands, and ensure that initiatives remain aligned with business objectives.

How Clarity Supports Effective PPM

Technology can provide the foundation for this way of working. Clarity, a leading enterprise PPM solution, brings strategic objectives, projects, ideas, portfolios, resources, and financial information together in one platform.

This creates a common data foundation for both PMOs and leadership. Instead of relying on disconnected spreadsheets and individual reports, stakeholders can work from consistent information and gain greater transparency into the portfolio.

Clarity can support organizations in four key areas:

Transparency: A common data source provides a consistent view of projects, investments, resources, and strategic objectives.

Governance: Clearly defined roles, decision stages, and approval processes create greater transparency around portfolio decisions.

Prioritization: Consistent evaluation criteria help organizations compare initiatives based on strategic relevance, costs, risks, resource requirements, and expected benefits.

Resource Management: A holistic view of capacity, timelines, and investments helps organizations direct resources toward the initiatives with the greatest potential impact.

Ultimately, effective PPM is about creating a clear connection between what an organization wants to achieve and where it invests its limited resources.

itdesign: Expertise Beyond the Tool

Successful portfolio management does not come from software alone. It requires the right processes, governance model, data, and organizational structures.

As the largest Clarity partner in Europe, itdesign supports organizations from implementation through continuous development. We combine technology expertise with practical experience in Project Portfolio Management and strategic governance.

Our goal is not simply to introduce another system. It is to help organizations establish a more transparent, focused, and effective way of turning strategy into execution.

Learn more about Clarity with itdesign and request your personalized demo!