Author: Marketing Manager at STS The Project Management Training Company 

5 Things you probably didn’t know about SimulTrain®

On the International Project Management Day 2025, PMI Switzerland Chapter and STS (https://www.sts.ch) invite you to the Ultimate PM Challenge. After Zurich, Basel, and Lausanne, the spotlight now also shines on Geneva. 

The secret ingredient of the Ultimate PM Challenge is SimulTrain®. So let’s uncover 5 things you may not know about it and that will make this competition unlike any other:

1. It compresses months of project life into hours
In SimulTrain®, a team of 3–4 participants steps into the role of project managers running a mid-size project. The simulation runs in accelerated mode, so within just a few hours you’ll face the kind of decisions, risks, and conflicts that usually unfold over months.

2. It’s about more than time, cost, and scope
Real projects succeed, or fail, also because of people. That’s why SimulTrain® forces you to consider motivation, quality, and stakeholder satisfaction alongside traditional KPIs. You can deliver on budget and on time, yet still fail if your team disengages.

3. Every decision has visible consequences
Should you cut scope, delay a task, or reduce quality? SimulTrain® instantly shows you how each decision affects project KPIs. You experience the cause-and-effect chain in real time, watching how small choices cascade across deadlines, budget, risks, and team morale.

4. It makes stress part of the learning
SimulTrain® is not only a theory exercise. It recreates the pressure of real project life: conflicts within the team, sudden scope changes, disappearing resources, and unexpected risks. Participants learn not just how to plan, but how to adapt, lead, and make tough calls under stress.

5. It builds skills you can’t get from books
Beyond technical PM competencies — planning, monitoring, risk management — SimulTrain® trains behavioral skills: leading teams, resolving conflicts, making accountability visible, and communicating clearly under pressure. The debriefing sessions are equally powerful, comparing strategies, analysing outcomes, and turning mistakes into lasting learning.

Why it matters
SimulTrain® has been successfully used by universities, training providers, and corporations in over 50 countries. It’s available in 20+ languages and comes with many different scenarios. 

Experience all this live at the Ultimate PM Challenge on IPM Day 2025. 

1. For Basel: https://pmi-switzerland.ch/events/events-list/pmi-evening-event/2025-29-10-ipmd25-basel
2. For Geneva: https://pmi-switzerland.ch/events/pmi-evening-event/2025-29-10-ipmd25-geneva
3. For Lausanne: https://pmi-switzerland.ch/events/events-list/pmi-evening-event/2025-29-10-ipmd25-lausanne
4. For Zurich: https://pmi-switzerland.ch/events/events-list/pmi-evening-event/2025-29-10-ipmd25-zurich

We look forward to seeing you there!

Zara Groh 

Marketing Manager – STS The Project Management Training Company 

Author: Dario Culap, CAPM

We are actively involved in the PMI Construction Professional Ambassadors Program

Dear Members and Colleagues,

We’re excited to share some important news: PMI-Switzerland is now actively involved in the PMI Construction Professional Ambassadors Program!

In recent years, Project Management within the Construction and Built Environment sectors has often felt overlooked. PMI is now taking practical steps to change that, by deepening its engagement with these industries and promoting best practices.

It is no secret that large-scale construction projects frequently face delays and cost overruns, often as a result of poor management practices.

To try and do its part and improve the situation, PMI has introduced a new certification: PMI-CP (Construction Professional). It aims to give guidelines and prepare project managers to lead, plan and manage contracts, as well as navigate the specific complexities and issues of the construction industry.

As part of this, PMI-Switzerland will soon be launching a series of events, webinars, and networking opportunities focused on project management in construction.

Whether you're already working in the industry or simply curious to learn more, this is a great opportunity to engage with the sector and professionals facing similar challenges and driving meaningful change.

So, stay tuned and stay connected for upcoming news and events.

To learn more about PMI-CP: Construction Professional (PMI-CP) Certification | PMI

Next event related to Construction projects: From Stakeholders to Success: Effective Participation in Construction Projects

Author: Miroslava Sedlarova, PMP, PMI-PBA, Networking Events Lead at PMI Switzerland Chapter

AI, Data & Ethics: How Project Managers Can Shape Responsible Innovation (29 September 202, Zurich)

29 September 2025 – Zurich (Altstetten)

AI and data are transforming the way we deliver projects — opening up incredible opportunities, but also raising new questions around transparency, trust, and responsibility. For today’s project leaders, ethics is no longer optional; it’s the foundation for success in the age of intelligent technologies.

At our upcoming PMI Switzerland event, taking place on 29 September 2025 at Bank Julius Bär in Zurich-Altstetten, we’re excited to welcome Sarah Gadd, recently recognized as one of the 2025 Global Top 100 Chief Data Officers (see the full list here).

Sarah will share her know-how in data management, along with practical tips and tricks, and her perspective on how project managers can address the ethical dimensions of AI and data in real project environments.

From frameworks like the Data Ethics Canvas and the EU Trustworthy AI Guidelines to real-life examples in digital banking and analytics, you’ll leave with new tools, fresh perspectives, and plenty of food for thought to apply in your own projects.

And, as always with PMI Switzerland events, it’s not just about learning — it’s also about connecting with other leaders and project managers, exchanging ideas, and expanding your professional network in a collaborative atmosphere.

📍 The event will take place at Bank Julius Bär in Zurich-Altstetten, a conveniently located hub offering easy access for participants from across Switzerland.

👉 Register here – seats are limited, don’t miss it!

We look forward to seeing you there and exploring together how we, as project managers, can shape responsible innovation in the age of intelligent technologies.

Best regards,
Miroslava Sedlarova

on behalf of the PMI Switzerland Chapter

Author: Paula Vignola, PMP

Session Recap: “On the Highway to Cloud Security Hell?” with Klaus Haller

On June 12, 2025, PMI Switzerland Chapter hosted an insightful evening session at HWZ Zürich titled “On the Highway to Cloud Security Hell?” The event, led by cloud security expert Klaus Haller (Linkedin Profile), took a closer look at the fast-moving world of cloud transformation and the often-overlooked risks that come with it.

Klaus opened the discussion by challenging a common belief. Many companies jump into the cloud expecting to reduce costs and improve agility, yet few are fully prepared for the new types of risk they face. The session quickly moved beyond the usual buzzwords to focus on practical challenges, such as the issue of machine-to-machine authentication. This area, frequently ignored, can become a major vulnerability, especially in complex hybrid or multi-cloud environments where identity management is fragmented and difficult to control.

Using real-world examples, including the Microsoft Storm-0558 breach, Klaus illustrated how a single misconfiguration or blind spot can lead to significant consequences, both operational and reputational. His message was clear. Cloud security is not just a technical challenge, it is also a cultural and organizational one. Companies need to foster better collaboration between teams and encourage leadership to take an active role in managing risk.

Participants walked away with several practical insights, including how to:

• Identify and manage workload identity risks across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS
• Navigate the complexity of hybrid and multi-cloud environments
• Communicate more effectively with engineering teams using a shared understanding of risk and resilience

The session also reflected broader industry trends. Klaus highlighted how AI-driven automation, zero trust principles, and API-first security models are changing the way organizations approach cloud protection. As more companies move to the cloud, the attack surface expands, making proactive governance and identity protection more important than ever.

The key takeaway was simple. Cloud security is not a final destination. It is a continuous journey that requires visibility, control, and a clear sense of direction to avoid ending up in “cloud security hell.”

We look forward to welcoming you at future PMI Switzerland Chapter events, where we’ll continue to explore what it means to lead with purpose and clarity in the evolving landscape. From technical risks to cultural shifts, these conversations help us stay prepared, informed, and connected in a rapidly changing digital world.

References:

https://pmi-switzerland.ch/publications/blog/on-the-highway-to-cloud-security-hell

https://pmi-switzerland.ch/events/pmi-evening-event/2025-06-12-highway-to-cloud-security

https://ch.linkedin.com/in/klaushaller