Annual Members Meeting (AMM 2024) Reflections
Author: Florian Pushmann, PMP 
On the evening of March 14th, I headed towards the Annual Members Meeting (AMM 2024), looking forward to gaining insights into the PMI year ahead. After having arrived at Bürkliplatz on this sunny evening, I embarked on a stroll towards the Swiss Re Building at Mythenquai, taking in the picturesque scenery along the lakeshore, with the snowcapped Alps in the background.
Navigating to the auditorium, I was greeted by fellow PMI Switzerland volunteers, who guided me to the foyer of the auditorium, which was already filled with event attendees awaiting the start of the event. Stefan Vesenmeier, the 2023 President of the Board, walked through the Chapter's 2023 accomplishments, accompanied by slides depicting the scenic Swiss Alps. Highlights included a series of successful events, culminating in the 2023 PMI Switzerland conference, which was made possible through the dedication and hard work of both board members and volunteers. Membership numbers reached a new high, exceeding 1840 PMI members, 4000 LinkedIn followers and 1500 Newsletter subscribers. Supported by stable finances and the steadfast key sponsors PwC, STS, and AdEx Partners, the chapter has been able to provide value to its members whilst maintaining and upgrading the IT infrastructure as needed.
In recognition for his unwavering dedication and consistent contributions, Aristeidis Matsokis was awarded the President's Award for 2023, receiving appreciation and thanks directly from the 2023 Board President, Stefan Vesenmeier. (Pictured below)
Valerie Pierre was recognized as the 2023 Volunteer of the Year, specifically for her leadership and enthusiasm as the Zurich Events Director. Further, both Mafalda Amaro and Daniel Rollendar were celebrated as runners up for their leadership roles as the Social Impact and Youth Coordinator and Newsletter Director respectively. Martin Härri's receipt of the PMI Global, Eric Jenett Person Award for Volunteer of the Year, was a moment of particular pride for the PMI Switzerland Chapter. The award was in acknowledgement of his invaluable, and longstanding, volunteer contributions, including the initiation and management of the Swiss Corporate Network Group (SNCG).
Under the leadership of the newly-elected Chapter President, Nikola Goran Čutura, the 2024 Board, comprised of Philippe Soupart (VP Operations), Joachim Dehais (VP Volunteers), David Puippe (VP Communications and Marketing), Agustín Díaz Salvadores (VP Finance), Ala Lutz (VP Membership), Paula Armoa (VP Strategic initiatives) and Thando Dube (VP Events) outlines three strategic areas:
- Enhancing member benefits
- Amplifying corporate engagement
- Aligning to PMI's global Next Strategy, including the integration of PMO GA.
The keynote address, presented by Claudia Alcelay, PMI Global's Product Manager for Gen AI, captivated the audience with the ever so hot topic of global Gen AI adoption in project management.
A key finding within Europe was a faster adoption rate in smaller European nations, such as Denmark, Portugal, Finland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, as well as within data-intensive sectors such as finance, government, and IT. If “Data is the new oil” (Clive Humby), Gen AI has the potential to support project managers to “refine it”, which means to automate, assist and augment their work depending on the nature of the task at hand.
This holds especially true for unstructured data, for which there is no shortage across all areas of project management. Claudia Alcelay views the role of the Project Manager as that of an 'Influencer', ensuring appropriate data flow. “Data doesn’t drive anything – people do” (Marcus Glowasz).
As AI continues to redefine project management, adaptability emerges as most in-demand skill in 2024 as surveyed by LinkedIn, and it is expected that 65% of on the job skills will change by 2030.
Florian Ivan of Rolf Consulting, Onur Yildirim of Swiss Re and Adrian Stierli of PwC joined Claudia Alcelay in a panel discussion that followed the keynote presentation. The panel topics and discussion delved into the nuances of managing AI-related risks, along with the imperative of trust and transparency in AI models.
Looking ahead, PMI's Next Strategy is a commitment to empower and equip project managers in navigating the evolving technological landscape. PMI Infinity, PMI’s developed Gen AI solution, supports project managers in navigating the ever-growing and evolving knowledge base of PMI. Unlike front-runner Generative AI applications, such as ChatGPT, Infiinity provides additional functionality for project managers in respect to source information assessment and evaluation, along with suggested prompts as recommendations to delve deeper into desired topics.
As customary, the Annual Members Meeting 2024 concluded with an elegant and enthusiastic networking apéro.
Whilst future may be uncertain, one thing is clear... by harnessing the power of technology and embracing change, project managers can continue to lead with confidence.
