Tag: PMI

PMI National Project Awards, in association with PwC, celebrate Lidl for first net zero energy supermarket

The Ireland Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI) announces the winners of this year’s PMI National Project Awards, in association with PwC. Among the winners was Lidl for its first net zero energy supermarket in Ireland.

The annual awards recognise the contribution and excellence of project management in Ireland, showcasing the best innovation and talent in the profession. This year, 10 awards were presented at the black-tie event hosted at PwC’s Dublin office on Thursday 6 November.

From a workforce management transformation project in the retail sector to a telehealth programme, the event celebrated a variety of projects across numerous industries and demonstrates the growing influence and success of project management in Ireland.

Lidl was celebrated in the special “Future of Work Excellence” category for Ireland’s first net zero energy supermarket. Based in Maynooth, the store is net zero in both operational and embodied carbon. Furthermore, the supermarket’s design promotes wellbeing and productivity among employees by incorporating natural light, landscaped surroundings and low noise systems. Electric vehicle chargers, bike racks, and e-bike stations have also been installed to promote sustainable commuting.

Other organisations that were successful on the night included Primark, ESB and the HSE. Individuals were also celebrated, including three under-35 changemakers. These were Rachel Bothwell of GP Practice Ally, Sainath Vasantha of Deloitte, and David Garry of KSN Project Management.

The full list of winners for 2025, chosen by an independent judging panel*, can be found below.

  • PMO of the Year – National Broadband Ireland.
  • Project Professional of the Year – Niamh McAuliffe, NMA Consulting Ltd.
  • Private Sector Project of the Year – Primark: Workforce management transformation “myTime”.
  • Public Sector Project of the Year – ESB: PI Vision: Unlocking data, empowering decisions, transforming ESB.
  • Project Management for Social Good – AquaB Nanobubble Innovations Ltd: Nanobubble technology lifecycle project.
  • Under-35 Changemakers of the Year – Rachel Bothwell (GP Practice Ally), David Garry (KSN Project Management), and Sainath Vasantha (Deloitte).
  • eHealth Project of the Year – HSE: Community and primary care telehealth programme.
  • Special category: “Future of Work Excellence” – Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland: Lidl Zero Maynooth Store.
  • Special category: “2025 awards submission most compliant with the 17 x UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” – AquaB Nanobubble Innovations Ltd: Nanobubble technology lifecycle project.
  • Ireland Chapter of the PMI Volunteer of the Year – Mariana Zanivan.

Speaking about the awards, Peter Glynne, President of the Ireland Chapter of the PMI, said: “The project profession in Ireland seems to go from strength to strength every year. This year was no different, with the quality and creativity of projects pushing the boundaries in terms of ambition and innovation. Not only that but these initiatives and individuals are driving real impact both within organisations and for society as a whole.”

John Dwyer, Partner in PwC Ireland, added: “As the landscape of business and work continues to evolve, project professionals are at the forefront, driving innovation and technology-led transformation across Irish and international organisations to prepare for the future. Both the Ireland Chapter of the PMI and PwC are deeply committed to the transformation agenda, and we at PwC are delighted to again be the headline sponsor of the Awards this year and support two specific awards – the Future of Work Excellence Award and the eHealth Project of the Year. This sponsorship highlights our dedication to advancing project management through a complex and fast-changing environment with resilience and optimism, to ensure that we are fit for the future. We commend each and every one of the finalists and a huge congratulations to the winners.”

Ireland Chapter of PMI launches new AI Innovation Hub

The Ireland Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI) today announces that it is launching a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Hub.

Developed to serve as a central hub of AI expertise and education, it will equip the project management profession with the knowledge and skills to integrate AI technologies across their organisations.

By enabling project management professionals to leverage AI in their roles to better manage AI projects, the hub will deliver efficiency and automation to organisations. It will also help to address the challenges associated with AI usage, from ethics to governance.

In turn, companies of all sizes and across all sectors will be empowered to adopt and implement AI – which has the potential to support innovation, boost competitiveness, and drive growth.

This initiative ties in with the significant investment that PMI has made globally in AI over the past 18 months. This includes the creation of an AI platform called PMI Infinity, an AI-powered project management solution designed to strengthen expertise, streamline complex tasks, and maximise project success.

Sponsored by business and IT consultancy emagine and set to officially launch on February 13th, the AI Innovation Hub in Ireland will host a number of events throughout 2025, from lunch-and-learns and webinars to hackathons. These hackathons will see project management professionals deploying AI tools to address specific challenges.

Overseeing these activities is an AI Working Group within the Ireland Chapter of PMI – led by Declan Foster, the newly appointed Head of the AI Innovation Hub. In his role, Declan will leverage his consulting background and experience with his own startup to promote the adoption of AI and enable change management.

Alongside Declan, the AI Working Group includes technical experts, thought leaders and data consultants across multiple sectors such as construction, property and business. The Ireland Chapter of PMI hopes to further grow this group from its now 3,500-strong membership base.

Peter Glynne, President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI, said: “AI is such a hot topic and there’s a lot of talk around it. The aim of our AI Innovation Hub is to cut through that noise and guide the project management profession through this time of AI change, whilst supporting them to deliver AI change over the coming years. Through collaboration and education, we want to help drive real impact with these fast-evolving technologies across all sectors.

“The reality is that every industry needs to be across AI and tuned into the latest developments, such as agentic AI. By tapping into such trends – not just from a knowledge-sharing perspective but practically in our day-to-day jobs – we can enable AI innovation and leadership for the profession, for other sectors, and for Ireland as a whole.”

Gillian Whelan, CEO of emagine, added: “At emagine, we’re empowering our clients to achieve their ambitions by harnessing the transformative power of technology and AI. By sponsoring the AI Innovation Hub, we are proud to support the next wave of innovation, enabling individuals and organisations to unlock new opportunities and excel on their AI journeys.”

For more information on the AI Innovation Hub launch event, please visit pmi-ireland.org

PMI National Project Awards celebrate rising leaders and standout successes in Irish project management

The Ireland Chapter of Project Management Institute (PMI) announces the winners of this year’s PMI National Project Awards, in association with PwC. The winners of the 2024 Awards were announced at a black-tie event held at PwC’s Dublin office on Thursday 14 November.

These prestigious awards celebrate the significant contribution and excellence of project management in Ireland, showcasing the best in innovation and talent in the profession. As well as individuals and teams who demonstrate exceptional potential, dedication and success in their field, the annual awards – now in their eighth year – also highlight transformative and inspiring projects.

From the application of Robotic Process Automation in healthcare to a climate action strategy within the agricultural space, this year’s event celebrated project management across various industries and demonstrates the growing influence and success of project management in the Irish economy.

Amongst the individuals commended during the awards were five Under-35 Changemakers. Laura McDermott was the ultimate recipient. McDermott founded Colectivo, a project-based sustainability consultancy dedicated to driving impactful change by connecting visionary thinkers and practical innovators with organisations.

The awards add to the Rising Leader Award notably bestowed upon Sinead Gallagher, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Ireland Chapter of PMI, earlier this year at the 2024 Global PMI Professional Awards.

The full list of winners, chosen following careful consideration of a record number of submissions by an independent judging panel*, can be found below.

  • PMO of the Year (sponsored be Velopi) – Aerogen
  • Project Professional of the Year (sponsored by emagine) – Ian Fitzsimons (Project Management Consultant, Expleo)
  • Private Sector Project of the Year (sponsored by Expleo) – Primark: ‘Next Generation Global Wide Area Network Solution’
  • Public Sector Project of the Year (sponsored by Saros) – Health Service Executive (HSE): ‘The Cork University Hospital / Mercy University Hospital Paediatric Reconfiguration project’
  • Project Management for Social Good (sponsored by Irish Emergency Alliance) – ActionAid Ireland: ‘Together, we are stronger’
    • Under-35 Changemakers of the Year (sponsored by Ireland Chapter of PMI) – Laura McDermott (CEO, Colectivo) was the ultimate recipient in this category
    • Note, the following four were commended in this category: Kevin Quinlan (Data Governance & Quality Lead, ESB), Sean Higgins (Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) & Strategy Lead for Dublin Airport Authority), Rebecca Keenan (Global Head of Intelligent Automation Solutions Director, Expleo Group), and James Doggard (Senior Project Manager, KSN Project Management)
  • AI and Technology Project of the Year (sponsored by PwC) – Health Service Executive (HSE), Technology & Transformation: ‘Waiting List Batch Suspensions Automation, Galway University Hospital’
  • Special Category: Excellence in Innovation Projects of The Year (sponsored by Cornmarket and Ireland Chapter of PMI) – Teagasc: ‘Teagasc’s Climate Action Strategy 2022-2030’; and Health Service Executive (HSE): ‘Enhanced Community Care (ECC)’
  • PMI Ireland Volunteer Award – Mark Davenport
  • PMI Ireland Special Achievement Award – Jackie Fagan, Past President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI

Speaking about the awards, Peter Glynne, President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI, said: “Once again, we are delighted to be celebrating the individuals and innovations driving change. These are the people and projects which showcase the best of project management in Ireland and how it contributes to the country’s success both nationally and internationally. As well as bigger and more ambitious projects, this year’s awards were also bigger with more entries and categories than ever before – indicating a very bright future for Ireland.”

Keiran Barbalich, Partner in PwC Ireland and Leader for the firm’s Portfolio and Programme Management, added: “Success in project management is vital for our economy. Over a quarter of Ireland’s CEOs do not believe that their businesses will be viable in a decade without reinvention. AI and technology are at the centre of this reinvention, and with their technological expertise, Ireland’s project managers play a vital role in this transformation. We are delighted to sponsor the National Project Management Institute (PMI) Awards for the eighth year running and, in particular, to also sponsor the AI and Technology Project of the Year Award. We commend each and every one of the finalists and a huge congratulations to the winners.”

PMI survey says 46% of project managers feel AI will help to reduce stress

A survey from the Ireland Chapter of Project Management Institute (PMI) has found that nearly half (46%) of project managers feel that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will help to reduce stress in the workplace, but 72% feel that advancements in technology have led to unrealistic expectations from stakeholders who do not understand its capabilities.

Conducted by PMI, the survey of 122 project managers was carried out ahead of its annual conference, the Work Smart Summit 2024, in association with EY. The event, which takes place in Dublin’s Convention Centre on April 23rd, will discuss the future of project management and will feature David Rowan, founding UK Editor-In-Chief of WIRED magazine and author of the bestselling book Non-Bullshit Innovation as keynote speaker.

Feedback was positive on the potential impact of AI on project management as a whole. In fact, some 70% say it would have a permanent transformative effect on the industry, and 74% say it is driving innovation.

Three-quarters (75%) agree that AI has already had a significant positive impact on the profession, with 41% saying that the technology is improving project completion rates and delivery times.

In terms of project completion, the survey found that the average cost of failed projects in the last 12 months was €710,896.23*, and only 11% of project managers’ ten most recent projects met all project success metrics of schedule, cost, project benefits and resources.

On the topic of resources, constraints in this area were cited as the top cause of stress by 52% of project managers. The other leading causes of stress were competing priorities (50%), and frequent scope changes (45%).

However, the survey did find that nearly two thirds (63%) of respondents feel their workplace has open channels of communication to discuss mental health issues such as stress, burnout, and fatigue.

Commenting on the findings, Peter Glynne, Ireland Chapter of PMI President, said: “Project management can of course be a high-pressure profession, but it is clear that – as well as adequate training and effective ways of working – emerging technologies like AI can streamline projects and boost success.

“In turn, this enables project managers to work smarter – the theme of our annual conference in April – as opposed to longer or harder. AI can also play a pivotal role in driving automation and innovation, something which we will be discussing at the Convention Centre next month and which makes the future of the industry very exciting.”

Jennifer Ryan, EY Ireland Business Transformation Partner added: ““EY Ireland is proud to once again sponsor the PMI’s national conference, the Work Smart Summit. Project managers are at the heart of transformational change, and harnessing systems, technologies and strategies that simplify complex endeavours and enable people and organisations work smarter, comes naturally to them.

“Artificial Intelligence, in particular Generative AI, offers project managers the opportunity to further embed innovation and efficiency into their projects, automating routine or process driven tasks and enabling people to focus on higher value tasks and most crucially, enabling more human interactions.”