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Volume IX - Issue VII - July 2007
PM Community News
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Mounir Ajam named International Correspondent  Mr. MOUNIR A. AJAM, MS, PMP has been named an International Correspondent for PMForum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Mr. Ajam is an engineer and project management expert with 20 years of experience in the engineering, construction, oil, gas, petrochemical, and project management industries. In 1998 he achieved the internationally recognized Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification, a highly valuable credential awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI®) and in 2007 he graduated from PMI’s Leadership Institute Masters Class. Mr. Ajam joined SUKAD FZ-LLC as its Chief Executive Officer in 2005. SUKAD is an Innovation Center based in Dubai Knowledge Village and provide services across the Middle East. SUKAD specializes in project management consultancy, training, and performance improvement. His clients include Saudi Arabian Parsons, Saudi Royal Commission of Jubail & Yanbu, Dubai Holding, National Commercial Bank, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Jumeirah Group, TECOM Investments, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Aramex International, TATWEER, among others. Prior to SUKAD, Mr. Ajam provided professional services in various global locations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, South East Asia, and the Middle East. His expertise ranges from managing small projects to working on mega capital projects with many of the world leading organizations, such as: Exxon, BASF, Shell, and Saudi Aramco. His experience includes projects in remote and multiple locations, major modularization, joint ventures and alliances, multi-cultural and multi-national teams, and multiple projects. Immediately prior to SUKAD, Mr. Ajam was responsible for Performance Improvement and Human Resources Development at one of Saudi Aramco’s project management departments. In this role, he led the implementation of a professional Employee Development Program, professional certification, and other performance improvement initiatives. Due to his contributions, employee satisfaction jumped significantly and the number of employees with PMP® certifications in all of Saudi Aramco grew by more than 400% in just two years. Mr. Ajam holds a Master of Science in Engineering & Construction Management from the University of California at Berkeley and is an honors graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Houston, USA. He is a member of the Project Management Institute and the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineers International (AACE), and is listed in the International Who’s Who of Professionals. Mr. Ajam is a true professional leader in the community where he lives and works and is heavily involved with the PMI® at the regional and global levels. Globally, he served on the advisory group to PMI’s Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) program. Regionally, Mr. Ajam served on the Board of Directors for the PMI-Arabian Gulf Chapter, with responsibilities for training and certification across the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Under his leadership at PMI-AGC, Mr. Ajam helped grow the number of certified PMP® by almost a factor of 3 within 9 months). Currently, Mr. Ajam is one of a team of volunteers leading the way toward the creation of a PMI chapter in the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Ajam is a native speaker of Arabic and fluent in English.  According to Wikipedia, Dubai can either refer to one of the seven emirates that constitute United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the eastern Arabian Peninsula, or that emirate's main city, sometimes called "Dubai city" to distinguish it from the emirate. The modern emirate of Dubai was created with the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971. However, written accounts documenting the existence of the city have existed at least 150 years prior to the formation of the UAE. Dubai shares within a federal framework, legal, political, military and economic functions, with the other emirates, although each emirate has jurisdiction over functions such as civic law enforcement and provision and upkeep of local facilities. Dubai has the largest population and is the second largest emirate by area, after Abu Dhabi and, with Abu Dhabi, is one of only two emirates to possess veto power over critical matters of national importance in the UAE. Dubai has been ruled by the Al Maktoum dynasty since 1833. The city's current ruler, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, like his older brother and preceding ruler Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is also the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE.  Thirty years ago, there was no sign of Dubai on the sands of the Arabian Peninsula. It is with the vision of the Late Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Maktoum that Dubai is what it is today; a regional economic powerhouse and a truly world-class city. The area had been covered with sand about 5,000 years ago and the coastline had retreated inward, creating a part of the city's coastline. Dubai's gross domestic product as of 2006 was US$46 billion. Revenues from oil and natural gas accounted for less than 3% of the emirate's revenues. Dubai's oil reserves have diminished significantly and are expected to be exhausted in 20 years. A majority of the emirate's revenues are from the Jebel Ali free zone (JAFZ) and, increasingly, from tourism and other service businesses. Dubai has attracted world-wide attention through innovative real estate projects and sports events. Dubai is an important tourist destination and its port, Jebel Ali, constructed in the 1970s, has the largest man-made harbour in the world. Dubai is also increasingly developing as a hub for service industries such as IT and finance, with the establishment of a new Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The government has set up industry-specific free zones throughout the city. Dubai Internet City, combined with Dubai Media City, Knowledge Village and other knowledge/technology/media related clusters as part of TECOM (Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce and Media Free Zone Authority) is one such enclave whose members include IT firms such as EMC Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Microsoft, and IBM, and media organisations such as MBC, CNN, BBC, Reuters and AP.  The government's decision to diversify from a trade-based but oil-reliant economy to one that is service and tourism-oriented has made real estate more valuable, resulting in the property appreciation from 2004–2006. Large scale real estate development projects, undertaken by firms such as Emaar Properties, Dubai Properties, Nakheel, and others have led to the construction of many skyscrapers.The luxury hospitality brand Jumeirah Group developed the Emirates Towers and the world's first 7 star hotel, the Burj al-Arab (pictured at left). Burj Dubai, also being constructed by Emaar Properties, is expected to become the world's tallest structure. Nakheel is famour for its Islands Projects like the Palms and the World.  The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a Middle Eastern country situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, comprising seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. It borders Oman and Saudi Arabia. The country is rich in oil and, although it lacks other natural resources, it expects recent additional economic diversification to draw more financial and banking firms. The UAE, a desert-and-coastal nation, has become a highly prosperous country after gaining foreign direct investment funding in the 1970s. The Presidency and Premiership of the United Arab Emirates is hereditary to the Al Nahyan clan of Abu Dhabi and the Al Maktoum clan of Dubai respectively. The Supreme Council, consisting of the rulers of the seven emirates, also elects the Council of Ministers, while an appointed forty-member Federal National Council, drawn from all the emirates, reviews proposed laws. There is a federal court system; all emirates except Dubai and Ras al-Khaimah have joined the federal system; all emirates have both secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts. The United Arab Emirates has a highly industrialized economy that makes the country one the most developed in the world, based on various socioeconomic indicators such as GDP per capita, energy consumption per capita, and the HDI. At $168 billion in 2006, the GDP of the UAE ranks second in the CCASG (after Saudi Arabia), third in the Middle East—North Africa (MENA) region, and 38th in the world. The UAE currently has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. According to a recent report by the Ministry of Finance and Industry, real GDP rose by 35 per cent in 2006 to $175 billion, compared with $130 billion in 2005. These figures would suggest that the UAE had the fastest growing real GDP in the world, between 2005 and 2006. Although the UAE is becoming less dependent on natural resources, petroleum and natural gas exports still play an important role in the economy, especially in Abu Dhabi. A massive construction boom, an expanding manufacturing base, and a thriving services sector are helping the UAE diversify its economy. Nationwide, there is currently $350 billion worth of active construction projects. (More information about Dubai and the UAE can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org). Mounir Ajam lives in Dubai and can be contacted at . We at PMForum welcome Mounir to the PMF Global Correspondents Network. In August 2006, PMForum announced the formation of a global network of International Correspondents to provide news and information from around the world of project management. PMF now has correspondents in over 15 countries. More information about this program and about other international correspondents can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/index.htm#5.
Professor Viatcheslav Poznyakov in Russia Viatcheslav Poznyakov, professor of project management at the State Academy of Top Managers in Investment Field in Moscow, Russia has been named an International Editorial Advisor for PM World Today, the online project management eJournal published by PMForum, Inc.  Viatcheslav V. Poznyakov, PhD, Dr.Sc., is professor of Project Management and Information Systems at the State Academy for Top Managers in Investment Area, Moscow, Russia. He holds a Doctor of Science from University of Dnepropetrovsk. Before joining the State Academy for Top managers in Investment Area he was Head of Department for Computer-aided Management Systems at the Moscow Civil Engineering University. He has been a visiting professor at the University of London, UK and the Leipzig High Engineering School in Leipzig, Germany. He previously headed a project management training department for the World Bank in Moscow. He has worked for the Russian construction industry, for several Russian consulting companies and the Ukrainian Academy of Science, for the space industry. He has practical experience in International development projects, construction, transport, and the space industry. Professor Poznyakov has published a number of books and articles on information technology, systems development, project management, risk management, contracting, project preparation and evaluation, and management in general. He is one of the founders and a Vice-president of the Russian Project Management Association SOVNET. He has been actively involved in SOVNET project management conferences, seminars and workshops held in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major Russian cities since 1992.  The State Academy for Top Managers in Investment Area was started in 1966 and currently is a leading Russian academic institution for professional training of top Russian managers for finance, investments, and general management. The major directions of training include core areas of economics, finance, management (including both public and private sectors), strategy, marketing, innovation and entrepreneurship. The Academy consists of 24 training Departments, every year about 20,000 specialists pass the Academy’s training. The Academy has branches in a number of Russian Regions and collaborates with leading academic institutions in many countries. Additional information about the university can be found at www.gasis.ru. Professor Poznyakov lives in Moscow, Russia and can be contacted at . The PMForum team welcomes Viatcheslav Poznyakov to the International Editorial Advisory Council for PM World Today. In August 2006, PMForum announced the formation of a global network of International Correspondents to provide news and information from around the world of project management. PMF now has correspondents in over 15 countries. More information about this program and about other international correspondents can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/index.htm#5. PM Guru Adesh Jain to Teach Infrastructure Marcus Evans, the global conference and corporate training firm, has announced an Infrastructure Project Management training workshop to be held at the Le Royal Meridien Resort Hotel in Mumbai, India during 27-28 August 2007. The course instructor will be Mr. Adesh Jain, globally recognized project management guru.  Project management is one of the fastest growing management disciplines worldwide. It is a skill in itself; a versatile role that requires a combination of skills that once learned can greatly increase an individual’s effectiveness and eventually lead to greater job satisfaction and increased career opportunities. With the size and complexity of projects also on the rise, the stakes for project leaders and key members of the project team are higher than ever before. According to the ME brochure, the Indian construction sector has traditionally been characterized by bureaucracy, red tape and erratically enforced regulations. Years of government monopoly over construction have meant that management and performance standards are often outdated. However of late there have been changes for the good appearing in the Indian construction industry. The Indian construction sector has been granted “industry status”, which has led to more joint ventures between local and foreign construction companies. This has also attracted more investment in Indian construction companies, and to more and larger construction projects. The Infrastructure Project Management Training aims to provide a platform to receive top-notch training in order to capitalize on the concepts of Project Management, its methodologies and its application to the construction sector, along with advanced applications in the areas of leadership skills, communication skills, principles in contract management, risk management and creating a construction plan that ensures product quality and project completion within the time frame and budget. The course will provide an opportunity to learn the importance of strategic project management and its vital role in achieving competitive advantage. Key Topics of the Workshop
Course Instructor Adesh Jain is a legendary figure whose passion and dedication for strengthening project management is recognized worldwide. He is the first non-European Chairman of the Council of Delegates (CoD) of the International Project Management Association (IPMA) comprising of 43 Member associations from all over the world. Adesh is the President of International Construction Project Management Union (ICPMU) comprising of 10 countries. He was recently elected in New York, USA as the Senior Vice President of International Construction Project Management Association (ICPMA) where Construction Management Association of America is one of the members.  He is one of the most sought after keynote speakers all over the world including special programs related to construction industry. He was the recipient of the PMI Distinguished Contribution Award in strengthening project management globally, the first person to receive the award outside North America. He is also the Honorary Chairman of the Construction Project management Committee (CPMC) since 2005  Marcus Evans is one of the world's leading providers and promoters of strategic conferences, professional training, in-Company training, business-to-business congresses, sports hospitality and on-line information. Founded in 1983, the company now employs over 3500 employees operating in 24 countries around the world. The company's revenues are generated from a majority of the world's top 1000 companies. Marcus Evans also publishes market analysis reports, on-line subscription products and business publications, and b2b internet products. Additional information can be found at www.marcusevans.com/ Former PMI Chair Rebecca Winston named PM Ambassador(TM) - Announces Global Availability for PM Events Rebecca Winston, J.D., Fellow and former chair of the Board of Directors of the Project Management Institute (PMI®), has joined the PM AmbassadorsTM Speakers Bureau recently created by PMForum. She is one of the most respected and best known project management leaders in the United States and an experienced project management expert in the fields of energy, environmental remediation, national defense, research & development, and security.  Rebecca (Becky) Winston, Esq., JD, PMI Fellow, is well known throughout the United States and globally as a leader in the PM professional world. Rebecca has over 25 years of experience in program and project management, primarily on programs funded by the US government. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska’s College of Law, Juris Doctorate (1980), in Lincoln, Nebraska and has a Bachelor’s of Science (BS) degree in Education from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a Master’s Degree in Biology from Idaho State University in the USA. Becky is a licensed attorney in the states of Iowa and Nebraska, USA. Active in PMI since 1993, Rebecca Winston helped pioneer PMI's Specific Interest Groups (SIGs) in the nineties, including the Project Earth and Government SIGs, and was a founder and first co-chair of the Women in Project Management SIG. She served two terms on the PMI board of directors as director at large, Secretary Treasurer, Vice Chair (for two years), and Chair (2002). She was elected a PMI Fellow in 2005. She is also a member of the American Bar Association and the Association of Female Executives in the United States. As Business Relationship Manager for National Security at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), she established and provided strategic and business planning related to the national security sector in the USA. Ms. Winston previously managed Defense Programs at Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies, Inc., reporting to the General Manager. During that period, she interfaced on a regular basis with the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Congressional staff in Washington, U.S. DoD staff at the Pentagon, and laboratory and production sites throughout the United States. She has had oversight and technical management responsibilities for projects in information software, networking, network security, independent validation and verification, and environmental technologies, including site installations. She has managed pollution prevention R&D projects, and designed an integrated product team (IPT) solution for pollution prevention activity consolidation. She is the past Environmental and Industrial Ecology Liaison with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the INEEL. Becky has also had oversight responsibilities for the development of software programs and industrial process simulations and modeling projects. She has led new business development efforts, and has significant experience interfacing with Congressional staff in Washington, DC, related to US Department of Defense (DoD) base realignment and closures, defense environmental restoration, and urban and industrial ecology. Rebecca Winston has served on numerous company-wide project teams and national teams for activities related to national defense and security, including oversight or direct preparation of technical documentation, reports, presentations, and demonstrations. She has established and maintained Program and Project Offices, and served on various Steering Committees, including the International Solvent Substitution Conference, Institute of Environmental Solutions, the State of California, USA. Ms. Winston currently serves as a consultant to organizations such as the National Nuclear Security Administration (USA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on topics ranging from Program and Project Management to project reviews, risk management and vulnerability assessments. She has extensive recent PM experience in the areas of national defense and security, and has worked closely with local, regional and national officials, including Congress and the Pentagon.  On 26 June 2007, PMForum announced the formation of the PM Ambassadors(TM) Speakers Bureau, a new global service for project management leaders and meeting planners worldwide. The program offers and promotes leading project management authorities, experts and professional leaders who are available to speak at conferences, meetings and seminars worldwide. PM AmbassadorsTM include globally-recognized project management professional experts; authors of PM textbooks; former presidents and chairs of PM professional societies; experienced project managers and PM professionals; and retired executives of project and program-oriented organizations. Former AIPM National President Brian Kooyman named Mr. Brian R. Kooyman, Fellow and former president and chairman of the board of the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM), has joined the PM AmbassadorsTM Speakers Bureau recently created by PMForum. Brian is one of the most respected and best known project management authorities in all of Australia and worldwide.  Brian Kooyman, B. Arch, R.A.I.A., F.A.I.P.M., M.A.I.C.D., M.P.D, is Managing Director, and CEO of The Tracey, Brunstrom & Hammond Group, based in Sydney, Australia. Brian is also Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of Business at Curtin University in Western Australia, Adjunct Professor of Project Management at the University of Technology Sydney in New South Wales, and Honorary Associate in the Graduate School of Government at the University of Sydney. Brian is the past National President of AIPM and was Chairman of the Global Council of the Project Management Institute (PMI®). A Fellow of AIPM (F.A.I.P.M.), Brian was the NSW Chapter President during 1989 – 1991, National Vice President & Chair of the Professional Affairs Committee during 1992 & 1993, National President for 1994 & 1995, Immediate National Past President for 1996 & 1997, Inaugural Chair of both the NSW Chapter and the National Project Management Awards for Excellence in Australian Project Management in 2000, and Panel judge on the 2003 NSW Project Management Award for Excellence. Most recently Brian served as the chair of the organizing committee for the ProMAC 2006 International Project Management Conference, concluded in Sydney on 29 September 2006. A member of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) for many years, Brian was Chairman of PMI’s Global Council, was Chair of PMI’s Nominating Committee for 2001 and 2002, and is currently Chair of PMI’s Ethics Review Committee.  Brian is an Associate of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (R.A.I.A.); a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (M.A.I.C.D.); a Master Project Director (MPD), workplace assessment to National Level 6 AQF, Competency Assessment against the Australian National Project Management Competency Standards; and a Founding Director of the Project Management Recognition Council of Australia, 1998 to 2000. He was awarded an International Fellowship in 2002 from the Centre of Excellence for Project Management in India, the only Australian awarded such a Fellowship, and awarded the Inaugural Distinguished Contribution to Project Management by the Australian Council of PMI Chapters in 2003. Brian has been a keynote speaker at project management conferences in Australia, India, South Africa, and the U.S.A.  Brian has over 35 years experience on a wide variety of projects and programs, and has been directly involved in several famous Australian projects, including The Sydney 2000 Olympics, The Sydney Harbour Casino (NSW), The National Biological Standards Laboratory (ACT), The Darling Harbour Redevelopment (NSW), and Federation Square (Vic). Brian also has extensive experience as an Expert Witness for such International projects as The Australian Embassy in Beijing, The Australian High Commission in Geneva, The Australian Embassy in Hanoi, Mt Worsley Aluminium Refinery (WA), and The Roi Namur Sewerage Treatment Plant (Marshall Islands). Brian has achieved workplace assessment against the Australian Project Management Competency Standards, at Master Project Director Level. Tracey, Brunstrom & Hammond (TBH) is one of the largest independent and privately owned project and strategic management companies in Australia, with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Perth. The organization specializes in strategic and project management services for the Construction, IT and Telecommunications industries. Brian has a Bachelors Degree in Architecture from the University of New South Wales (1972), and was named Managing Director of TBH in 1995. On 26 June 2007, PMForum announced the formation of the PM Ambassadors(TM) Speakers Bureau, a new global service for project management leaders and meeting planners worldwide. The program offers and promotes leading project management authorities, experts and professional leaders who are available to speak at conferences, meetings and seminars worldwide. PM AmbassadorsTM include globally-recognized project management professional experts; authors of PM textbooks; former presidents and chairs of PM professional societies; experienced project managers and PM professionals; and retired executives of project and program-oriented organizations.
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