Sustainability, alternative energy, the environment, oil--all hot topics in the world at large and in the world of project management.
And all were topics covered by PMI® Global Congress 2009--North America keynote speaker T. Boone Pickens, entrepreneur and author.
"The age of alternative energy must begin immediately," he said to the crowd of more than 2,000.
His address focused a lot on The Pickens Plan and on H.R. 1835, which is a U.S. House of Representatives Bill also known as The Natural Gas Act.
The bill is being considered by the U.S. Congress to help the U.S. to reduce its dependence on foreign oil. "People want it. They want to go green. They want renewables. They want to get off foreign oil," Mr. Pickens said.
It's not just a U.S. concern, of course.
PMI President and CEO Gregory Balestrero reiterated the need to act on global sustainability, saying project, program and portfolio managers have a critical role to play.
The importance that project management will play in the future was a theme discussed by PMI Chair Ricardo Vargas in his opening remarks as well.
"It's time to show the real value of project management," he said.
Mr. Vargas challenged attendees at the opening session to go back to their organizations and offer something new, something better.
"We need to return back and deliver a very positive message," he declared.
To get there, however, we must face many challenges, (or opportunities as Mr. Vargas asked us to think of them), including:
• A global economy in recession
• Trillions in economic stimulus allocated by governments often without mature project management
• The urgent need for disciplined, innovative project management
If you attended the opening session, what did you think of Mr. Pickens' address? And how can are you going to meet Mr. Vargas' call to action?
And all were topics covered by PMI® Global Congress 2009--North America keynote speaker T. Boone Pickens, entrepreneur and author.
"The age of alternative energy must begin immediately," he said to the crowd of more than 2,000.
His address focused a lot on The Pickens Plan and on H.R. 1835, which is a U.S. House of Representatives Bill also known as The Natural Gas Act.
The bill is being considered by the U.S. Congress to help the U.S. to reduce its dependence on foreign oil. "People want it. They want to go green. They want renewables. They want to get off foreign oil," Mr. Pickens said.
It's not just a U.S. concern, of course.
PMI President and CEO Gregory Balestrero reiterated the need to act on global sustainability, saying project, program and portfolio managers have a critical role to play.
The importance that project management will play in the future was a theme discussed by PMI Chair Ricardo Vargas in his opening remarks as well.
"It's time to show the real value of project management," he said.
Mr. Vargas challenged attendees at the opening session to go back to their organizations and offer something new, something better.
"We need to return back and deliver a very positive message," he declared.
To get there, however, we must face many challenges, (or opportunities as Mr. Vargas asked us to think of them), including:
• A global economy in recession
• Trillions in economic stimulus allocated by governments often without mature project management
• The urgent need for disciplined, innovative project management
If you attended the opening session, what did you think of Mr. Pickens' address? And how can are you going to meet Mr. Vargas' call to action?
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