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Breaking News in the Project Management World
Sunday, April 29, 2007
PMI CEO Balestrero Predicts Project Management Center of Gravity to Move East
Immediately following his recent two week trip to China, Greg Balestrero, CEO of the Project Management Institute (PMI ®), predicted that “the center of excellence in complex project management is no longer here; it’s moving Eastward.” He made the statement during his closing keynote speech at the Professional Development Day seminar sponsored by the PMI Dallas Chapter on Saturday, 28 April.
According to Balestrero, “I returned on Friday from two weeks in China, visiting Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing. The growth there is phenomenal, with projects everywhere and the commitment to project management education and certification is staggering, with thousands of Chinese engineering students enrolled in PM programs now. China will soon be the leader in managing large complex projects.”
Mr. Balestrero was traveling in China earlier in the month with several executives from Western corporations, along with Linda Vella, Chair of the PMI Board of Directors. Everywhere he went, he stated, “the Chinese are focused on results. It’s not about the process; it’s about results!”
Other comments during his speech included:
“The government of China establishes five year plans. Eight years ago, they said they would build 45,000 kilometers of new highway. That’s more highway than there is in the United States. They said they would do it in ten years, but they’re nearly there already.”
“In their latest five year plan, they said they would bring prosperity to Central China. The third most used word in that plan is “project”. That’s what China is about; it’s about projects. Projects are in two primary areas – construction and IT. It’s everywhere!”
“The Chinese have recognized that project management is indispensable for business results. Now their idea of business may be different, but they’re about projects and about results. And they achieve those results in ways that are remarkable!”
“I go to China two or three times a year now, which is not enough. Each time I visit, I am amazed at the change. The estimates of change are always underestimated. And the biggest change this time is the maturity of project management over the last 12 months. It’s improved markedly!”
“China is now one of the biggest engines of commerce and change in the entire world. They’re shaking us to our very roots. The world is changing around us. It’s very exciting, but it can also be very threatening at the same time.”
“The United States graduates about 60,000 engineers, technologists and scientists every year. China is graduating 600,000; India is graduating 300,000.”
“In 2004, China said ‘we need more project managers’. They decided to establish project management programs in all the engineering schools. They authorized 93 of them in the fall of 2004. There are 16,000 students in the program two years later.”
“Huawei, which is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world, is a new kind of company in China. Founded in 1988, today it has a turnover of about $11 billion USD. Its revenues double about every year. So they’ll probably go up to $20-22 billion this year. They have 20,000 projects ongoing at any one time. 49% of their employees are in R&D, out of 63,000. Their life cycle for new products is less than 12 months. They have a goal to cut it in half.”
“China is very focused on results. They are very project focused. They have qualified 3,900 people to take the PMP exam. They have 2,700 PMPs in China. Three years ago they had none. They believe that project management is crucial!”
“The biggest problem that we have heard about from executives is the lack of qualified project management professions. We have heard this in China, in London and around the globe. I estimate the demand for PMPs to be in the order of 25 million worldwide.”
“The drive towards more transparency, accountability and integrity among corporations and executives has focused more attention on projects, project management, and, especially, on project controls. But this is a two-edged sword. It means that project managers and project management professionals are in the spotlight and must deliver results. Project management needs to get better!”
Greg Balestrero’s 45 minute presentation was the closing keynote speech for the PMI Dallas Chapter’s first annual Professional Development Day in Dallas, Texas, USA. (Greg Balestrero in photo receiving star award from Dwaraka Iyengar, PMI Dallas Chapter President.)
The day’s activities also included an opening keynote speech by Gopal Kapur, Founder & President of the Center for Project Management in California, a luncheon keynote address by former Dallas Cowboys’ star quarterback Roger Staubach, and 24 professional presentations over six tracks on PM related topics by local PM leaders and experts. Copies of presentations from the day can be found on the PMI Dallas Chapter’s website, at www.pmidallas.org.
Reported from Dallas, Texas, USA by David Pells and Nelson Soucek
Mr. Balestrero was traveling in China earlier in the month with several executives from Western corporations, along with Linda Vella, Chair of the PMI Board of Directors. Everywhere he went, he stated, “the Chinese are focused on results. It’s not about the process; it’s about results!”
Other comments during his speech included:
“The government of China establishes five year plans. Eight years ago, they said they would build 45,000 kilometers of new highway. That’s more highway than there is in the United States. They said they would do it in ten years, but they’re nearly there already.”
“In their latest five year plan, they said they would bring prosperity to Central China. The third most used word in that plan is “project”. That’s what China is about; it’s about projects. Projects are in two primary areas – construction and IT. It’s everywhere!”
“I go to China two or three times a year now, which is not enough. Each time I visit, I am amazed at the change. The estimates of change are always underestimated. And the biggest change this time is the maturity of project management over the last 12 months. It’s improved markedly!”
“China is now one of the biggest engines of commerce and change in the entire world. They’re shaking us to our very roots. The world is changing around us. It’s very exciting, but it can also be very threatening at the same time.”
“The United States graduates about 60,000 engineers, technologists and scientists every year. China is graduating 600,000; India is graduating 300,000.”
“In 2004, China said ‘we need more project managers’. They decided to establish project management programs in all the engineering schools. They authorized 93 of them in the fall of 2004. There are 16,000 students in the program two years later.”
“Huawei, which is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world, is a new kind of company in China. Founded in 1988, today it has a turnover of about $11 billion USD. Its revenues double about every year. So they’ll probably go up to $20-22 billion this year. They have 20,000 projects ongoing at any one time. 49% of their employees are in R&D, out of 63,000. Their life cycle for new products is less than 12 months. They have a goal to cut it in half.”
“China is very focused on results. They are very project focused. They have qualified 3,900 people to take the PMP exam. They have 2,700 PMPs in China. Three years ago they had none. They believe that project management is crucial!”
“The biggest problem that we have heard about from executives is the lack of qualified project management professions. We have heard this in China, in London and around the globe. I estimate the demand for PMPs to be in the order of 25 million worldwide.”
“The drive towards more transparency, accountability and integrity among corporations and executives has focused more attention on projects, project management, and, especially, on project controls. But this is a two-edged sword. It means that project managers and project management professionals are in the spotlight and must deliver results. Project management needs to get better!”
The day’s activities also included an opening keynote speech by Gopal Kapur, Founder & President of the Center for Project Management in California, a luncheon keynote address by former Dallas Cowboys’ star quarterback Roger Staubach, and 24 professional presentations over six tracks on PM related topics by local PM leaders and experts. Copies of presentations from the day can be found on the PMI Dallas Chapter’s website, at www.pmidallas.org.
Reported from Dallas, Texas, USA by David Pells and Nelson Soucek
