PMFORUM Breaking News

Reported By Theofanis Giotis in Athens

The PMI Athens, Greece Chapter organized the first Risk Management event for Project Management ever. The event was titled “Project Risk Management Symposium 2008” and was held in Athens, Greece, on 19th of June 2008. More than 220 delegates attended the symposium.

The Project Risk Management Symposium 2008 commenced at 09:00 by Dr. George Diakonikolaou, PMI GREECE Vice President of Events & Special Projects and Symposium Chairman. Welcome speeches were given by Mr. Theofanis Giotis PMP, President of PMI GREECE and CEO of ITEC.

The main message of the Project Risk Management Symposium 2008 was the following: “If you don't Attack Risks, Risks will Attack You!”

Dr. David Hillson was the keynote speaker of this symposium. Dr. Hillson (www.risk-doctor.com) is an international risk management consultant, and the Director of Risk Doctor & Partners. Many senior managers have benefited from his insights through personal coaching and mentoring, and he has assisted a wide range of organizations to develop effective in-house risk processes and successfully manage their risk. David has developed a number of innovations in risk management, which have been widely adopted.

He is best known for championing the inclusion of opportunity in the risk process, and has developed a practical approach to understanding and managing risk attitudes (see www.risk-attitude.com). David is an active member of the global Project Management Institute (PMI) and was a founder member of its Risk Management Specific Interest Group (SIG). He received the PMI Distinguished Contribution Award for his work in developing risk management over many years. He is a Fellow of the UK Association for Project Management (APM) and past Chairman of its Risk SIG. David is also a Fellow of the Institute of Risk Management (IRM), the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce (RSA), and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

At the end of the Symposium a round table was held to discuss issues about Risk Management in Project Management. This round table was coordinated by Dr. Konstantinos Kirytopoulos, University of the Aegean. The participants at this round table were Dr. David Hillson, Director at Risk Doctors and Partners, and Mr. Harris Xanthopoulos, Project and Program Manager at Bovis Lend Lease Hellas. (In photo from left: Dr. David Hillson, Dr. Konstantinos Kirytopoulos and Mr. Harris Xanthopoulos)

For a complete report on the PMI Athens, Greece Chapter’s Project Risk Management Symposium 2008, including event photos, click here.

The PMI Athens, Greece Chapter was founded in 2004, is a non-for profit professional association and is operating as the Greek PMI Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI). PMI Greece has 360 members from 230 companies that represent all financial sectors in Greece (information technology, telecommunications, construction, banking, public sector etc). For more information, visit http://www.pmi-greece.org/.

Theofanis C. Giotis International Correspondent Greece based in Athens Mr. Theofanis C. Giotis, MSc, MCT, PMP is an International Correspondent for PMForum and PM World Today in Greece. Mr. Giotis is also CEO of ITEC Total Solutions SA, an Information Technology Solutions company, and managing director for ITEC Training Services SA, an IT, Project Management and Management Training company. Mr. Giotis has an MS degree in Operations Research from the University of Lancaster (UK) and a BA in Economics from the University of Athens, Greece. Theofanis has 20 years’ experience in Management, Finance, IT, Security and PM. He is a co-founder & steering committee representative of the PMI® Greece Chapter and a member of the Greek Computer Society, Greek Operations Research Society, Hellenic Management Association, and several other Greek and international professional organizations. Additional information about Theofanis Giotis can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/index.htm#5. Theofanis lives in Athens, Greece and can be contacted at Theofanis.Giotis@ITEC.edu or Theofanis.Giotis@PMI-GREECE.org.