Ben Breen is the Global Director of Construction and Vice President for the APAC region at PMI

Keynote Speaker

Ben Breen is the Global Director of Construction and Vice President for the APAC region at PMI. Since joining in 2019, he has led the development of the PMI Construction Professional (PMI-CP)™ certification, equipping professionals with essential skills for the construction industry.

Originally from Australia, Ben moved to Singapore in 1994 and has played a key role in major projects like Marina Bay Sands and Suntec Convention Centre. An entrepreneur, he built his own project management company into a top-tier provider. Ben is PMI-CP certified, reinforcing his dedication to advancing project management in construction.

Dr. Luigi Morsa

Aerospace Engineer & Space Fluid Dynamics PhD with experience in Aerospace Structures, Avionics, Aerothermodynamics, Flight Mechanics, Project Management, and Innovation Management Software.

Career highlights include serving as Project Manager, team leader and experienced engineer for challenging and demanding programs for a big group of Aerospace Industry and consultant companies. Additionally, Luigi has collaborated with other authors, publishing articles on “Chess and Business Strategy” and “People Innovation: A New Vision to Innovate” for the International Institute for Learning (IIL) Blog. Further, the speaker contributed a chapter on “Innovation Management Software” to the book “Innovation Project Management” published by John Wiley & Sons in 2019.

The speaker has significant speaking experience, having presented at the Project Management Institute (PMI) Conference – Europe Middle East Africa (EMEA) 2018 in Berlin on the complexity of the aircraft industry market and the relationship between product and customer needs. Their published work includes a case study on “The Airbus A380” in the book “Project Management Case Studies Fifth Edition” published by John Wiley & Sons in 2017.

Luigi´s  passion for project management has led him to contribute to two books by Dr. Harold Kerzner, the pioneer and globally recognized expert in project management. Luigi wrote two case studies about the Aircraft industry for Project Management Case Studies, 5th and 6th Editions (Wiley, 2017, 2022), two sections (Open Innovation in Action; The Project Manager’s Role in Developing Innovation Skills and Ideas in People) and the chapter “Innovation Management Software” for Innovation Project Management 1st and 2nd editions (Wiley, 2019, 2023).He recently co-authored with Richard Maltzman, a chapter “10 Lessons Learnt from Irresponsibility in Project Management” for the book De Gruyter Handbook of Responsible Project Management (De Gruyter, 2023). Luigi is a contributor for the International Institute for Learning blog; he is the author of “Artificial Intelligence and Project Management: The First Step ” (2023); “Avoiding Mistakes: The Great Challenge” (2022); “Team Management: The Key to Success” (2022); “Agile. Creativity. Innovation.” (2022); “Reduce the Risk – Share the Success” (2022), “Managing Conflicts in Projects” (2021); “Chess and Business Strategy” (2020); “People Innovation: A New Vision to Innovate” (2019). 

Dr. Anil Sawhney

With over 25 years of experience in the construction and infrastructure sector, the speaker is passionate about advancing the professional development, standards, and knowledge of this critical field. As the Head of Sustainability at RICS, they lead a portfolio of global activities designed to ensure that RICS achieves its strategic objective to lead and influence on sustainability.

In addition to their leadership role, the speaker is also an educator and a researcher. They teach project management at the University of Southern California and Boston University, and have published multiple papers and reports on digitalization, decarbonization, Building Information Modeling (BIM), alternate technologies, and digital model-based delivery. The speaker’s academic and professional contributions have been recognized with several honors and certifications, including the 7th CIDC Vishwakarma Achievement Award and the 2014 Distinguished Scholar Award.

The speaker is always keen to learn and explore new technologies and innovations that can enhance the construction and infrastructure sector’s efficiency, quality, and sustainability. With their extensive experience, expertise, and passion for the industry, they are well-positioned to contribute to the advancement of the construction and infrastructure field.

Dennis Carlberg

Dennis Carlberg is the Chief Sustainability Officer & Associate Vice President for Climate Action at Boston University where he focuses on building the programs necessary for mitigating BU’s impacts on climate change, preparing its campuses for climate change, and supporting the integration of sustainability into the curriculum including the creation and administration of the BU Campus Climate Lab. Prior to joining BU in 2009, Dennis was a principal at Arrowstreet, a Boston-based architectural firm where he focused on sustainable design. He began his career at the Solar Energy Research Institute (now the National Renewable Energy Lab) conducting daylighting research to reduce building energy consumption and improve the indoor environment.

Dennis co-chairs the Boston Green Ribbon Commission Higher Ed Working Group Executive Committee with Jacob Glickel from Northeastern University. He is the University’s Liaison to the University Climate Change Coalition, a group of 23 of the world’s leading research universities and university systems committed to accelerating climate action on campus, in communities, and at a global scale. Dennis co-chaired the Urban Land Institute Climate Resilience Committee in Boston for a decade. He served on many sustainability committees for ULI and Technical Advisory Groups for the City of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Association for the Advancement in Higher Education.

At BU, he served on the Antiracism Working Group, the Climate Action Plan Task Force, and the advisory boards of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, City Planning and Urban Affairs, BU URBAN. He led the development of the Sustainable Operations section of the BU Strategic Plan.

He received his Master of Architecture from MIT and his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from UC Berkeley.

Loredana Abramo

Dr. Loredana Abramo is a global citizen, who has lived and worked in several international locations, across 4 continents.   She has over 30 years of experience delivering large telecommunications networks and leading global programs in the corporate program office. Loredana is a Doctor in Electrical Engineering, a certified Professional Engineer in Italy and has a Certificate in Advanced Project Management from DePaul University. She is a PMP®, a member of PMI, a senior member of IEEE, and a TIA Convergence Technologies Professional.

Always committed to sharing her experience in project management, Loredana has written and presented multiple papers in support of IEEE, PMI, and IPMA. She has co-authored a book on Project Management competency development (Bridging the PM Competency Gap – 2017), a book on Responsible Project Management (The Responsible Project Manager Handbook – 2023) and is adjunct professor at Boston University Metropolitan College. 

Location: Greater Chicago Area

Industries: Telecom, Infrastructure, IT, Engineering

Eva Agapaki

With over 8 years at the forefront of AI and machine learning innovation, I’ve carved a niche as a product leader, contributing to large corporations like PTC and AVEVA. I’m the driving force behind TENET TWIN, a startup I incubated from a mere idea to a beacon of applied research. My deep technical expertise is rooted in a Ph.D. in Computer Vision from the University of Cambridge and MIT, complemented by my role as an AI and Product Management Professor at the University of Florida.

My journey is marked by a series of product evolutions from conception to market dominance. I’ve architected SaaS solutions that empower oil & gas clients to champion sustainability through Digital Twinning and AI. My portfolio spans two industry pilots with leading oil & gas magnates and mentorship to deep tech founders navigating product-market fit. I’ve also steered product development across regulated sectors, from AdTech to aviation, always with a focus on user-centric products.

I am a passionate leader and collaborator. At the University of Florida, I conceptualized and led the Digital Twinning research lab, nurturing a team of 11 researchers and engineers. During my tenure at PTC, I championed and secured funding for an innovation product team, which I scaled to 32 members, directly liaising with the CEO and C-suite across diverse tech segments.

My unique perspective, earned through my career journey in academia, startups and corporate organizations, allows me to give you an AI Product accelerator launchpad with my Hatch Labs programs.

Topics/Expertise:
◉ Generative AI (technical, strategic & product management)
◉ Product Strategy
◉ Keynote speaking
◉ Training AI leaders

Kim Essendrup

Kim is CEO of Raidlog. He believes that data is the best foundation for business decision-making. Hunches, and intuition just don’t cut it in today’s agile business model; executives, leaders, and teams need to make educated, data-decisions in order to successfully navigate the complex and ever-changing business landscape. This is one of the reasons he created AI-energized Raidlog to help project, program, and portfolio leaders identify, analyze, respond to, and communicate about risks.

Kim has also published books and is the co-host of the Project Management Happy Hour Podcast – a place for frank and honest discussion about real world issues in project management. We do it in a way that’s not too dry, though it may get a bit salty from time to time. Each episode covers a problem faced by Project Managers today, and share practical advice, real-life examples and the occasional project horror story.

Barbara Trautlein

Barbara A. Trautlein, PhD, is the author of “Change Intelligence” and the principal of Change Catalysts. She is also the creator of the CQ System for Developing Change Intelligence. With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Trautlein has facilitated transformational initiatives, certified change agents, and coached leaders, resulting in powerful leadership and bottom-line business results.

Dr. Trautlein is a sought-after speaker and trainer, gifted at sharing real-world, actionable strategies. Her clients include well-known organizations such as Abbott, BP, Cisco, Ford, and ThyssenKrupp.In addition to her consulting and training work, Dr. Trautlein has been a frequent guest lecturer for Boston University. She has also co-presented with Professor Rich Maltzman at the United Nations and the Association of Change Management Professionals.Through her expertise, publications, and speaking engagements, Dr. Trautlein has established herself as a leading authority on change management and organizational transformation. Her innovative approaches and passion for empowering individuals and teams have made her a trusted advisor to executives and practitioners across diverse industries.

Denise Arruda

Dave Silberman

Dave Silberman, PhD, writes, researches, trains, and speaks to help change the stories of working life. Guided by a passionate concern for unleashing human potentiality, Dave taps into the relational dynamics between people, places, and the ways of the business to humanize and harmonize people and organizational performance.

Dave holds a PhD in Human Resources Development and has unique expertise in the human side of the business. Daves’s experience spans over 20 years working in the government, hi-tech startup, healthcare, and venture capital sectors. Additionally, Dave is a graduate-level lecturer at Boston University. His research interests include human factors and behavioral strategies related to human and entrepreneurial performance. He has authored scholarly literature and practitioner-based articles published in places like Forbes and is a best-selling author.

Scott Lynde

Scott is a creative leader who is passionate about the empowering capabilities of digital technology,
artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and organizational leadership. Leads transformative change by building a culture of
innovation, customer-oriented service, disciplined execution, and continuous learning. Has over 25 years of experience managing
high-performance technical teams, leading programs and projects with empathy, developing talent, and growing organizational capability.

Scott has a proven track record of leading people through technology adoption, organizational change, and growth in both development/engineering and production/manufacturing environments. He has extensive experience in
developing plans, tools, processes, and measurement/key performance indicator (KPI) frameworks and leading teams through the planning, executing, and controlling of complex, high-value programs and projects, using both traditional/waterfall and agile/Scrum methodologies. He demonstrates strong communication, data analytics, and finance/business acumen; adept at creating and building relationships with stakeholders. Scott’s been recognized for his ability to lead diverse teams in solving complex problems across multiple disciplines to achieve program success. He has a broad range of information system b(IS)/information technology (IT) leadership experience, including strategy development, program execution, and service management.

Rich Maltzman

As a Master Lecturer at Boston University, Rich specializes in developing and delivering impactful courses tailored to graduate students, including and especially current practitioners. These courses empower them to drive positive change within their careers and make a meaningful impact on the world. With over 40 years of industry experience, including a substantial 30-year tenure in Project Leadership, including serving as a Director of the global PMO at Nokia, Rich brings extensive knowledge and expertise to the field. Rich holds a PMP(R) certification and has a deep-seated passion for integrating sustainability into project management.

In addition to his role writing and teaching a suite of Graduate courses at Boston University, Rich is also the co-founder and principal of EarthPM, LLC, a dynamic consulting and training company that excels at the intersection of project management and sustainability. Rich has had the privilege of working with diverse clients spanning various sectors and countries, including prestigious organizations such as the US Department of Energy, The United Nations, Massachusetts General Hospital, Eink, Omega Therapeutics, Beacon Construction Products, and Watermark Environmental. His commitment to this field is further reflected in my co-authorship of eight books on project leadership and numerous publications, all centered on project management and related topics. Rich is an active blogger on PMI’s projectmanagement.com, sharing his insights and experiences to benefit the project management community.

Vijay Kanabar