Emily Bavaro, Vice President of Marketing at Project Management Institute (PMI), leads marketing operations and regional marketing teams to navigate the ever-evolving marketing landscape confidently and efficiently. She empowers PMI’s Marketing team to stay ahead of the curve by driving innovation and implementing strategies that enhance marketing effectiveness, consistently reaching and engaging new audiences.

Before joining PMI, Emily accumulated more than 20 years of experience working with industry-leading brands such as Yankee Candle, DeWalt Tools, Stanley Black & Decker, Rubbermaid, and Coleman camping. She specialized in optimizing operational efficiencies while driving marketing growth and brand visibility. Throughout her career, Emily has excelled in fostering innovation and building dynamic, cross-functional teams across various disciplines, including social media, public relations, creative studios, and digital marketing. Her ability to implement forward-thinking marketing strategies and effectively manage resources has led to the successful execution of impactful campaigns.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and Communications from Syracuse University and is based in Northern Connecticut. She enjoys mountain biking, hiking, and all snow sports with her family. When she isn't optimizing marketing strategies, Emily spends her free time coaching her son's sports teams, gardening, and trying new recipes.

George Bullock is a Senior Product Marketing Manager for Microsoft Project, focusing on product and SKU strategy, as well as shaping the vision and crafting compelling narratives that convey the strategy.

As the voice of the product, George engages with customers and analysts, collaborates closely with engineering and business planning teams, and stays informed on competitors, market research, and industry trends.

Passionate about his work at Microsoft, George is dedicated to delivering great solutions by providing an unparalleled platform and suite of offerings for work management and business use cases.

Brandon Ramirez, PMP, is a strategic project management leader with over 10 years of experience in creative and marketing environments. He excels at executing purpose-driven campaigns and collaborating with top-tier talent.

Currently serving as a Senior Creative Project Manager at Fender, Brandon has produced integrated content for various new guitar launches and brand campaigns. He holds a PMP certification and a Certificate in Project Management from California State University, Los Angeles.

Driven by a passion for creative agility, Brandon is committed to delivering innovative solutions that drive brand growth and resonate with diverse audiences.

Ming Yeung is currently a Compliance Manager (and acting CCO and COO) at Blockchain Venture Capital Inc., where he has co-managed its public listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange since August 2022. He is also a part-time professor at Humber Polytechnic and George Brown College, a role he has held since April 2024.

He was recently the Portfolio Manager and Operations Manager at Emerge Canada Inc., a startup focused on technology-oriented ETFs, where he managed portfolio and operations for 12 ETFs since their inaugural listings on the Neo Exchange in 2019.

With over 20 years of progressive experience in the financial industry, Ming began his career as an analyst at Toronto-Dominion Bank before moving to Bank of Nova Scotia as a Senior Manager in International Compliance.

Prior to joining Emerge, Ming was Director, Regional Compliance, Asia at Manulife Financial Asia Limited in Hong Kong, where he provided risk advisory, compliance oversight, program directorship, project delivery, and product management for 14 Asian jurisdictions across two lines of business. He also served as a Program Manager in the Program Management Office at AIA Insurance during his time in Hong Kong.

Ming has achieved numerous academic milestones, earning his bachelor's degrees from the University of Toronto and Brock University and master's degrees from Dalhousie University and Osgoode Hall Law School. He is currently pursuing a Global MBA with a concentration in project management.

A firm believer in lifelong learning, continuous improvement, and community involvement, Ming serves as the Committee Lead for the PMI Ethics Review Team and as Chair of the External Relations Committee for CFA Society Toronto. He has also attained several professional designations, including CFA, FRM, PMP, FCSI, AICB, CSM, CSPO, PFP, PTS, FMA, and CIM, among others.

Dr. Vanita Ahuja is the Director of RICS School of Built Environment – Noida and Group Academic Head (Design and Built Environment) at Amity Education Group in India. In this role, she focuses on promoting multidisciplinary education for the Built Environment sector, aligning it with industry requirements and the need for transdisciplinary research and practice to achieve national and global visions of an inclusive and sustainable society.

Formerly, Dr. Ahuja was the Director of the National Institute of Design Haryana, an Institute of National Importance established by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. She is an architect specializing in Construction Project Management, with over 25 years of industry and academic experience. She has worked on a variety of projects, including residential, school, and commercial developments, and has also provided consultancy for infrastructure projects.

Passionate about research, Dr. Ahuja has published papers in international journals and has presented at international conferences. She has co-authored the book Indian Project Management Case Studies, contributed chapters to books published by international publishers, and served on the editorial board of prestigious journals such as Emerald Journals.

In the policy-making domain, she is an active member of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Sectional Committee and working groups drafting codes for Construction Project Management. She has also contributed to initiatives led by the Quality Council of India.

Dr. Ahuja actively engages in industry and academic outreach and volunteers with PMI at both national and global levels. She was honored with the prestigious Eric Jennett Project Management Excellence Award in 2020.

Education for all is a cause close to her heart, and she is associated with the NGO Godhuli, which provides education to underprivileged children.

Andrew is a seasoned program management professional with over 12 years of experience spanning diverse industries, including media and entertainment, aerospace, food and beverage, and technology.

He brings expertise in managing complex programs related to manufacturing, auditing, compliance, privacy, and security. Throughout his career, Andrew has collaborated with globally recognized organizations such as Heineken, Google, Safran, and iHeart, delivering impactful solutions and driving operational excellence.

Lenka is a senior leader with international experience and a proven track record in setting strategic vision and executing it. She excels in driving digital transformations and enhancing organizational agility. Lenka gained multi-industry experience by leading strategic initiatives in banking, manufacturing, distribution, and automotive. She has recently accepted an executive role at Project Management Institute, a not-for-profit organization with worldwide coverage that provides education and career growth support for professionals who drive change and transformation.

She has earned a Digital Excellence Diploma from IMD Business School of Switzerland, graduated from the C-level School organized by European Women in Boards, holds a Master of Science in Computer Sciences, and possesses several global certifications in project management, agile practices, and business analysis.

Kathleen Walch is Director, AI Engagement and Learning at Project Management Institute (PMI). In this strategic role Kathleen is focused on advancing AI-driven innovation in project management education as an expert practitioner and thought leader.

Kathleen joins PMI from the Cognilytica acquisition. At Cognilytica, Kathleen co-developed the Cognitive Project Management for AI (CPMAI) methodology that is in use by Fortune 1000 firms and government agencies worldwide to successfully run and manage their AI and advanced data projects. Adopted by dozens of multinational organizations, dozens of government agencies, and NGOs, CPMAI is quickly becoming the standard methodology for AI project management best practices. Kathleen is CPMAI+E Certified. Learn more at: cognilytica.com/cpmai

As an experienced data-focused analyst with a background in marketing, Kathleen’s expertise and experience in project management issues around organizational adoption of data led to the development of the CPMAI methodology. Kathleen is a dynamic presenter, researcher and thought leader on emerging technology best practices. She is a sought after keynoter and presenter speaking to audiences worldwide. Kathleen is also host of the AI Today podcast, regular Forbes contributor, TechTarget SearchAI columnist, and SXSW Innovation Awards Judge.

Prior to her work at Cognilytica, Kathleen helped to grow TechBreakfast, a national technology-focused innovation demo series. Kathleen founded tech startup-up HourlyBee, an online scheduling system for home services where she quickly became an expert in grassroots marketing, networking, and employee management. Before that, Kathleen was a key part of the direct marketing operation for Harte Hanks managing large scale direct mail campaigns for clients including Bed Bath and Beyond and BuyBuyBaby. Managing big data analytics, she created efficiencies in the process saving thousands of dollars and days of processing time from each campaign. Kathleen graduated from Loyola University with a degree in Marketing.

Ron Schmelzer is Director of AI Partnerships & Outreach at the Project Management Institute (PMI). In this role, he’s focused on expanding the reach of PMI’s artificial intelligence (AI) offerings through partnerships and organizational engagement.

Ron comes to PMI through the company’s acquisition of Cognilytica, the company he co-founded. At Cognilytica, Ron co-developed the Cognitive Project Management for AI (CPMAI) methodology that is in use by Fortune 1000 firms and government agencies worldwide to successfully run and manage their AI and advanced data projects. Adopted by dozens of multinational organizations, dozens of government agencies, and NGOs, CPMAI has become the best practices framework and approach for AI project management. Ron is CPMAI+E Certified and is a Lead Instructor on CPMAI courses and training. Learn more at: cognilytica.com/cpmai

Ron is a sought-after expert on AI and data best practices and AI project management. He serves as chair for a number of industry groups focused on AI adoption and best practices, helping launch the AI working group at ATARC. Ron is also involved as a trusted AI expert in the OECD’s Global Trust Challenge. Ron is co-host of the AI Today podcast, regular Forbes contributor, TechTarget SearchAI columnist, and SXSW Innovation Awards Judge.

Prior to founding Cognilytica, Ron founded TechBreakfast, a national innovation and technology-focused demo series. Prior to TechBreakfast, Ron founded and ran ZapThink, an industry analyst firm focused on Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), Cloud Computing, Web Services, XML, and Enterprise Architecture, which was acquired by Dovel Technologies in August 2011, which was subsequently acquired by Guidehouse. Ron received a B.S. degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where his undergraduate advisor was well-known AI researcher Rodney Brooks, and holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.

Walter Nyero is an IT consultant with the United Nations in Sudan and previously spent 12 years as an information technology specialist with the United Nations in Entebbe. They have worked in the aviation industry for over eight years, both at Entebbe International Airport (Uganda) as deputy duty manager and in Kinshasa (N’djili Airport)—DR Congo as station manager with Entebbe Handling Services Ltd (ENHAS). They have presented and facilitated at various organizations including Rotary Clubs, nongovernmental organizations and the UN Regional Service Center in Entebbe.

Walter Nyero is a Maxwell Leadership Team Member, Coach, Facilitator and Trainer of Trainers (ToT) with the Rotary Leadership Institute in Uganda under Rotary District D9213/4 (2015 to present). They hold a master’s degree in management studies and a postgraduate diploma in project planning and management from Uganda Management Institute, UMI—Uganda, a master’s degree in informatics at University of Bergen—Norway, and a bachelor’s degree in computer science, Makerere University Kampala, MUK—Uganda.

Walter is an enthusiast of health and wellness with over 10 years of experience as an instructor in this industry, specializing in yoga, Pilates and as a fitness trainer.

Luis A. Urrego is a Certified Product Owner, PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®, and Project Management Professional (PMP)® with a robust background in information technology and over seven years of experience leading digital transformations for PMOs.

Currently, Luis is a key member of Ecopetrol's Analytics HUB for the finance function, where they develop digital solutions to enhance productivity through business intelligence (BI), automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and other cutting-edge technologies. Previously, they led a team focused on data and analytics for projects and engineering, delivering systems to streamline data collection and automate business analytics.

Luis also brings over six years of experience working on infrastructure and telecom projects across LATAM and Colombia. Additionally, they have spent seven years designing and implementing best practices and strategies for oil and gas projects, with a focus on defining and optimizing project processes.

Dr. Nahid Vesali serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Leadership and Program Management (ELPM) within the School of Engineering (SOE) at The Citadel, a GAC-accredited program in the U.S. She holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Florida International University, along with a Master of Science in Construction Engineering and Management and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. With over 15 years of combined academic and industrial experience, Dr. Vesali previously worked at Plaza Construction and Florida Group LLC. Her expertise spans corporate quality management and project management for high-rise projects. Currently, she is engaged in developing new courses and graduate certificates focusing on AI applications in project management. Her research interests include project management decision-making, risk management under deep uncertainty, and fostering inclusive environments for female and minority students in STEM fields.

Mrs. Anar Umurzakova is an entrepreneur, business author and CEO at Innova Portfolio LLC consultancy firm in the greater Washington, D.C. area, with over 19 years of professional PM experience in various organizations such as Accenture, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and GOPM consultancy.

Mrs. Umurzakova is Presidential Scholar of the Republic of Kazakhstan and graduated a Master of Science in Project Management from George Washington University. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP)® and PRINCE2 Practitioner.

Currently, Mrs. Umurzakova focuses on helping entrepreneurs achieve clarity, profits and impact through the groundbreaking methodology of SCALE.

Anar Umurzakova is a frequent speaker at PMI symposiums and webinars in the greater Washington, D.C. area. She is also a host of the podcast, “Open School of Business,” where she interviews prominent figures in business and entrepreneurship.

Tyler Norman, MBA, PMI-ACP, PMI-PBA, PMP, PMO-CP, PgMP is a passionate, energetic and results-driven project leader with 15 years of experience spanning industrial and commercial construction, manufacturing, energy and publishing. He is a Director, Strategic Supply Chain Programs with Scholastic Inc. with varied certification experience across project management, safety/EHS and human resources. He is passionate about standing up PMOs (with direct experience across multiple organizations), mentoring project staff in their career development and leading cultures for high performance and inclusivity.