Welcome! Introduce yourself to PMI’s Online Community

Hello everyone,
My name is Aliou Moctar Traore, and I am very excited to join this vibrant PMI community.
I currently work as a Senior Project Manager in the technology sector, where I manage and contribute to digital transformation and IT initiatives. My work involves coordinating teams, managing project delivery, and supporting organizations in implementing efficient systems and processes.
Interestingly, my professional journey has taken several turns before leading me to project management. Earlier in my career, I was deeply involved in development and infrastructure projects, which gave me valuable exposure to strategic planning, operations, and stakeholder management. These experiences naturally led me toward the field of project management.
Throughout my journey, I have developed a strong interest in agile methodologies, digital transformation, and organizational change management. As a certified Scrum Master, I am particularly interested in how agile frameworks help teams deliver value more efficiently while fostering collaboration and continuous improvement.
What attracts me most to project management is the ability to turn ideas into tangible results. Leading initiatives that bring together people, strategy, and technology to solve real-world problems is something I find both challenging and rewarding.
One accomplishment that I am especially proud of is obtaining my Scrum Master certification and applying agile practices in real project environments. This experience has strengthened my ability to guide teams, adapt to change, and deliver successful outcomes.
I am looking forward to connecting with fellow PMI members, exchanging ideas, and learning from the diverse experiences within this community.
Thank you for the warm welcome, and I look forward to growing and contributing alongside all of you.

Hey there, my name is Micah Ruelle (she/they) and I'm currently studying full-time for the CAPM exam (which I'll be taking next week). But, previously I've worked in mostly education and real estate.

-What did you want to be when you were growing up? I wanted to be a geologist (which is so wild to me now, ha. Having a rock tumbler doesn't make you a scientist. But! I still love the outdoors and learning about nature).
-What are your favorite project management tools and technologies? Or ones that you’d like to learn more about? The technology will be completely new to me, while many project management techniques are themselves old hat (i.e. I've coordinated and marketed for a month-long literary festival and used to handle a majority of communication logistics for a small local charter school).
-What drew you to the project management industry? What's kept you in it? I love planning and executing, and realized that that is what I wanted to lean into professionally. I also love being in a profession where I can constantly learn, grow, and be challenged. I feel like project management contains no shortage of opportunities.
-What's your proudest accomplishment (personal or professional)? Well, my hope is passing this exam! I know that the CAPM is just the door opening for the PMI community and other amazing opportunities. I feel really fortunate for the opportunity!

Looking forward to connecting with you all and hearing your stories!

Hello everyone,
My name is Carlos Suárez, and I work as a Project Manager in the restoration and insurance claims management sector in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
I grew up in Colombia and became familiar with project management as a profession early on, even completing a postgraduate degree in the field. I’ve always been interested in solving problems, helping people, and building things, and my current role brings all of that together.
I currently coordinate mitigation and reconstruction projects related to damage caused by water, fire, wind, storms, natural disasters, and other events, working closely with contractors, adjusters, and property owners.
Some of the tools I regularly use include Xactimate and various project coordination and communication platforms. The PMP journey has also been an interesting challenge, as I continue learning more about agile methodologies and project leadership.
I’m also very interested in how the project management profession will evolve with AI tools. We are already seeing the impact in many areas of our work, and it’s exciting—yet difficult to predict just how far these technologies will take us.
What motivates me in this field is the impact of our work—helping people recover and rebuild after unexpected losses.
One achievement I’m particularly proud of is building a professional career in Canada while also developing small entrepreneurial ventures.
I look forward to connecting with all of you!
Carlos

Hello everyone! My name is Aisha Barnes, and I currently serve as a Technical Schedule Lead, where I manage a team responsible for developing and maintaining complex project schedules that support large, multi-stakeholder programs. Through this role, I’ve been able to work closely with program leadership, cross-functional teams, and technical stakeholders, which has naturally expanded my path toward broader project management leadership.

Growing up, I always gravitated toward roles that involved organizing people, solving problems, and bringing ideas to life. While I didn’t know the term project management back then, it’s clear now that it perfectly aligns with the things I’ve always enjoyed doing.

Some of my favorite tools include Microsoft Project and Primavera P6 for schedule development and project tracking. I’m also interested in continuing to learn more about collaboration and workflow tools like Smartsheet, Notion, and other platforms that help teams manage work more effectively.

What drew me to project management is the ability to bring structure to complex work and help teams move from strategy to execution. What has kept me in the field is the opportunity to lead, support teams, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

One of my proudest professional accomplishments has been leading a team of schedulers supporting multiple high-visibility programs while helping drive coordination, accountability, and project visibility across stakeholders.Personally, I’m also proud of balancing a demanding career while raising an incredible family.

I’m looking forward to learning from everyone here and connecting with fellow project management professionals!

¡Hello everyone! It's a pleasure to connect with you all.

I'm Jose Diaz Miranda, an Industrial Engineer and Project Control Manager with 25 years of experience leading multidisciplinary EPCM projects in mining and industry. From a young age, I was fascinated by how large structures were built, which led me to forge a career in the technical complexity of projects such as Coal Desorption Plants, Acid Water Treatment Systems, Soil-Cement Dams, Tailings Dams, and geotechnical instrumentation. In these environments, where the integration of civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering is critical, I rely heavily on AutoCAD, Power BI, Primavera P6, and MS Project to ensure accurate data governance, although I'm always looking to learn new online collaboration tools. What attracted me to this industry was the challenge of orchestrating massive systems from scratch, and what keeps me here is the evolution toward methodologies like Lean Construction and the Last Planner System, under a "Zero Accidents" culture. My greatest pride is solidifying my vision as a PMP step by step through practical execution, driven by my greatest motivation: knowing that every day brings new learning.

What's the most valuable thing you've learned from your most recent project? I'd love to read about your experiences and connect with you!

🔗 Let's connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raul-diaz/

Greetings,

Spanish Industrial Engineer currently relocated to the Dominican Republic, working in the HealthCare industry as a Corporate PMO.

As a kid I wanted to be a pilot but then moved into the world of Engineering until today.

I love my job, as it gives me the opportunity to get to know new people, products, processes and eventually, new situations.

My greatest achievement is becoming a dad of my little 5 month-old daughter :)

Hello everyone,
My name is Aanuoluwa Owolabi-Noah, and I'm a Project Manager passionate about turning complex ideas into structured, impactful outcomes. My background spans business analysis, digital transformation, and stakeholder engagement and across these areas, I've had the privilege of partnering with cross-functional teams to implement systems, improve processes, and drive change that actually moves the needle.

Growing up, I was always drawn to professions where I could solve meaningful problems and make a real difference in people's lives. I didn't have a name for it back then, but looking back, I was naturally wired for project thinking : organizing ideas, coordinating people, and finding practical solutions to complex challenges. Discovering project management didn't feel like stumbling into a career; it felt like finally finding the field that was always meant for me.

What continues to excite me about this work is something I suspect many of you relate to : no two projects are ever the same. Every engagement brings new challenges, new stakeholders, and fresh opportunities to create value. I thrive on translating complexity into clarity and helping teams move confidently from vision to execution. The dynamic, ever-evolving nature of this field is what drew me in and what keeps me deeply invested.

On the tools and methodology side, I work regularly with Jira, Azure DevOps, Microsoft Project, Visio, and the Microsoft Office ecosystem, and I apply both Agile and structured frameworks depending on what the project demands. I'm also actively exploring data-driven project management and automation to drive smarter delivery outcomes and I'm currently preparing for my PMP exam in May, so any tips or experiences from those who've been through it are very welcome!

One of my proudest recent accomplishments is something I'm still quite proud of — graduating with a Post-Graduate Certificate in Global Project Management with Dean's List recognition. What made it especially meaningful is that I completed the program while navigating pregnancy and stepping into motherhood. That season reinforced something I now carry into every project: that resilience, discipline, and purpose are not just personal values, they're project management superpowers.

Beyond work, I'm passionate about continuous learning, personal development, and building genuine, lasting connections in the PM space. I believe great project management goes beyond timelines and budgets, it's about empowering people, aligning vision, and creating environments where great ideas can truly thrive.

I'm genuinely excited to be part of this community and look forward to exchanging ideas, learning from your experiences, and growing alongside fellow project professionals. Don't be a stranger, let's connect!

Hi everyone. My name is Kenneth Petersen, I'm a program/project manager with 2 decades of experience in financial services, professional services consulting, IT project consulting, retail and management consulting. I've worked in EMEA/APAC for all that time and worked across multiple time zones (sometimes 6 at a time) and multiple countries.

I actually started my career late around the age of 27, working for a PMI accredited company in Cape Town, South Africa called the X-Pert Group. This was totally not what my plan was for my life.

I always thought I'd be a professional cricket player, I was highly talented with peers who turned out to be greats of South African cricket. Unfortunately that didn't work out so I had to move into the corporate world (not really a corporate animal at all).

I've become more and more technically focused as my career has gone on but now find myself absolutely gobsmacked at the potential that AI/ML presents across all industries in the world. It's like when the Internet first appeared, it changed everything, this feels eerily similar.

To keep myself balanced, I also do multiple martial arts/combatives and have since 1997, this has ensured that I'm able to keep a calm head because the discipline and relaxation required for martial arts ensures that nothing in project management, is as threatening as immediate and serious violence. :-)

For the very first time, I'm currently doing work with NGO's in Africa to engage with systemic change around financial services and access. I'm looking forward to it!