Morning Keynote Speaker: Brian Hobbs

Topic: What Research is Teaching us about PMOs 

Dr. Brian Hobbs PMP, Project Management Research Chair www.pmchair.uqam.ca, holds a degree in Industrial Engineering, a MBA and a PhD in Management. He has been a professor at the University of Quebec at Montreal in the Master's Program in Project Management for more than twenty years. This program, of which he is a past director, is accredited by PMI’s Global Accreditation Center. He has served terms on both PMI's Standards and Research Members Advisory Groups and is currently a member of the PMI-Montreal Board of Governors. He is a reviewer for both the Project Management Journal and the International Journal of Project Management. He has presented many papers at both research and professional conferences worldwide.

Afternoon Keynote Speaker: General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.)

Topic: Leadership . . . Taking CHARGE!! 

General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) became the 65th Secretary of State on January 20, 2001. As he stated at his confirmation hearing, the guiding principle of U.S. foreign policy during his tenure was that "America stands ready to help any country that wishes to join the democratic world." 

Powell brought extensive experience with him to his office. Before becoming Secretary of State, Powell served as a key aide to the Secretary of Defense and as National Security Advisor to President Reagan. He also served 35 years in the United States Army, rising to the rank of Four-Star General and serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989 – 1993). During this time, he oversaw 28 crises to include the Panama intervention of 1989 and Operation Desert Storm in the victorious 1991 Persian Gulf War. That experience served him well, both before and particularly after the events of September 11, 2001, the day of the greatest tragedy on American soil since Pearl Harbor. As Secretary, he stood shoulder to shoulder with the President and the other members of the President's cabinet in fighting the war on terrorism. As he often said, "winning that war is our first priority, and it will remain so for as long as necessary." 

A fervent purveyor of democratic values, Powell stressed that fighting the war on terrorism is not just a military but also a diplomatic task – the two go hand in hand. He led the State Department in major efforts to solve regional and civil conflicts – in the Middle East, between Israel and its Arab neighbors; in Sudan, Congo and Liberia; in the Balkans, Cyprus, Haiti, Northern Ireland and elsewhere. He was especially concerned with the peace and security of Afghanistan and Iraq, countries where winning the peace is as important as Coalition battlefield victories. In all areas, he used the power of diplomacy and the universal ideal of democracy to build trust, forge alliances and then begin to transform these once unstable regions into areas where societies and cultures prosper.