PMI Ireland National Conference 2025: Leading the Transition, One Project at a Time
- Projects at Colectivo
- May 20
- 2 min read

Last week, the Colectivo team had the pleasure of attending the PMI Ireland National Conference 2025 at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. With this year’s theme, “Navigating the Next Wave,” the event brought together an impressive community of project professionals tackling the biggest shifts shaping our world: AI, sustainability, and the future of work.

Our CEO and founder, Laura McDermott, was invited to speak on the U35 Changemakers Panel alongside Sinead Gallagher, Pat Lucey and James Doggart, sharing reflections on the role of emerging leaders in shaping a more inclusive, sustainable business landscape.
Reflecting on the day, Laura noted:
“It was incredibly refreshing to be surrounded by people who don’t just talk about change, they deliver it. In the urgent work of sustainability and systems transformation, project professionals are the ones helping to bridge the gap between intentions and actions. They are critical to changing how the world works and how business performs.”

The event featured standout contributions from across the profession:
Tom Bloemers offered a global perspective in his “State of the Profession 2025” address
Aarthi Kumar explored AI as a powerful enabler for project leaders
David Smyth reminded us that sustainability is not an add-on, it is the core
Kim Essendrup and Kate Anderson brought empathy and energy to a thoughtful session on imposter syndrome in leadership
Dr Lollie Mancey closed the day with an inspiring keynote connecting technology, culture and human insight

At Colectivo, we work at the intersection of strategy, sustainability, and behavioural design, and we know that ideas only become reality through clear, collaborative, and well-executed projects. That’s why events like this matter. They bring together the people who move change forward, not in theory, but in action.
A big thank you to PMI Ireland, President of the Irish Chapter Peter Gylnn, Director of the Conference Yudeshtra Naidoo and all the speakers and organisers who made the day such a success!