Overview

Rising Above the Noise: Leading Projects When Everything (and Everyone) Is Changing is a one-day virtual Professional Development Day designed for project managers who are navigating constant change, competing priorities, and growing complexity.

This conference goes beyond tools and templates to focus on the real skills project professionals need right now - leadership, influence, communication, adaptability, and decision-making in uncertain environments.

Through practical sessions led by experienced practitioners and thought leaders, you’ll gain fresh perspectives, actionable ideas, and techniques you can apply immediately to your projects and teams.

PDU’s - 13 

-7 on show day

-6 more via recordings of sessions

And here’s the big bonus: even if you can’t attend live on June 16, every session is recorded. You’ll have full access to the content for up to three months after the event, allowing you to learn at your own pace, revisit key ideas, and fit professional development into your schedule — not the other way around.

Mark your calendars for a day of PDUs. Earn up to 13 PDUs. June 16, 2026, 9AM to 5PM ET.

Speakers

      Kristina Riis 

 

 

 

Jamie Champage

"Jamie Champagne is a certified speaking professional (CSP), who engages teams WITH technology for exciting collaborations on their change work that delivers maximum value to organizations. With years of passionate project managament and business analysis experience, she is and acclaimed author of Seven Steps to Mastering Business Analysis and the creator of popular courses on platforms like LinkedIn and Pluralsight. When she is not collaborating with her business partners, you can find her collaborating with her friends and family on the Hawaiian waters on a surfboard.

 

Chris Leonard

"Chris Leonard is the founder of No Impediments and a consultant known for elevating team performance across clients such as Merck, Amgen, Pfizer, Prime Therapeutics, and SmileDirectClub. He is a PMP with advanced ICAgile, SAFe, and ITIL certifications.

 

Nan Gesche

 

Takis Melas

Panayiotis “Takis” Melas, is an IT Delivery Manager and Agile Coach with over 22 years of Project and Program Management experience, in addition to over 15 years as an Agile practitioner and evangelist. His diverse portfolio of projects consists of Software Development, Mobility, Third party Implementation/Integration and Infrastructure, spanning over multiple industries including Oil and Gas, Construction, Manufacturing, Publishing, and Transportation. He actively promotes the Agile methodology and related frameworks such as SAFe, through coaching & mentoring peers and clients, in addition to conducting SAFe certification classes. He is a frequent presenter at PMI Houston events and contributor to Project Management forums. His certifications include PMP, CSM, ICP-BAF, SAFe5 SA, SSM, RTE & SPC.

Gail Levitt

Dr. Gail Levitt is an accomplished facilitator, coach, and author based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her expertise is strategic leadership influence and team engagement. Gail is a dynamic executive education facilitator and coach with extensive experience for over 20 years guiding and inspiring project professionals, executive leaders, and team specialists enrolled in programs at leading universities, including: Schulich School of Business, York University: Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia; Sprott School of Business, Carlton University; Sagicor Cavehill School of Business and Management, University of the West Indies. Gail’s previous project management experience in full-time positions at Hewlett-Packard, Nestle, and Nabisco results in many valuable insights and strategies that she shares with readers in her two books: Team Planning for Project Managers and Business Analysts, and The Truth About Collaborating: Why People Fail and How to Succeed.

Gordon Withrow

"Gordon is an independent executive consultant and Principal of Gordon Withrow & Company, providing digital, agile, and organizational transformation leadership at scale. Gordon leads businesses in moving from strategy to action to realize value, with a people-first approach to getting things done. Prior to his independent work, Gordon functioned over the prior 25+ years as an executive program manager with a large, international consultancy, and as a leader within a Fortune 100 financial services company. He has led organizational change and business transformation with heavy IT complexity in financial services, consulting, publishing, manufacturing, and logistics organizations. Gordon has made his home in Dublin, Ohio for over 35 years and continues to enjoy playing basketball, fishing, gardening with his wife, music, and watching NHL hockey.

Rebecca Kay

Rebecca Kay is the Founder & Principal of Performance Improvement Consultants (PIC)—a boutique Management & Growth Operating Group dedicated to helping founder-led companies build enterprise value with intention. At PIC, Rebecca and her team bridge the gap between awareness and ownership—ensuring every solution not only diagnoses the real problem but also builds the operational engine, governance, and accountability needed to sustain it. With more than a decade of cross-sector experience spanning technology, finance, defense, professional services, higher education, and the nonprofit space—and organizations ranging from early-stage teams to 1,400-person enterprises—Rebecca brings a distinctive blend of operational architecture, strategic clarity, and principled leadership to every engagement. Known for her ability to lead through complexity with calm precision, Rebecca specializes in being a true business fiduciary and a partner who integrates strategy, operations, sales, and people into a coherent system that performs. Above all, Rebecca is passionate about serving leaders and teams who are building more than a business but a way to make the world a better place.

David Barrett

Solutions Network Ltd

"David Barrett is a professional speaker, regular blogger, podcast host, author of 6 books and project management education advisor to numerous universities. David’s career includes the creation and directing of a project management conference business called ProjectWorld / ProjectSummit, a training company, a software development firm, a speaker bureau, a project management portal called ProjectTimes.com and a project management event series called ProjectTalks. Most recently, he has launched a virtual, project management education platform called ProjectBites.com.

Jeff Manhardt

"Jeff Manhardt is the Senior Director, Citizen Intelligence for Compass Group. He has a history of 20+ years of success utilizing situational leadership, including Citizen Development and artificial intelligence across teams, PMOs, projects & programs. Jeff’s award-winning, results-oriented, people-driven leadership approach delivers real business value. Jeff has a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Medaille University and many project management certifications. Jeff has served on the boards of PMI Buffalo, IIBA Buffalo, BA/PMWorld Toronto, Graycliff Conservancy, and is currently serving on the Habitat Buffalo Board. During his free time, Jeff enjoys triathlons, reading, and watching football.

Eric Risner

Eric Risner is a retired United States Coast Guard Master Chief with more than 20 years of executive leadership experience leading high tempo operational teams, organizational transformation efforts, and mission critical response operations. During his Coast Guard career, he served in senior leadership roles at units including Station Tybee, Station Fort Myers Beach, and Training Center Yorktown, where he led complex operations involving search and rescue, law enforcement, training, emergency response, workforce development, and organizational readiness. Following retirement, Eric transitioned into executive consulting and leadership development, currently serving as a Senior Consultant with Java Productions, Inc. where he works as an Agile Liaison and Change Management expert supporting enterprise modernization and organizational transformation initiatives. His work focuses on Agile ways of working, change execution, leadership development, stakeholder alignment, and helping organizations improve communication, decision making, and operational effectiveness in complex environments. Eric is also the founder of Rise Up Leadership LLC, where he facilitates leadership retreats, executive coaching, and professional development programs centered on practical leadership, organizational culture, and sustainable change execution. He holds certifications including PMI-ACP, Professional Scrum Master, PROSCI Change Management, and RBLP Trainer. Known for his operational leadership perspective and people centered approach, Eric brings a practical, real world view of project leadership, team dynamics, Agile transformation, and leading organizations through uncertainty and change.