This event will be a Online Only Event: The Zoom link will be sent out the day before the event.

About the Event:

Soft Skills as Superpowers – Are We Undervaluing the Human Side of Project Management?
Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking panel session exploring the real power behind successful project leadership—soft skills. In a relaxed, podcast-style format, four panellists from diverse backgrounds (academia, consulting, industry, and psychology) will share insights, challenge assumptions, and reflect on the evolving role of soft skills in project management.
With AI and automation transforming the way we work, this session will examine whether the human touch is becoming more important than ever—or quietly fading into the background. From communication and empathy to adaptability and influence, we’ll unpack what truly drives project success and how we can better support the development of these critical capabilities in our profession.

Whether you’re leading projects, building teams, or developing the next generation of professionals, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss!

About the Presenters:

Lulu Barry:
Lulu is the Director of Engineering and Management Programmes at the University of Canterbury, where she leads the development and delivery of postgraduate programmes that bridge engineering and management. Holding a PhD in Project Management, along with qualifications in engineering, tertiary teaching, and a PMP certification, Lulu brings both academic depth and practical insight to her work.
She is passionate about innovative, industry-connected education and is an advocate for aligning project management learning with real-world challenges. A regular contributor to the PMINZ Christchurch branch, Lulu combines research and practice to prepare the next generation of project leaders.

Sean Whitaker:
Sean has been a project management consultant and trainer for nearly 30 years and in that time, he worked alongside, and for, over 100 organisations of all sizes from small charities to complex multi-nationals in all aspects of portfolio, program, and project management. Sean is passionate about the profession of project management and his commitment is to share in his experience and knowledge.

Lex Stokes:
A proactive and dedicated professional who has a passion for diversity and human relations. After many years of event management, I have found joy in transferring my skills to project management. I am currently looking to push my boundaries and have a diverse set of experiences.

Peter Johnston:
Peter works with founders, CEO's and senior leaders to improve business performance through becoming more customer centric, growing leadership and teaming capability, and driving an execution focus throughout all organisational layers.

Having started early in his career doing behavioural science research and writing, Peter's working life still resembles an ongoing research project on interesting (and business critical!) topics like trust, influence, power, collaboration and conflict management. He works with all levels of people working hard to try to make important change happen - from executives, to seasoned delivery leaders, to project managers just starting out.

This event is open to both PMI members and non-members - everyone is welcome! This is a free event for PMINZ members and there is a small charge for non-members, but space is limited, so be sure to secure your spot by registering.

Note online tickets closes 4pm the day before.

PDU's Available:

1.5 PDU in total
Course Identifier: PMINZ202582

PDU Claim Code:0129P1N9SE
1.5 Power Skills PDU's

Hosted by: PMINZ Christchurch