By The IIL Team
October 9, 2025
In today’s fast-changing world—where AI is reshaping how we work—every professional is called to lead. That’s why, for the first time, we have built our speaker lineup at IPMD around three key tracks—Projects, Leadership, and Agile. This article highlights the Leadership track.
If you’re managing projects, supporting teams, or transforming how you work, you’ll find sessions relevant to you. We believe the saying holds true: everyone is a leader. Today, more than ever, strengthening your people and leadership skills is essential to success.
Meet Your Leadership and Soft Skills Speakers
Darrel Popowich, President, Transformation Craft
Why Most Transformations Fail – and How Leaders Can Get it Right
Most transformations fail—not from bad tech, but from missed human dynamics. Explore the culture clashes and relationship breakdowns that derail change. Leaders will get clear visual tools and strategies to build alignment, drive sustainable success, and prevent team burnout.
Shannon Leppky, President & Founder, Red Chair Coaching & Leadership Academy
Unbridled Presence: The Transformative Power of Cultivating Presence and Emotional Awareness for Project Success
Join Shannon to hear her personal story of finding presence and emotional awareness, fueled by her work with Red Chair and horses. Learn how cultivating presence and embracing emotions will help you increase your influence with project teams and thrive amid chaos.
Gabor Stramb
Program Manager, Nokia
Leading without Authority
A project manager without authority is just a punching bag with a calendar. You absorb blame and chase updates. You manage scope, risk, and emotions, without the power to say no or make it stick. How to lead and how to manage teams is an art. In this presentation, Gabor addresses lessons learned and provides practical solutions.
Dr. Tresia Eaves, President, Variant Enterprises, LLC
The Platinum Rule – Why Your Project Needs a North Star, Not Just a Plan
What if we were treated as we wanted to be treated, rather than the way someone else wanted to treat us based on their paradigms? We were all taught the Golden Rule in kindergarten: do unto others as YOU would have done unto you. The Platinum Rule is the improved version. Our modern technology is already acting on The Platinum Rule.
Debra Kahn, Founder, DK Consulting of Colorado
Strategic HITL: The Project Leaders’s Edge in an Automated World
As AI embeds into project work, your unique value is critical. This session shows project professionals can thrive as the strategic human in the loop (HITL), providing the judgment, ethics, and context AI can’t replicate. Walk away with a practical framework to guide AI use responsibly, advocate for governance, and stay in control as a project leader.
Markus Kopko, Principal Project & Program Management Consultant & Trainer, PMotion.ai
Lead Like a Human – Even When the Bots Take Over
AI is continually improving at performing tasks—faster, smarter, sometimes even better than us. But when algorithms run the numbers, who leads the humans? This talk tackles a vital question for the future of project and program management: In a world where AI handles planning, scheduling, and reporting—what do we do?
Susan Croft, Consultant and Trainer, IIL
Handling Difficult Conversations
Trust, confidence, rapport, and patience are essential ingredients to successfully handling a difficult conversation and giving negative feedback. In this session, you will learn how to navigate difficult conversations and distinguish between needs and wants, as well as manage expectations.
Saskia Van Dyck, PMP
Global Director of PMO, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Engage, Align, Deliver: Communicating to Connect with Stakeholders
You will learn how to understand stakeholders’ needs, context, and communication styles. Whether your stakeholders are data-driven decision-makers or big-picture thinkers, knowing what matters to them—and how they prefer to receive information—is key. We’ll emphasize the value of curiosity over assumptions, encouraging you to ask the right questions, listen actively, and adapt your approach accordingly.
Register now for IPMD!
- Event Market Price $89
- Live Day: November 6, 2025 (live day attendance not required)
- On-Demand Access: Through February 8, 2026
- Earn up to 26 PDUs
- Access 25+ Video Presentations
- Get 2 Free On-Demand Courses: AI Foundation by AICERTs and Business Relationship Management Fundamentals by IIL
- Online Confrence Reflection Journal: by Project Management Life and IIL
- And much more!
