Tue, Sep 29 · 9:00 AM PDT
# Beyond Delivery: Driving Value in Every Project
### PMI Monterey Bay Chapter — Virtual Professional Development Day
Ten speakers, one day, and a lineup built around the two things that actually separate good PMs from PMs with real influence: business acumen and people skills.
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## Why This One's Different
Most PD days are a grab bag of unrelated topics. This one isn't. Every session on this agenda points at one of two gaps we see holding capable PMs back:
Business acumen — the ability to connect your project work to the strategic conversation, make the trade-off calls that matter, and earn an actual seat at the table instead of just executing what the table decided without you.
People skills — because project management is people management. The schedule and the budget are the easy part. Getting a cross-functional team who doesn't report to you to trust you enough to tell you the truth when something's off track? That's the real job, and it's the part almost nobody trains you for.
Every domain of the PMI Talent Triangle.
One day built around closing both gaps.
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## What's on the Agenda
🎤 Keynote — Demet Tuncer: Charisma is Your Superpower Why the gap between competent PMs and influential ones is usually presence, not skill.⚙️ Ways of Working
Carl Pritchard — Storytelling as a Best Business Practice
Carsten Ley — Integrating OKRs with Project Management
Mashhood Ahmed — Overcoming AI Fear: Imposter Syndrome in the Age of AI
💬 Power Skills
Spencer Horn — Stronger Than Your Strengths
Paul Pelletier — Feedback That Lands
Chris Leonard — Lean and Clean: The Art of Giving (and Receiving) Crucial Feedback
📊 Business Acumen
Serban Mare — Burning Bright, Not Out
Amber McMillan — The Business of Decisions
David Barrett — The Strategic Mindset (closing session)
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## Event Details
📅 Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM PSTFormat: Virtual (access link sent to registered attendees before the event)PDUs: 13 total (7 live + 6 via recordings) 💵 Price: $100 members / $120 non-members
## Can't Make It Live?
No problem. Every session is recorded and available to registered attendees for three months afterward. RSVP now, catch what you can live, and watch the rest on your own schedule.
## Need Help Getting Your Manager's Sign-Off?
Message the organizer through Meetup and we'll send over a ready-to-use justification letter — something you can hand straight to your manager to make the case for attending.
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## RSVP
Registration happens through our event page: https://pmi-mbay.org/calendar?eventId=47228PMI Monterey Bay Chapter
