How PMOs Are Redefining Agility and Leadership
An exclusive interview with co-authors of
The Evolution of the PMO: The Rise
of the Chief Project Officer
(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DY5VY4KV)
by Aina Aliieva (Alive)
International Correspondent, PM World Journal
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
General Introduction
A year ago, we set out to redefine project management leadership through a collaborative writing challenge. Earlier this year, we were thrilled to announce the release of “The Evolution of the PMO: The Rise of the Chief Project Officer,” now an Amazon bestseller. This groundbreaking book brings together insights from 40 global authors, each offering unique perspectives on modern project management complexities.
This article follows part six published in the September PMWJ. It captures more of the essence of our year-long collaboration and invites you to engage with the dynamic conversations driving innovation in project management
Interviews
Introduction
For much of their history, Project Management Offices (PMOs) were judged on control: the ability to enforce standards, report status, and keep delivery predictable. That foundation remains important, but it no longer defines success. Today’s organizations expect PMOs to do more than deliver projects. They are asked to adapt in real time, bridge strategy with execution, and shape environments where people and ideas can thrive.
This shift is fueling the rise of the Chief Project Officer (CPO) — a role that is not simply about governance but about creating value, resilience, and trust at scale. To understand how this evolution is taking shape, we spoke with four voices working at the frontier of PMO practice.
- Carl Canlas traces the journey from traditional project management to Agile and hybrid models, showing why adaptability is the survival trait of modern PMOs.
- Hitesh Adesara brings the perspective of a Silicon Valley leader, highlighting how the CPO role anchors Agile transformations across industries and sectors.
- Remco te Winkel explores the Agile PMO through the lens of the Theory of Constraints, explaining how bottlenecks and collaboration shape real delivery flow.
- Erik K. Rueter closes the circle by focusing on inclusion, empathy, and neuroscience as the force multipliers of resilient leadership.
Together, their perspectives map the contours of the next evolution: a PMO that is not only adaptive and strategic, but profoundly human.
Note that backgrounds of the interviewees can be found at the end of this set of interviews.
Updated and Expanded Interviews
Aina: Carl, you write about the journey from traditional project management into Agile and hybrid models. What cultural shifts are most difficult for organizations to make, and how can PMOs help bridge them?
Carl: The hardest shift isn’t adopting new practices — it’s unlearning the old ones. For decades, many organizations saw project management as synonymous with control: strict timelines, fixed plans, and reporting lines that moved up, not across. When you introduce Agile or hybrid methods, you are not just adding stand-ups or boards; you are asking leaders to surrender a level of control and trust teams to self-organize. That’s deeply cultural, and it creates resistance even when the method itself makes sense.
The PMO has a crucial role here as translator. I’ve seen executives dismiss Agile as “chaotic” because they didn’t see the underlying discipline. The PMO can frame it differently: not less control, but a different kind of control — one built on visibility, adaptability, and feedback loops. At the same time, the PMO must protect teams from being pulled back into old habits. For example, if leadership demands ten detailed status reports a week, agility collapses. The PMO can model a lighter reporting cadence that still provides confidence but frees teams to deliver. In short, bridging this cultural gap means teaching both sides — leaders and teams — to value adaptability as much as predictability
Aina: In your chapter, you highlight adaptability as a survival trait. What practices have you seen that help PMOs embed adaptability into daily operations, not just strategy slides?
More…
To read entire interview, click here
How to cite this interview: Aliieva, A. (2025). From Adaptation to Inclusion: How PMOs Are Redefining Agility and Leadership; An exclusive interview with co-authors of The Evolution of the PMO: The Rise of the Chief Project Officer – Part 7; PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue X, October. Available online at: https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/pmwj157-Oct2025-Aliieva-From-Adaptation-t-Inclusion-Interviews-Part-7.pdf
About the Interviewer
Aina Aliieva
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Aina Aliieva (Alive) is an experienced Agile Coach and a Business Consultant with 20 years of experience in different industries, from hospitality and tourism to banking and engineering, a Founder & CEO at Bee Agile and a CEO & VP of Marketing at The PMO Strategy and Execution Hub.
She is a keynote speaker on Agile, Project Management, Negotiation, People Management, and Soft Skills topics. She was a guest instructor at NASA in 2022 & 2023 with topics on Conflict Resolution & Negotiation and Facilitation Techniques.
Her book, “It Starts with YOU. 40 Letters to My Younger Self on How to Get Going in Your Career,” hit the #1 position in the #jobhunting category on Amazon and is featured in a Forbes Councils Executive Library.
She also contributed to the books “Mastering Solution Delivery: Practical Insights and Lessons from Thought Leaders in a Post-Pandemic Era”, “Green PMO: Sustainability through Project Management Lens” and “Agile Coaching and Transformation: The Journey to Enterprise Agility”.
Aina was also a Finalist in the Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year category in 2021 by the Canadian SME National Business Award
She can be contacted at https://www.linkedin.com/in/aina-aliieva/
To view previous interviews and other works by Aina, visit her author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/aina-aliieva/
