Exploring the Human-Centered
Transformation of PMOs
An exclusive interview with co-authors of The Evolution of the PMO:
The Rise of the Chief Project Officer – Part 6
(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DY5VY4KV)
by Aina Aliieva (Alive)
International Correspondent, PMWJ
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 five published in the August 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 years, the Project Management Office (PMO) was seen mainly as a control function — the place that set standards, tracked progress, and enforced compliance. That role hasn’t disappeared, but it is no longer the whole story. In many organizations, the PMO has become something larger: a driver of alignment, a connector between strategy and operations, and in some cases, a voice at the leadership table. The question today is not whether PMOs deliver projects, but whether they help the business adapt, transform, and create lasting value.
This round of conversations features Blake Mallett, Dimitry Shlyonsky, Luis Guardado, Mercy Mosunmola Momah, and Joseph Fernandes. Together, they explore how PMOs can thrive in a world that demands both rigor and resilience. From systems thinking and structured career pathways to stoic leadership, practical solutions, and the spirit of high-performance teams, each of these voices points toward a future where PMOs become catalysts for transformation.
Note that backgrounds of the interviewees can be found at the end of this set of interviews.
Updated and Expanded Interviews
Aina: Blake, you’ve worked across the Navy, aerospace and IT. How has this diversity of experience shaped your view of project management?
Blake: The biggest influence has been learning that every field brings its own way of solving problems—and once you see that, you stop believing there’s only one “right” approach to project management. In the Navy, the work was about discipline and adaptability: you had to act decisively in environments where the stakes could literally be life and death, and yet also remain flexible because plans rarely survived first contact with reality. Aerospace, on the other hand, drilled into me the value of precision and compliance. Every action was documented, every tolerance measured. It made me realize that rigor is not bureaucracy—it’s safety, it’s reliability. Then when I moved into IT, the pace changed entirely. Technology projects are all about speed, iteration, and being ready for requirements that shift overnight.
What happens when you put those together is you begin to see projects as living systems rather than static deliverables. You realize a change in one area always creates a ripple somewhere else. That’s why I often say systems thinking is the core of my practice. A PMO that doesn’t think in systems is doomed to chase symptoms rather than fix causes. My background taught me to respect that interplay. It’s not about choosing discipline over agility or speed over rigor—it’s about integrating them in a way that keeps the whole system balanced
Aina: You argue that diversity in professional backgrounds is more powerful than surface-level diversity. What does that look like in practice inside a PMO?
Blake: I’ve seen the power of this kind of diversity too many times to doubt it. When you build a team made up of people who have only ever worked in the same industry, they share the same blind spots. Their solutions may be good, but they tend to echo each other. Now compare that to a team where an aerospace engineer sits next to someone from quality control, who works alongside a cybersecurity specialist and a production manager. At first, the conversations can be awkward. Each one has their own language, their own set of assumptions, even their own pace of decision-making. You will absolutely face friction in the beginning—people defend their domain, they get frustrated at not being understood. But if you persist, what emerges is a kind of “fusion lens” that sees problems in three dimensions instead of one.
In aerospace and automotive, compliance and innovation are always in tension—you can’t let one win at the expense of the other. By bringing different backgrounds together, I’ve seen teams create solutions that are both bold and safe, both innovative and compliant. That is rare when everyone comes from the same mold. And the added bonus is that communication itself becomes a strength. Learning to speak across disciplines forces clarity. It pushes people to listen before they respond. It’s messy in the short term, but the long-term payoff is resilience and creativity. That’s why I tell PMOs: don’t just look at gender or ethnicity when you think diversity—look at professional journeys. That’s where the real strategic advantage lies.
Aina: You’ve said the hardest barrier isn’t culture but willingness to participate. How can leaders encourage voices that might otherwise stay quiet?
More…
To read entire interview, click here
How to cite this interview: Aliieva, A. (2025). From Systems to Synergy: Exploring the Human-Centered Transformation of PMOs; An exclusive interview with co-authors of The Evolution of the PMO: The Rise of the Chief Project Officer – Part 6; PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue IX, September. Available online at: https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/pmwj156-Sep2025-Aliieva-From-Systems-to-Sinergy-PMO-Interviews-Part-6.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/
