Penny Pullan

27th January 2020

Business Analysis – Introduction to a Diverse Profession

Dr Penny Pullan is your Summit Host, who is the author of both ‘Virtual Leadership’ and ‘Business Analysis and Leadership‘. Her session introduces the Summit, the concept, the participants and the speakers. She’ll go on to discuss what diversity is and why it’s the focus of this week’s summit.

Penny has worked across industry sectors from banking and finance, through to telecoms and pharmaceuticals. She enjoys making a difference with people grappling with tricky projects. Tricky means anything from risky, with ambiguous requirements, to having disinterested stakeholders, probably with a team dispersed around the world. If that’s your world, that’s where Penny is too! Penny is a director of Making Projects Work Ltd, and she has hosted virtual summits since 2010. You can contact Penny on Twitter at @PennyPullan or by responding to the summit e-mails.

Adrian Reed

28th January 2020

Diversity of Thinking – Systems Thinking

Adrian Reed is a true advocate of the analysis profession. In his day job, he acts as Principal Consultant and Director at Blackmetric Business Solutions where he provides business analysis consultancy and training solutions to a range of clients in varying industries. He is a Past President of the UK chapter of the IIBA® and he speaks internationally on topics relating to business analysis and business change.  Adrian wrote the 2016 book ‘Be a Great Problem Solver… Now’ and the 2018 book ‘Business Analyst’

You can read Adrian’s blog here and follow him on Twitter here.

Helen Winter

29th January 2020

Diversity of Stakeholders and Strategies

Helen Winter is a highly experienced business analyst and author, who helps a diverse range of organizations across industries to deliver better business outcomes. CIOs rely on her support and clarity, when they can’t see a way through complex programmes of change. Helen will be sharing her perspectives on the diversity of stakeholders and techniques in answer to your questions.

Helen’s book, The Business Analysis Handbook, has been shortlisted for two awards. Her blog, businessbullet.co.uk helps business analysts worldwide with tools and techniques. She speaks and is the Chair of the Midlands branch of IIBA UK chapter.

Paula Bell

30th January 2020

Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Paula Bell is a business analyst, leadership coach, consultant, speaker and author, with a wide range of experiences in project roles in corporate America. She’s lead multiple multi-million dollar transformation projects and currently leads a team of business process consultants. She also holds two black belts, and is known as the BA Martial Artist!

Paula will share how diversity is more than ethnicity, which is what many think of first. There are many dimensions to diversity. Some of those dimensions may make you uncomfortable, but the truth is, it’s reality for others. Being comfortable being uncomfortable, can help you get over the initial response of “avoidance” and move toward “embracing” without compromising your own diversity, with the benefit of learning from others.

Find Paula at her website or blog.

Georgiana Mannion

31st January 2020

Playfulness

Georgiana has been working in the analysis and change space for over ten years and is currently the Vice-President of IIBA Australia. She has spoken internationally on BA and Change Management subjects with a twist. She speaks on bringing games and play into our field and has even gamified Lean! She has spoken in 4 countries, owns a suitcase of Lego, and outside of being a BA, she enjoys playing music.