PMI Glasgow Branch Double Event: Emotional Intelligence and Project Success: Leading What Truly Matters & AI Adoption and Apprenticeships in Project Management: Building Tomorrow’s Workforce.14th May 2026

This event is taking place at 110 Queen St, Glasgow G1 3BX

Networking will take place between 5.45pm – 6pm.

Emotional Intelligence and Project Success: Leading What Truly Matters with Dr Peace Opuruiche Echeonwu

Why do well-planned projects still fail?

Despite robust methodologies, clear timelines, and technical expertise, many projects struggle, not because of systems or processes, but because of the human dynamics that underpin them. As project environments become increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA), the limitations of purely technical project management approaches are becoming more evident. This session explores the often-overlooked “invisible layer” of project delivery: emotions, relationships, and trust. This session introduces emotional intelligence (EI) as a critical leadership capability that enhances project delivery, team performance, and stakeholder satisfaction

Drawing on cutting-edge research from Edinburgh Napier University, Dr Echeonwu examines how EI shapes leadership effectiveness, team performance, and stakeholder engagement in complex project environments. The session challenges traditional definitions of project success, moving beyond time, cost, and scope to consider how projects are experienced by those delivering them.

Through real-world insight and practical reflection, attendees will discover how emotionally intelligent leadership enhances communication, strengthens collaboration, and improves project outcomes, navigate complexity, lead with clarity under pressure, and build high-performing, resilient teams. This keynote ultimately calls for a shift from process-driven project management to people-centred leadership, where success is not only delivered but felt.

AI Adoption and Apprenticeships in Project Management: Building Tomorrow’s Workforce with Manikanth Reddy (who will be joining via Zoom).

Why is the PM talent gap widening despite the rise of AI?

While Generative AI is rapidly automating routine coordination, project environments are becoming more demanding, requiring a level of judgment and “human orchestration” that technical tools cannot replicate. Many projects struggle today not for lack of software, but because the pipeline of delivery-ready professionals is failing to keep pace with global demand. This session explores the critical inflection point where AI meets human talent, introducing a modern model for professional growth: the AI-augmented apprenticeship.

Drawing on real-world case studies and current industry data, Manikanth Reddy examines how AI is reshaping the PM Talent Triangle—compressing administrative tasks while elevating the value of stakeholder craft, ethics, and strategic decision-making. The session challenges the traditional “learning by repetition” model, proposing instead a “learning by judgment” framework where AI handles the first draft and humans own the final outcome.

Through a practical 90-day action plan and reflection on “Hybrid Pods,” attendees will discover how to integrate AI tools like Copilots and agents into a sustainable talent pipeline. This keynote calls for a shift from manual project administration to AI-orchestrated leadership, ensuring that as tools get smarter, our workforce becomes more resilient, capable, and human-centered.

Speakers

Dr Peace Opuruiche Echeonwu is a researcher, educator, and emerging thought leader specialising in emotional intelligence and its influence on project success. She is affiliated with Edinburgh Napier University and also teaches at London Metropolitan College, where she contributes to the Leadership and Management Curriculum, delivering modules in construction project management, leading change and management, governance, professional standards, and social science research, including an introduction to psychology.
Her research centres on the role of emotional intelligence (EI) competence as a critical antecedent of project success, with a particular focus on how EI shapes leadership effectiveness, team dynamics, and performance outcomes in complex project environments. Her doctoral work offers a novel, evidence-based perspective on how emotionally intelligent behaviours influence project delivery, stakeholder engagement, and organisational performance.
Dr Echeonwu has developed applied frameworks that bridge theory and practice, positioning emotional intelligence not merely as an individual capability, but as a strategic organisational asset. Her work is especially relevant in high-pressure industries such as construction, where interpersonal dynamics, decision-making under uncertainty, and stakeholder management are pivotal to success.
In addition to her academic contributions, she is the founder of Emotional Intelligence for Excellence (E4X), an initiative dedicated to advancing research, professional development, and leadership training in emotional intelligence. She is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), reflecting her commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.

At the PMI Scotland Chapter, Dr Peace will share critical insights on how emotional intelligence competence directly influences project success, offering practical strategies for project managers seeking to enhance leadership impact, improve team performance, and deliver sustainable project outcomes.

Manikanth Reddy, FHEA, is a seasoned project management expert with over 10 years of experience across the business, software, and academic sectors. Currently serving as the IT and Academic Portfolio Manager and Course Leader at London Metropolitan College (Projcon Group), Manikanth also chairs the APM London Network. His extensive global portfolio includes managing large-scale projects for industry leaders such as CNH, COMAU, and IVECO across EMEA, NAFTA, APAC, and LATAM. An MBA graduate in Project Management and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he specializes in SAP modules and risk mitigation. At this event, Manikanth leverages his dual perspective as an industry practitioner and academic lecturer to share actionable insights on portfolio management and project controls.