KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
14th IPMA Research Conference Bogotá 2026
Project Management Practice in a Disruptive Era: Integrating Technology, Innovation, and Sustainability
April 15–17, 2026 · Universidad EAN, Bogotá, Colombia
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China 🇨🇳
Prof. Dr. Ding RongguiIPMA Vice President for Research & Publications
IPMA · School of Management, Shandong University
KEYNOTE TITLE
From Temporary Projects to Sustainable Growth Business with Taiji Logic
BIOGRAPHY
Professor Ding Ronggui is Vice President for Research and Publications at the International Project Management Association (IPMA) and Professor at the School of Management of Shandong University, China. He received his PhD in Systems Engineering jointly from Okayama University (Japan) and Tianjin University (China) in 1997. With over 20 years of experience across academic, industry, and government settings, he was honoured as an Excellent Talent by China’s Ministry of Education in 2007. Since 2022 he has served as IPMA Vice President for Research. He is on the Editorial Board of the European Project Management Journal and has published over 40 articles in leading journals. His research focuses on project management, stakeholder management, digital transformation, and project governance. |
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Panama 🇵🇦
Ing. José E. Reyes GonzálezAdvisor to the Government of Panama · Chairman, APGP
APGP–IPMA · Government of Panama
KEYNOTE TITLE
Challenges in the Management of Megaprojects in the Public Sector
BIOGRAPHY
José E. Reyes González is Chairman of the Panamanian Association of Project Management (APGP–IPMA) and Advisor to the Government of Panama on major public-sector infrastructure initiatives. He is also a Professor of Project Management in the graduate programme at the Universidad Interamericana de Panama. With deep expertise in civil engineering and project management, he has directed landmark projects at the Panama Canal Authority, including the $1.7-billion Third Locks Construction Programme, the $150-million Towing Track Rehabilitation, and the $85-million Maritime Capital Management Programme. He is the author of technical papers on Construction Quality Management and a textbook on Project Management Competences. |
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Croatia 🇭🇷
Dr. Mladen VukomanovićPresident, IPMA · Full Professor, University of Zagreb
IPMA · Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb
KEYNOTE TITLE
Project Management as Vehicle for Sustainability
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Mladen Vukomanović is the President of the International Project Management Association (IPMA) and an Full Professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb, where he teaches BIM, Construction Management, and Project Management. He also serves as Chair of buildingSMART Croatia. With over 20 years of leadership and consultancy experience across the AEC, Oil & Gas, and not-for-profit sectors, Dr. Vukomanović has contributed to research projects yielding more than 70 publications, including 4 books. He holds the prestigious IPMA Level A certification and is managing editor of the journal Organization, Technology & Management in Construction. |
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Colombia 🇨🇴
Jose PerezEngineering Services Management Director
ZTE Colombia
KEYNOTE TITLE
Project Manager 5.0 in Action: Delivering Digital Infrastructure in Complex Ecosystems
BIOGRAPHY
Senior telecommunications executive with over 30 years of experience in mobile network design, implementation, and operations across 2G to 5G technologies, as well as FTTH (GPON/ODN) solutions. Proven track record leading large-scale, end-to-end engineering projects, including 5G trials in Colombia and multi-operator network integration in Venezuela. Currently serving as Engineering Services Management Director at ZTE Colombia, overseeing project strategy, delivery, PMO, KPIs, and customer satisfaction. Strong expertise in contract negotiation, operational excellence, and quality management. Recognized for strategic leadership and results-driven execution in complex, high-impact environments. Bilingual professional focused on delivering innovative and customer-centric Telecom Solutions. |
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China 🇨🇳
Wang YuzhuEngineering and Service Director, Colombia & Ecuador | ZTE
ZTE
KEYNOTE TITLE
Project Manager 5.0 in Action: Delivering Digital Infrastructure in Complex Ecosystems
BIOGRAPHY
Engineering and Service Director of Colombia and Ecuador at ZTE, Wang Yuzhu brings 16 years of overseas telecom leadership experience across Eastern Europe and LATAM, managing multi-country operations with full delivery responsibility. His expertise spans multi-country operational leadership and cross-functional governance across Finance, HR, Legal, Sales, and Marketing. Wang Yuzhu’s work focuses on delivering complex digital infrastructure projects in challenging international environments, applying advanced project management methodologies to drive operational excellence in telecoms delivery across Latin America. |
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Serbia 🇷🇸
Prof. Dr. Vladimir ObradovićIPMA Vice President · Full Professor, University of Belgrade
IPMA · Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade
KEYNOTE TITLE
The Importance of Project Professionalization in a Disruptive Era
BIOGRAPHY
Professor Vladimir Obradović, PhD, is a Full Professor and Head of the Department for Interdisciplinary Research in Management at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, and Vice President of IPMA. He completed both his undergraduate and doctoral studies at the same faculty, specialising in management and organisational sciences. He is Editor-in-Chief of the European Project Management Journal (Scopus-indexed) and serves on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Project Management and Project Leadership and Society. A prolific researcher with over 80 published papers and several monographs, he also served as a Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. |
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Croatia 🇭🇷
Dr. Lana Lovrenčić ButkovićAssociate Professor · Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb
IPMA · Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb
KEYNOTE TITLE
IPMA Sustainable Project Management
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Lana Lovrenčić Butković is an Associate Professor at the Department for Construction Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb, where she teaches management, strategic management, and investment management at graduate, specialist, and doctoral levels. She graduated from the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb (2003), completed her MBA in Business Management (2009), and earned her doctorate in 2015. She is a member of the SIG ESG team at IPMA and co-author of the IPMA Guide to Sustainable Project Management. She is also co-director of the interdisciplinary specialist programme in Business Management in Construction (MBA in Construction) and an active member of the Croatian Society for Corporate Governance and Management. |
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Guatemala 🇬🇹
Ing. Rodrigo Baessa, M.Sc.Dean, Faculty of Engineering (FISICC) – Universidad Galileo
Universidad Galileo · Guatemala City
KEYNOTE TITLE
Disruptive Education and the Future of Project Management Training
BIOGRAPHY
Rodrigo Baessa holds a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. He serves as Dean of FISICC (School of Computer Engineering) at Universidad Galileo — Guatemala’s first higher-education institution with a technological focus, founded in 2000. In his role, Baessa champions innovative, technology-driven pedagogical models that bridge academia and industry. He is a strong advocate for competency-based and project-based learning, and brings a practitioner’s lens to the design of disruptive educational programmes that prepare future project managers for a rapidly evolving professional landscape. |