Leading High-Change Projects: Digital Transformation
In today’s fast-moving digital world, change is no longer optional—it’s a constant. Join us for an engaging half-day virtual experience designed to equip you with the tools, mindset, and strategies to lead complex digital transformations with clarity and confidence.
Kick off the morning with keynote speaker Holly Stang-Williams, who will explore how emerging technologies like AI are reshaping change management and why new leadership approaches are essential. A dynamic panel discussion follows, tackling the complexities of digital initiatives and how to balance people and tech for lasting success. Then, hear from featured speaker Hannah DeFranco, who will share real-world lessons from high-stakes projects and deliver practical strategies for embedding change leadership into your project toolkit.
Whether you're managing transformation or driving adoption, you'll leave with actionable tools, fresh perspectives, and renewed confidence to lead through complexity.
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8:00 – 8:20 AM | Opening, Welcome and Board Member Introduction
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8:20 – 9:20 AM | Keynote Presentation: Reimagining Change: Leading AI Adoption in a Rapidly Evolving World
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Speaker: Holly Stang-Williams
With the rise of AI and other emerging technologies, change has become more complex—and more critical. Holly explores how modern transformation demands new ways of thinking, leading, and supporting people through change.
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9:20 – 10:05 AM | Panel Discussion:
Managing Complexity in Digital Projects
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Panelists: Holly Stang-Williams, Shane Jensen, Hannah DeFranco
In this interactive panel discussion, industry leaders will share real-world insights on navigating the complexities of digital projects—where technical execution and human-centered change must align for success. Gain practical lessons on sustaining transformation, measuring impact, and leading through change.
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10:05 – 10:15 AM | Break
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10:15 – 11:20 AM | Featured Speaker Presentation:
More Than an Email: Leading Change for Project Success
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Speaker: Hannah DeFranco
Change can’t be an afterthought. Hannah explores what it really takes to lead change as a project manager, beyond the checklist. She’ll share practical insights from high-stakes implementations—where stakeholder resistance, misalignment, and rushed timelines tested every aspect of leadership.
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11:20 – 11:30 AM | Closing Remark
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PDUs
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3 PDUs (2 Ways of Working, 1 Power Skills)
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Cancellation Policy
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This event is hosted professional development committee, held for the benefit of its members. The registration fee paid is based on the registrant's ability to commit to attendance, ahead of time. The registration fee will not be refunded for any reason, other than event cancellation, after normal business hours (5:00 PM, Central) on the registration deadline day. The PMI - Minnesota Chapter Professional Development Committee reserves the right to make last-minute changes to program content and speakers, as circumstances dictate.
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Holly Stang-Williams
National Practice Director of People & Talent, Pioneer Management Consulting
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Holly Stang-Williams is an enterprise leader with over 20 years of experience aligning people and talent strategies with business goals to drive transformation and growth. Her career highlights include leading enterprise-wide organizational design workshops and building comprehensive change strategies, helping shape the future of HR.
Known for her ability to translate vision into execution, Holly is a respected speaker and thought leader. She holds an MBA with a management emphasis from the University of St. Thomas and a B.S. in International Business from St. Cloud State University. She is also a certified Prosci Change Management practitioner.
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Shane Jensen National Practice Director for Data, Analytics & AI, Pioneer Management Consulting
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Shane brings over two decades of experience in driving the adoption of data, analytics, and AI across corporate functions. He built and scaled Pioneer’s analytics practice from the ground up, integrating emerging technologies like Microsoft Fabric and Generative AI, and developing proprietary AI-enabled tools for clients.
His previous roles include founding data and analytics teams at Starkey Hearing Technologies and Huntington Bank. Shane holds a B.A. in Accounting from Saint John’s University and an MBA from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business. He began his career in corporate finance at General Mills, Mayo Clinic, and Ameriprise Financial.
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Hannah DeFranco PMP - Lead Project Manager, Strategic Planning & Data Management, Anoka County
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Hannah specializes in digital transformation, process improvement, and organizational change across education, insurance, and local government. With a people-centered, results-driven approach, she implements impactful solutions that enhance efficiency and user adoption. Passionate about aligning leadership goals with measurable outcomes, she leverages data-driven strategies to foster sustainable growth.
Certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP), Hannah also has expertise in Prosci Change Management and Lean Six Sigma.
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Click Register Myself then Proceed to Checkout to complete your registration.
Registration
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