From Task Manager to Trusted Advisor: How Project Managers Thrive in the Age of AI

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the project management profession by automating many traditional administrative tasks, including scheduling, reporting, and risk identification. While these advances create new efficiencies, they also elevate the importance of the uniquely human skills that technology cannot replace. In this session, Joel Sullivan, Global Head of Implementation at Canva, explores how project managers can evolve from task-focused executors to trusted advisors who drive strategic value within their organizations.

Drawing on real-world experience leading global implementation teams and insights from the technology sector, Joel will discuss the critical shifts project professionals must make to remain relevant and influential in an AI-enabled workplace. Attendees will learn how to focus on business outcomes rather than deliverables, strengthen stakeholder relationships, influence without authority, and apply sound judgment in increasingly complex environments.

This presentation offers practical guidance for project managers seeking to enhance their leadership effectiveness, increase their strategic impact, and develop the human-centered skills that will remain essential as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the future of work.

PDUs for this Session

Ways of Working: 0

Power Skills: .75

Business Acumen: .25

Speaker Bio

Joel has worked at various software companies throughout her career, including her most current position at Canva, an Australian-based company boasting the 3rd most used AI LLM in the world, where she serves as Global Head of Implementation — MM/ENT/PubSec/Partner.

Joel graduated from the University of New Orleans with a BA in English and Technical Writing, which is a skillset she relied upon as a project manager. Most of her early work in project management followed a more traditional, predictive approach, but after taking a position at the University of California, Office of the President, to oversee the implementation of data pipelines to connect all nine UC campuses, she learned how to run developer sprints using Agile. That experience proved to be a turning point — she came to see that neither approach alone tells the whole story. Today, Joel is a champion of the hybrid model, finding that a thoughtful blend of predictive planning and Agile flexibility is best suited for complex software implementations, especially those involving customizations.

At Canva, she leads a team of implementation consultants who bring project management best practices to enterprise clients, public sector organizations, nonprofits, higher education institutions, and partners around the world. As Canva continues to scale at breakneck speed, the processes the team employs are becoming increasingly standardized and formal, but in the world of software development, a change-oriented focus is the key to success.

When not managing implementation teams or putting out customer fires, Joel loves escaping to the wilder regions of California and Mexico.

As a convenience to our PMI-credentialed members in good standing, PMI Charleston submits PDU claims on behalf of members who attend PMI Charleston-hosted events (live or virtual).  PDU claims are submitted within 1-week of event conclusion and eligible members will receive an email confirming claim status from PMI.org.  PMI Charleston members are encouraged to monitor their certification renewal/PDU cycle to ensure they receive correct credit for learning opportunities and are meeting certification requirements.

Refunds are issued when there has been an error in payment; we do not issue refunds for schedule changes or non-attendance. Thank you.