Michel Thiry, PMP, MSc, FAPM, PMI Fellow, Managing Partner Valense Ltd., has over 35 years worldwide professional experience and has worked in many cultural environments. He graduated as an architect and worked on a number of major construction projects for over 20 years. Following a fruitful career in construction, he has now focused on combining his Value, Project and Program Management expertise to organizational issues. He is recognized as a worldwide authority in strategic applications of project, program and value. He has supported the development and implementation of a number of strategic programs for large multinational organizations, including their restructuring as Project-Based Organizations (PBO).

For the last 15 years, Michel provided his expertise to major organizations, in various fields, including construction, financial, pharmaceutical, IT and IS, telecom, water treatment, transportation (air and rail), local government and others. He is a regular Keynote Speaker for major International events and Seminar Leader for PMI® SeminarsWorld since 2001.

He has written and lectured widely in International forums, both at the Academic and Practice levels. In addition to his book “Value Management Practice”, published by the PMI®, he has written a number of book chapters on Value, Program and Portfolio Management in prominent PM books like the Gower “Handbook of Project Management” 3rd and 4th editions and the “Wiley Guide to Managing Projects”, published by Wiley. He has been commissioned by Gower Publishing to write a book on Program Management and one on Project-Based Organizations. He is a regular writer and referee for the International Journal of Project Management as well as the PMI and IRNOP Research Conferences and was a contributing editor for PM Network from 2003 to 2008. He currently writes a regular blog for the PMI.

Michel obtained an MSc in Organizational Behaviour with the School of Management and Organizational Behaviour at the University of London and is currently pursuing a PhD at Middlesex University. In 2006 he was elected PMI Fellow for his continued contribution to project management and in 2007 he was nominated Fellow of the Association for Project Management. He has recently gained MSP (Managing Successful Programmes) Advanced Practitioner status.