Make Way for the Next Generation: A New Committee Shaping the Future of Project Management

PMI-Montréal’s NextGen Committee is launched: a project by and for the next generation of project professionals

A few months ago, we sat around a table with a simple, yet essential question in mind:
How can we better support those just starting out in project management?

Not just by inviting them to our events.
Not just by offering a training course.
No.

We realized it’s not always easy to navigate the field: to understand possible career paths, identify the right certifications, find reliable guidance… or even just know where to begin. Some of us have been there: discovering PMI late, searching for resources without knowing who to turn to, or hesitating to get involved without really understanding what it could bring.

How can we fully integrate emerging professionals into our community as key players and agents of change?

That’s the question that sparked a collective initiative: PMI-Montréal’s NextGen Committee.
And after several weeks of planning, brainstorming (with too many Post-its), shared documents, strategic alignment, and a healthy dose of optimism… it’s official. We’re live.

A simple idea, a lasting impact

The NextGen Committee is a direct response to a challenge many of us have faced.
So we created a space designed by and for the next generation to learn, connect, and contribute.
A place not only to get informed, but also to get involved, build, propose, and drive change.

Our mission:
• Represent the interests of students, recent graduates, and early-career professionals in project management
• Provide a bridge to the professional world
• Promote the profession, best practices, and PMI certifications among next-generation talent
• Strengthen connections between universities, organizations, and our community

All of this is closely aligned with PMI-Montréal’s 2025–2028 strategic vision.

This committee isn’t a separate initiative: it’s at the core of the organization.
Yes, it’s a committee. But it’s also a living lab, a testing ground, and an agile structure that connects the ideas of emerging professionals with the realities of our chapter, both in Montréal and across Québec.

A team that’s not afraid to get their hands dirty

Behind this inspiring idea, there’s a concrete plan.
And behind that plan, there are seven people.

Seven volunteer members who, since last fall, have been working to bring this initiative to life.
Creating a committee isn’t just about assigning roles. It’s about designing how it functions, who talks to whom, how to measure impact, with what resources, and most importantly: why we’re doing this.

Behind the scenes, our team, supported by the Executive Director and PMI-Montréal staff, thinks,writes, meets, plans, questions, and adjusts. We’re developing action plans, building relationships with universities, preparing events, and reflecting on how to better welcome the next generation. All while trying not to get lost in Excel spreadsheets.

What we’re building isn’t just a structure: it’s a safe space to take initiative. A human-scale community and a professional safe space where we can ask questions, try things out, and build connections—without pressure.

Local roots, collective reach

The committee also has broader ambitions: to help evolve the chapter’s association model, bring in fresh ideas, and build bridges across generations, regions, and areas of expertise.

As Catherine Laramée, our Executive Director, often says: « We’re here to connect, empower and inspire. »

And we’re doing it our way:
• By designing hybrid, inclusive, and accessible experiences
• By making volunteer involvement a meaningful driver of personal and professional growth—not just a hobby

This committee may be new, but it’s built around a clear vision: to position the next generation as a driving force for social and professional impact within the PMI and the project management ecosystem.

Meet the team behind the NextGen Committee

Because a project like this is also about faces and stories, here are the founding members who brought the committee to life:

• Jordan Soliveau – President

• Ivan McFerrin – Executive Vice President

• Eugène-Emmanuel Savoie – Vice President of Finance

• Adriana Gonzalez  – Professional Partnerships Lead

• Hamza Bouarich – Marketing Lead

• Nejma Hamadi – University Partnerships Lead

• Lilou Namyst – Member and Volunteer Engagement Lead

We also want to recognize Marc-Antoine Bouclin for his guidance in shaping the committee’s strategy, structure, and operations, and Nina Pona for her work in helping design our upcoming events.

We’re not claiming to reinvent everything. But we’re convinced that the next generation has a voice worth hearing, ideas worth developing, and so much to learn, create, and share.

This committee is a springboard, a playground, and above all, a gateway: between what we learn in school and what we experience in the field.

We’ll share more soon, promise.
But for now, we’re heading back to our shared docs.