The Shift Code

Project Management Institute

PMI CEO Pierre Le Manh takes listeners inside real stories of organizational transformation from sectors and regions across the globe. Join us for candid conversations with top leaders in transformation as they give a behind-the-scenes look into the strategic and digital innovation driving their journeys, their lessons learned and the professional skills needed for success.

  1. 9 hr ago

    AI Changed Everything About Reputation Except What Actually Matters

    In this episode of The Shift Code Podcast, host Pierre Le Manh is joined by Chad Latz, Chief Innovation Officer at Burson, to analyze the shifting mechanics of strategic communications. As generative search engines replace traditional lookup tools, brands face a zero-click reality where algorithms mediate public perception. Chad shares how Burson uses advanced cognitive models to calculate unexpected shareholder returns and predict public reactions in seconds, giving leaders an objective framework to protect their license to operate. What You’ll Learn: How to measure reputation as a tangible financial asset using Reputation CapitalWhy Generative Engine Optimization is the new battlefield for brand visibilityHow Decipher uses cognitive AI to forecast audience reactions in real timeThe operational realities and hidden compute costs of scaling enterprise AI adoptionHow to build organizational trust by letting team members build customized agentsChad Latz is Burson's Chief Innovation Officer, leading a team of AI-focused practitioners and partners across data, technology, and academia. In 2017, he articulated the agency's first AI strategy, and in 2023 he led the development and launch of Decipher, a cognitive AI platform that forecasts audience belief and engagement across reputation management, consumer marketing, and healthcare. He's been recognized on PRWeek's Power Book 50 and its "Dashboard 25: AI Edition," and PRovoke Media's 25 Most Innovative Professionals. A frequent industry speaker and commentator, Latz has presented at the Oxford University Generative AI Summit and been featured in PRWeek and Axios Communicators on AI and misinformation.

    AI Changed Everything About Reputation Except What Actually Matters
  2. 16 Jun

    Disrupting Airlines, Streaming, and Healthcare for Good

    In this episode of The Shift Code Podcast, host Pierre Le Manh is joined by Azran Osman-Rani, Group CEO and Co-founder of Naluri, to discuss how visionary leaders systematically challenge industry conventions, scale agility across global teams, and build sustainable businesses that outmaneuver incumbents. What You’ll Learn: How to identify genuine disruption opportunities by questioning one fundamental assumptionWhat it really takes to move faster than your competitorsWhy killing projects matters more than starting themHow to implement enterprise agility at scale without losing strategic coherenceWhy the leaders of tomorrow need the flexibility of rubber and the fortitude of steelAzran Osman-Rani is CEO and Co-Founder of Naluri, a digital health company focused on behavior change and chronic disease management. With a background spanning aviation, media, and consulting, he brings a multidisciplinary approach to healthcare innovation. A Stanford graduate in Management Science & Engineering and Electrical Engineering, Azran previously led AirAsia X as CEO, scaling it from startup to IPO in six years and pioneering low-cost long-haul travel. He later helped shape the streaming platform iflix, where he was known as the “Dragon Keeper of the Tao,” championing its unique culture. Earlier in his career, he worked at McKinsey & Company and Booz Allen Hamilton. He’s also the author of 30 Days and 30 Years: The Sprint and Marathon of Breakthrough Performance. Today, Azran focuses on advancing digital therapeutics and is a leading voice at the intersection of health, technology, and business. Episode Resources:Azran Osman-Rani on LinkedInNaluri WebsitePierre Le Manh on LinkedInProject Management Institute WebsiteProject Management Institute LinkedIn

    Disrupting Airlines, Streaming, and Healthcare for Good
  3. 5 May

    What 22,000 Projects Reveal About Success and Failure

    In this episode of The Shift Code Podcast, host Pierre Le Manh is joined by Alexander Budzier, Fellow in Management Practice at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School, to share insights on what project success actually means and why traditional metrics fail to capture it. What You’ll Learn: What truly separates successful projects from slow-motion failuresWhy the best leaders focus on building systems rather than giving firebrand speechesHow projects can succeed spectacularly on one dimension while failing on anotherThe “uniqueness trap” as the single biggest red flag for cost blowoutsWhy investing 20–30% of the total cost in planning dramatically improves outcomesHow AI is already boosting individual productivity by 40%, but only 5% at the corporate levelAlexander Budzier is a Fellow in Management Practice at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School, where he researches and teaches how to set major projects up for success. His dataset of more than 22,000 capital investment projects across 126 countries is the empirical foundation for two books published by Wiley in 2025: How to Measure Anything in Project Management, co-authored with Douglas Hubbard and Andreas Leed, an Amazon number-one bestseller in software and IT project management; and Intelligent Change: The Science Behind Digital Transformations, which draws on Oxford research to establish what actually drives success in digital programs. His research has appeared in the Harvard Business Review, where his article on uniqueness bias, co-authored with Bent Flyvbjerg, was selected for HBR's 10 Must Reads 2026, and in leading journals across management, energy, and transport. He is CEO of Oxford Global Projects, a specialist advisory firm, advising governments and major program teams across transport, infrastructure, IT, and energy. He completed his doctorate at Oxford in 2015, having previously worked at McKinsey's Business Technology Office in Düsseldorf and Chicago. Episode Resources:Alexander Budzier on LinkedInOxford Global Projects  WebsitePierre Le Manh on LinkedInProject Management Institute WebsiteProject Management Institute LinkedIn

    What 22,000 Projects Reveal About Success and Failure
  4. 7 Apr

    How Leaders Build Organizations That Get Better at Change

    In this episode of The Shift Code Podcast, host Pierre Le Manh is joined by Julia Dhar of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to discuss why most change initiatives stall, how to architect decisions that accelerate adoption, and the human behavioral science principles that separate transformation success from failure. What You’ll Learn: How to shift from false alignment to true agreementWhy agency matters more than involvement in change initiativesHow to architect choices that accelerate adoptionThe critical difference between threat, fitness, and destiny organizational change narrativesWhy process excellence is inseparable from human successJulia Dhar is a Harvard-trained behavioral scientist and Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group, where she founded and leads BCG’s Behavioral Science Lab. She has spent more than a decade applying experimental behavioral science—drawing from psychology, economics, and neuroscience—to large-scale organizational change, advising CEOs and leadership teams across industries and countries. Julia’s TED talks on productive disagreement and constructive conversations have been viewed more than 8.5 million times. She is a Forbes columnist who has written for The Financial Times and Harvard Business Review and is a member of the Aspen Institute’s Advisory Board on Social Trust, and the National Advisory Board for Disagree Better. She holds a Master's in Public Policy (MPP) from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor's degree in Economic and Social Sciences from the University of Sydney. She has worked in more than 25 countries. Episode Resources:Julia Dhar on LinkedInBoston Consulting Group WebsitePierre Le Manh on LinkedInProject Management Institute WebsiteProject Management Institute LinkedIn

    How Leaders Build Organizations That Get Better at Change
  5. 13 Jan

    How Pfizer’s Luisa Barraza Rewrites the Rules of Transformation

    In this episode of The Shift Code Podcast, host Pierre Le Manh is joined by Luisa Barraza, Chief Vice President of People Experience, Organizational Development, and Transformation at Pfizer, to discuss why the human element is the foundation of enterprise agility, how to apply human-centered design and agile principles across complex organizations, and the strategic shifts required to thrive in an AI-disrupted world. What You’ll Learn: Why transformation fails when you lead with technology instead of peopleHow to apply human-centered design to internal transformation projectsWhy AI projects fail at scale and how to reverse courseHow to future-proof your workforce amid AI disruptionThe critical rebalancing act for global corporations facing deglobalizationWhy you should shift from change management to change-makingLuisa Barraza is the Vice President of People Experience, Organizational Development, and Transformation at Pfizer and an “intrapreneur” who is passionate about transforming how organizations work. Luisa has over 20 years of experience in roles across global markets and functions, including Technology, Corporate Audit, Global Marketing, Innovation, and People Experience. Her favorite part of these experiences has been leading enterprise-wide transformation initiatives. Episode Resources: Luisa Barraza on LinkedInPfizer WebsitePierre Le Manh on LinkedInProject Management Institute WebsiteProject Management Institute LinkedIn

    How Pfizer’s Luisa Barraza Rewrites the Rules of Transformation

About

PMI CEO Pierre Le Manh takes listeners inside real stories of organizational transformation from sectors and regions across the globe. Join us for candid conversations with top leaders in transformation as they give a behind-the-scenes look into the strategic and digital innovation driving their journeys, their lessons learned and the professional skills needed for success.

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