PMI Houston Galleria: "Human-in-the-loop Project Management: Where to Keep Humans in Control vs. Where AI & Automation Are Safe and Smart"
Pre-Dinner Presentation "The Deliberate Disruptor: Why Elite Organizations Institutionalize Scepticism"
JIM BENVIE, PMP - "THE HISTORY PM" Jim Benvie transforms historical wisdom and critical thinking techniques into powerful leadership tools for today's business professionals. With 40+ years managing multi-million-dollar projects across multiple continents, "The History PM" delivers thought-provoking presentations on pivotal historical events, structured skepticism for excellence, and the evolving nature of leadership. A recognized industry leader whose exceptional expertise earned him an L1 visa—reserved for professionals with specialized skill. Throughout his career, he was specifically recruited for key leadership positions, including the Martin Decker Totco Service Manager (Europe) role, based on his outstanding reputation. Jim served on the PMI Houston board for 6 years, maintained his PMP certification for over 20 years, and earned the Distinguished Toastmaster Award.
Jim's presentations have earned enthusiastic praise from audiences at conferences nationwide:
- "Should be on the History Channel"
- "This was my favorite presentation of the day!"
- "You made me a history lover today!"
As a speaker with TyauvinOn Solutions and dedicated PMI Houston volunteer for over two decades, Jim challenges conventional thinking by connecting historical insights with contemporary challenges. His philosophy of "Some assembly required" encourages leaders to think deeply rather than seeking simplistic solutions. Invite Jim to deliver a presentation that will inspire your audience while providing actionable insights drawn from history's great leadership and decision-making lessons.
Topic Synopsis:
In today's high-stakes business environment, conventional thinking may be your greatest vulnerability. While organizations value consensus and alignment, these same qualities often lead to costly blind spots, missed opportunities, and avoidable mistakes.
What if your organization's competitive edge lies in systematically challenging your own assumptions?
Join Jim Benvie, "The History PM," as he reveals why today's elite organizations are deliberately institutionalizing scepticism as a strategic advantage. Drawing from historical case studies and contemporary business examples, Jim demonstrates how structured challenge transforms decision quality and exposes hidden risks before they become costly missteps.
The "Deliberate Disruptor" methodology isn't about creating conflict—it's about implementing a disciplined framework for critical thinking that:
• Prevents groupthink and assumption-based errors that plague even the most experienced leadership teams
• Reveals blind spots in strategy that competitors are waiting to exploit
• Stress-tests critical decisions before significant resources are committed
• Creates psychological safety for authentic discussion without undermining team cohesion
• Builds organizational resilience in today's volatile business landscape
As businesses navigate increasingly complex challenges, from digital transformation to market disruption, the ability to systematically question assumptions provides an essential safeguard against failure.
Discover how historical wisdom and contemporary leadership techniques combine to create a powerful framework for superior decision-making that elite organizations already employ.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the concept of institutionalized scepticism and its proven value in high-performing organization
- Implement critical thinking frameworks that expose dangerous assumptions while maintaining team unity
- Experience practical techniques for stress-testing important decisions before resources are committed
PDU Triangle:
1.0 Power Skills PDU
Dinner Presentation "Human-in-the-loop Project Management: Where to Keep Humans in Control vs. Where AI & Automation Are Safe and Smart"
Ruqaiya Akbari is the founder of ammi.ai, an AI enablement consultancy that helps community and professional leaders confidently join the AI conversation through Responsible AI training. With a background in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston and a decade of technical sales and corporate strategy experience at enterprise AI software companies like SAS, Dataiku, and Rippling, Ruqaiya brings both deep technical expertise and a passion for making AI accessible. Now based in Houston, she’s guiding communities and organizations worldwide through the AI age with clarity and confidence—all while raising three children.
Topic Synopsis:
As AI rapidly enters everyday project tools, project managers face a new challenge: deciding what to delegate to machines and what must remain firmly in human hands.
This session introduces a practical stoplight framework to distinguish between work that can be fully automated, decisions that should be AI-assisted with humans “in the loop,” and critical calls that must stay human-only. Using real-world examples across initiation, planning, execution, and stakeholder communication, participants will learn how to design guardrails, avoid over-automation, and use AI to enhance - not replace - human judgment, ethics, and accountability.
Learning Objectives:
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Use a simple “stoplight” framework (green / yellow / red) to classify project tasks for AI: safe to automate, human-in-the-loop, or human-only.
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Learn how to set up guardrails that keep humans in control of important decisions, even when AI is involved.
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Practice applying these ideas to real project management tasks like planning, risk logs, and stakeholder communication.
PDU Triangle:
0.5 Ways of Working and 0.5 Business Acumen PDU
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Event Information
| Event Date | 09-09-2026 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
| Cut Off Date | 09-09-2026 8:00 pm |
| Capacity | Unlimited |
| Individual Price | $30 Members / $40 Guests / $20 Student/Unemployed |
| Location | Home2 Suites by Hilton at the Galleria |