16 Project Management Influencers You Should be Following in 2024
In the dynamic realm of project management, staying on top of the latest methodologies, trends, and insights is key. Influencers serve as leaders, helping you find paths toward professional growth and excellence.
Here, we introduce you to a diverse array of thought leaders whose expertise spans the breadth of project management disciplines. Whether you’re delving into Agile methodologies, navigating leadership challenges, or seeking career advice, these influencers offer invaluable wisdom and guidance.
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#1: Jim Highsmith
Jim literally wrote the book(s) on Agile, writing books on the subject. He’s also one of the original signers of the Agile Manifesto and a co-founder of the Agile Alliance and Agile Project Leadership Network.
- Area of expertise: Agile
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhighsmith/
- Located: Colorado, USA
Why you should follow him:
Jim will keep you up-to-date on all things Agile, with lots of thoughts on how artificial intelligence is going to impact project management.
Where else you can find him:
Head to Jim’s website to find a complete list of his books, articles, and podcasts.
#2: John Cutler
John Cutler is a product management expert, coach, and a prolific writer known for his insights and thought leadership in the field of product development and agile methodologies. John is particularly known for his emphasis on user-centric approaches, outcome-oriented thinking, and collaborative team dynamics in product management.
- Area of expertise: General Project Management, Agile
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpcutler/
- Located: California, USA
Why you should follow him:
John is known for his innovative ideas and thought leadership, constantly pushing the boundaries of traditional product development approaches. He also posts regularly, and often just posts to share his thoughts rather than just promoting his content.
Where else you can find him:
Check out his substack or find him on GitHub.
#3: Elizabeth Harrin
Elizabeth is an author who has been working in the project management space since 2007, and has plenty of practical tips for managing the day-to-day work of project management.
- Area of expertise: General project management, interview prep
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethharrin/
- Located: Guilford, UK
Why you should follow her:
Elizabeth posts regularly with statistics, job listings, and posts from her own blog, covering topics like how to deal with difficult personalities, how to handle competing priorities, and getting stakeholder buy-in.
Where else you can find her:
You can learn more about project management from Elizabeth’s blog, The Rebel’s Guide to Project Management. She’s also the author of several books, the most recent of which is Managing Multiple Projects.
#4: Mike Clayton
Mike worked for Deloitte for nearly a decade before switching over to project management education and training. He’s the author of over a dozen books and even more written educational resources.
- Area of expertise: General project management
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeclayton/
- Located: New Alresford, UK
Why you should follow him:
Mike is able to break down project management concepts into easy-to-understand chunks to help you learn the basics and move onto more advanced concepts.
Where else you can find him:
Look for Mike on his YouTube channel, where he regularly posts educational content, like the video below, or his website.
#5: Dave Prior
Dave Prior is better known as the Drunken PM – the name of his successful podcast. He’s also a prominent speaker, trainer, and writer in the Agile community, sharing his insights and experiences through workshops, presentations, and articles.
- Area of expertise: Scrum, Agile
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrsungo/
- Located: New York, USA
Why you should follow him:
You’ll learn ways to help transition your organization from older, Waterfall methods of project management to Agile methodologies.
Where else you can find him:
Dave is the mind behind Drunken PM Radio, a podcast for project managers, and its accompanying blog, which has been sharing project management tips since 2006.
#6: Melissa Blackmore
Want to know how Gen Z is affecting the workforce or how to rebrand yourself as a PM if you’ve never had a project manager title? Melissa may be the person you want to follow. While she’s probably best known for her TikTok insights, Melissa posts regularly on LinkedIn as well, sharing tips from her 14 years of experience running project and program management teams.
- Area of expertise: General project management, leadership, job applications
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissakblackmore/
- Located: Florida, USA
Why you should follow her:
She offers fun, concise tips on job hunting as well as offering some behind-the-scenes looks at the day-to-day life of a project manager.
Where else you can find her:
If you’re on TikTok, check out Melissa’s fun, informative account, where she posts content like the video below.
#7: Galen Low & Ben Aston
This pair are the co-founders of the popular The Digital Project Manager blog and podcast, and both have their finger on the pulse of the latest in project management.
- Area of expertise: Agile, general project management
- LinkedIn profiles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/galen-low-digital-transformation-advisor/, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/benaston
- Located: Toronto & Vancouver Canada
Why you should follow them:
About 76,000 people follow the Digital Project Manager for a reason. There’s plenty of actionable advice, along with interesting interviews with people in the industry.
Where else you can find them:
While they are on LinkedIn, you’re more likely to find Galen and Ben posting content or producing podcasts for The Digital Project Manager.
#8: Moira Alexander
With more than 25 years of experience in business and project management, Moira is able to thoughtfully convey complex ideas about project management. She’s a regular correspondent for Project Management International’s Projectified podcast, founded PMWorld 360 Magazine, and founded the Lead-Her-Ship Group.
- Area of expertise: General Project Management
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moiraalexander/
- Located: Vancouver, Canada
Why you should follow her:
Moira’s a great writer, and her posts make it easy to understand project management concepts. With so much time in the industry, she’s developed a strong voice and a depth of knowledge that makes her worth listening to.
Where else you can find her:
She’s a frequent contributor to PM World 360, where she’s the editor-in-chief.
#9: Michele Badie
Project management takes a toll on your mental health, and Michele is a good resource when you’re feeling like you’re reaching the end of your rope. She’s a PMP-certified project manager and mental health advocate who offers plenty of tips on both topics.
- Area of expertise: Scrum, Agile, Mental health
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelebadie/
- Located: USA
Why you should follow her:
Beyond her expertise as a project manager, Michele is a passionate advocate for mental health and discusses mental health with leaders in that field. So if you’re feeling burned out, she can be a good project manager to follow.
Where else you can find her:
You can listen to her Career Tipper podcast or find professional tips on her Skills Recharger website.
#10: Cornelius Fichtner
A Project Management Professional (PMP) certification can help you find work in the project management field, and Cornelius is the guy to help you get your cert. He’s the founder of OSP International LLC, a project management training company that helps project managers prepare for the PMP certification exam.
- Area of expertise: PMP Certification
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corneliusfichtner/
- Located: Arizona, USA
Why you should follow him:
If you’re looking to take your PMP exam – or even if you’re not – Cornelius has a lot of insight into being a PM that makes it worthwhile to check out his feed.
Where else you can find him:
In addition to his LinkedIn content, Cornelius is also the host of “The Project Management Podcast,” where he interviews experts and discusses various topics related to project management. He also posts exam training content on YouTube, like the video below.
#11: Susanne Madsen
Suzanne Madsen is a renowned project management consultant, coach, and author. She is also the author of several books on project management, including The Project Management Coaching Workbook and The Power of Project Leadership.
- Area of expertise: Leadership, general project management
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanne-madsen-1134312/
- Located: London, UK
Why you should follow her:
Madsen offers practical insights and has an engaging teaching style and a clear commitment to empowering project managers to excel in their roles. If you want to know if her content is on your wavelength, some of her recent posts deal with handling burnout, identifying the reasons high-performing teams succeed, and the differences between a project leader and project manager.
Where else you can find her:
You can find Susanne’s books available from most major booksellers. Beyond her written content, Susanne is also active on YouTube. We found her stress management seminar to be an interesting one to watch.
#12: Theresa Sue Mubenga
Sometimes you just need someone to give it to you straight. A rising TikTok star, Theresa offers extremely honest information about the state of the industry and tips for breaking into project management.
- Area of expertise: Careers, interviewing
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresasue/
- Located: Texas, USA
Why you should follow her:
Theresa cut her teeth doing PM work for Major League Baseball. Her content is a quick, accessible source for career advice for those looking to break into project management and offers a look at day-to-day life in the PM space.
Where else you can find her:
While she’s present on LinkedIn, your best bet is to look for Teresa on TikTok at her popular handle, @resasue. We appreciated how candid she was about PIPs in this video.
#13: Peter B. Taylor
Peter B. Taylor has had a multifaceted career as a PMO specialist, project management speaker, and author. Among PMs, he’s probably best known for his bestseller The Lazy Project Manager.
- Area of expertise:
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterbtaylor/
- Located: Sanhurst, UK
Why you should follow him:
Peter has a great sense of humor and offers lots of practical tips for making your job as a project manager run more smoothly.
Where else you can find him:
You can get updates from Peter on his website, The Lazy Project Manager.
#14. Theresa Lynette Brown
Theresa is the founder of the International Society of Black Project Managers, where she works to encourage and empower the Black community to find work in the project management space. She’s also a PMP-certified project manager, and all-around good project manager to watch on LinkedIn.
- Area of expertise: General project management
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresalynette/
- Located: Georgia, USA
Why you should follow her:
Theresa’s posts have clear enthusiasm, and she offers both project management tips and regular job postings to help you find your next position.
Where else you can find her:
Theresa also wrote Career on Fire: Your Blazin’ Roadmap to an Amazing Career, which you can find on Amazon and other booksellers.
#15: Robin Kwong
Robin comes at project management from a different angle – the news. He’s a director at The Wall Street Journal, a former editor for the Financial Times, as well as the author of the guide, Project Management in the Newsroom.
- Area of expertise: General project management
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.twitter.com/robinkwong
- Located: New York, USA
Why you should follow him:
If you want a PM that’s not focused on tech or big business, give Robin a try. He gives helpful insights into the ways project management concepts can be applied in other spaces.
Where else you can find him:
You can find posts from Robin on his website, robinkwong.com.
#16: Michael Cohn
Mike co-founded both the Scrum Alliance and the Agile Alliance, and has worked for over 20 years in the project management space.
- Area of expertise: Agile, Scrum
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikewcohn/
- Located: Idaho, USA
Why you should follow him:
If you want a more in-depth discussion of Agile and Scrum methodologies, Mike is a good resource, with plenty of specific, actionable tips that aren’t all beginner-level content.
Where else you can find him:
You can find Mike on the Mountain Goat website or its YouTube channel. You can expect to find thoughtful, well-explained content like the video below.
Keeping Up With the Influencers
In a rapidly evolving field like project management, the guidance and mentorship provided by influencers play a crucial role in shaping the future of the discipline. We hope you discovered a new voice that’ll help you develop as a project manager in the future.
And if you’re looking to find a new project management tool, give Visor a try. We offer an easy-to-use spreadsheet-inspired workspace where multiple teams can collaborate. Get a free account to find out what you can do.
Or If you’re looking to add more experts to your socials, explore these posts:
- 15 Atlassian Creators You Need to Follow on LinkedIn
- Sajit Nair Discusses the Importance of Community & Time Management
- Hernán Halabi Discusses How Tech Can Foster Work-Life Balance