Personal History

Greg has over 30 years experience in the Systems Development and Project Management industry. His positions have ranged from team member to managing projects to overseeing projects in a PMO. He received his MPM from Keller in 2000 and his PMP in 2003.

Greg began his career with Whirlpool Corporation as a programmer. Later he joined Amoco Corporation (Now BP Corporation) where he gained most of his experience as a project manager and supervisor in their IT and Controller's departments.

After the merger of Amoco and BP he accepted a position with RR Donnelley as an IT Department Manager in their Major Systems group. It was here that he worked on a major project to develop and implement repeatable processes as part of the company's CMM initiative. As a result he became a PMO Manager with oversight responsibilities for several major projects.

Currently, Greg works as a principle consultant for his company, BJ & Associates, LLC. They provide project management training and services to various for profit and non-profit companies.

Greg has been involved in the PMI Chicagoland Chapter as a member since 1996. He became the Director of Financial Accounting in 2006 and VP of Finance in 2007.

Best Project Management Advice Given
Project tasks always grow to the amount of time given.

Your secret to effective Project Management
Manage from the HEART

H ear and understand

E ven if you disagree, don't make a team member wrong

A cknowledge team accomplishments

R emember who the stakeholders are

T ell the truth

Why did you volunteer to serve on the PMI board?
After enjoying the membership benefits of networking and learning, I was looking for a way to get more involved. During a program event they asked for volunteers who were familiar with QuickBooks to become the Director of Financial Accounting. It was a good fit for my background and good experience to prepare me for the more strategic position of VP of Finance

What is the value of the PMP certification?
For years, people have been leading projects and calling themselves project managers with really knowing what project management was about. There have been several studies which show the benefits good project management can provide by reducing project failures. Companies recognize the training required to obtain a PMP and the value that training can provide to their projects.