Heather Gates

With over 25 years of experience in project, program, and portfolio management, I have established myself as a leader in the field. My expertise lies in PMO establishment, project delivery optimization, and post-merger integration. I have a proven track record of enhancing team productivity and implementing governance frameworks across global markets.

In my recent role as Senior Project Management Office Director at LeasePlan, I designed and implemented governance frameworks managing an IT portfolio of over 2,000 applications across 40 countries. My efforts in optimizing project delivery standards and utilizing advanced tooling led to a 30% boost in team productivity. I have also served as Chief of Staff to the Vice President of Professional Services at Philips, where I streamlined decision-making processes and managed interdepartmental projects to align with strategic goals.

As the Founder and CEO of ConnectingPM, I have delivered agile transformations and PMO solutions for startups and mid-sized organizations. My leadership at Optiva as Vice President of Professional Services saw the integration of project delivery frameworks post-merger, significantly improving resource capacity planning and reducing cycle times. I am passionate about driving digital transformation initiatives and aligning project delivery processes with global standards.