Why SMEs need to act faster than ever before
Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are currently facing a situation that has never existed before:
- Proven business models are under pressure
- Markets are changing rapidly
- New competitors are entering the market
The task now is to:
- Develop new products and services
- While securing cash flow from existing business for as long as possible
German SMEs are highly innovative – they have proven this time and again over the past decades. The ideas, the know-how, and the people with experience and expertise are there.
What counts now is the speed of implementation in the development of new products and services. Because that is what determines future competitiveness NOW.
This is exactly where the PMI Germany Chapter comes in.
The “SME” Community of Practice was founded a year ago with a very clear goal: to provide SMEs with pragmatic principles and solution approaches that companies can use to get started immediately, even without prior knowledge of project portfolio management, in order to implement strategic projects more quickly and secure their future competitiveness.
For SMEs, it's all about speed. Not about project management by the book.
Save the date
On March 26, 2026, the PMI Germany Chapter is hosting an event in Munich on precisely this topic, with a practical focus and specifically aimed at owners, managing directors, and decision-makers from SMEs.
Wolfgang Friesike (PMP) has held various positions in the chapter's board since 2004 first in dee PMI Berlin/ Brandenburg Chapter and later on in the PMI Germany Chapter. As a founding member of the PMI Germany Chapter, he accompanied the merger of the German chapters.
Thomas Zimmermann, PMP, PMI-ACP, has been an active member of PMI since 1999, contributing as a volunteer both nationally and internationally. He was a founding member of the PM-Summit in Munich and has held various board positions in the PMI Munich and Southern Germany Chapters. Additionally, he is actively involved in the Local Group Konstanz and serves as a reviewer, speaker, and author on a global scale. Thomas enjoys lean processes, flat hierarchies and fast decision making.
Thomas began his career as a chip and software developer in the automotive semiconductor industry before transitioning to IT consulting, where he introduced innovative project management approaches in the automotive and financial services sectors. Today, he brings his extensive experience to the medical technology industry. As the Global Head of Agile Transformation and Project Management Excellence, as well as an Agile Coach at KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG, he promotes traditional and agile project management methods in harmony with cultural values.
Jörg Glunde (PMP, PMI-ACP) joined the PMI Southern Germany Chapter in 2008 and was, among other things, project manager of the first two PM-Summit congresses together with Jens Liebold as well as VP Projects from 2012 to 2018 and its president since April 2018. Professionally, he works as a consultant and project manager for the service department at Zeppelin Baumaschinen GmbH. Since May 2018, he has also been committed to the merger into the PMI Germany Chapter, of which he has been Vice President Members since his election at the end of March 2021.
Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing. Franziska Höhne is an experienced project manager with over 17 years of professional experience in international settings, the public sector, and the German SME sector. Her diverse insights and qualifications in project management, psychology, and change management are key to the success of her projects.
Annett Schlotte (PMP) joined the PMI Munich Chapter in 2013. She served as Board Member for Volunteers in the former area of Branch East from 2018 to 2021. In parallel, she led the local group in Dresden from 2018 to 2024 and the Community of Practice PMO from 2021 to 2024 . Annett works selfemployed as a consultant in the fields of project and project portfolio management, PMO and transformational coaching. 
Heiko Stoldt (PMP) became a member of the PMI Frankfurt Chapter in 2012 and served as a volunteer there. With the merger of the German Chapters into the PMI Germany Chapter and the resulting split of the former Frankfurt Chapter into a Central Region and a North Region, he took over the role of Head of MemberCare in the North Region.
Stephan Wolter (PMP) joined the PMI Berlin/Brandenburg Chapter in 2006 and served as its president since 2015. As a founding member of the PMI Germany Chapter, he accompanied the merger of the German chapters. His focus is now on the new German states. His goal is to open up the association to more customer groups.
Jutta Zilian (CISA, CISM, CGEIT, PMP, CAPM, Mag.) has been actively involved in the PMI Southern Germany Chapter as CISO since 2019. She represents the Southern region on the board. In addition, she organizes the events in the Keis Munich, as well as those of the Local Group Innsbruck of the PMI Austria Chapter. Since the end of 2022, she has also headed the IT Compliance Section of the ISACA Germany Chapter. Jutta Zilian works as an information security consultant and project manager and has focused on Security Operations Center (SOC)/Cyber Defense Center Outsourcings since 2017.
Dr. Eckhard Hauenherm (PMP, PSM, PSPO, SA) has been actively involved in the board of the PMI Cologne Chapter since 2009. He has been actively involved in the formation of the Germany Chapter and represents the West Region on the Board. In addition, he leads the Local Group Ruhr Area and together with Peter Fey the CoP Citizen Development. Dr. Eckhard Hauenherm is a self-employed IT consultant and supports companies in the implementation of communication and collaboration infrastructures with Microsoft applications. 
Dr. Martin Bertram has been a PMI member since 2005 and has been a member of the PMI Frankfurt Chapter since 2006. He has more than twenty years of experience in project management. He leads the PM-Summit program. Professionally, he worked at Commerzbank for twenty years and most recently as Director and Principal Project Manager. 
