Jeremy Cottino

Like Jim Morrison said in one of my favourite songs of the Doors, “This is the end, Beautiful friend, This is the end, My only friend, The end”…

But, to quote Microsoft now: Once an MVP, always an MVP! So I’m now proud member of the MVP Reconnect Program. This will allow me to stay in touch with the community and be able to have, among other benefits, an “Exclusive engagement opportunities with Microsoft headquarters and subsidiaries” (no clue what this concretely means J ).

But overall, that’s also an opportunity for me to do something else. When I do something I’m always obsessed, so I will find another hobby and share it with my readers (if any).

Stay tuned.

Friday October 23^rd, I had the chance to be speaker at the first Project Virtual Conference http://projectvirtualconference.com/.

As introduced by the conference team: “Project Virtual Conference 2015 is the first-ever online conference that is dedicated to Microsoft Project, Project Server and Project Online, that will run for a continuous 24 hours”.

The Project Virtual Conference 2015 in numbers is 1400+ registered attendees, from 76 different countries, and 61 sessions (the list of sessions is below).

My session was: Successful business value realization with Lean Startup and Project Online. The idea was to merge Portfolio Analysis with Lean Startup principles.

Here is the session abstract

To develop their business and products, Coltham Metalhead, a beer brewing start-up, has put in place the Lean Startup Method in order to support their fast growing business. They have combine this practice with a Portfolio Management Methodology, based on the Standard for Portfolio Management from the Project Management Institute. Their Project lifecycle starts with demand management and project ideation through their innovation hub, then the portfolio management process helps the decision making process to select the right projects to run and finally project management techniques help ensure projects are successfully delivered. In this presentation, the focus will be on the Portfolio management principles, and how Coltham Metalhead, hence yourself, can apply Project Management Institute’s standards on Portfolio management and lean start-up philosophy within project Online. By creating what if scenarios (based on risks, costs¦), they ensure they are “doing the right work”.

Have fun watching the recorded

Wednesday, 13. May 2015, I had the chance to be the speaker for the PMI EMEA congress, held in London, UK and the subject was:

MasteringPortfolio Analysis with a Project and Portfolio Management Tool.

The event description I have created to present my speech, was the following.

Understanding the Portfolio Management Body of Knowledge might help you to better comprehend the goals of a portfolio and the advantage in selecting the right one(s). When it comes to life, you need to select the best tool in order to help ensure that those making the decisions, make the right ones. By attending to this session, you will be able to understand a three-step process of portfolio analysis through one PPM software.

After going through basic principles of Portfolio Management, I gave a concrete example of Portfolio Analysis using Microsoft Project Server 2013.

Let me share here this experience, by giving you a copy of the white paper I wrote and the slide deck of my presentation.

Also, we were proposed by PMI to create a selfie video to present our session. That was my first experience doing this, you can enjoy the decor of my living room J

Hi All – I wanted to let you know about a great free event that Microsoft and the MVPs are putting on, May 14^th & 15^th 2015.  Join Microsoft MVPs from the Americas’ region as they share their knowledge and real-world expertise during a free event, the MVP Virtual Conference.

The MVP Virtual Conference will showcase 95 sessions of content for IT Pros, Developers and Consumer experts designed to help you navigate life in a mobile-first, cloud-first world.  Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Developer Platform, Steve Guggenheimer, will be on hand to deliver the opening Key Note Address.

Why attend MVP V-Conf?  The conference will have 5 tracks, IT Pro English, Dev English, Consumer English, Portuguese mixed sessions & Spanish mixed sessions, there is something for everyone!  Learn from the best and brightest MVPs in the tech world today and develop some great skills!

Be sure to register quickly to hold your spot and tell your friends & colleagues. 

The conference will be widely covered on social media, you can join the conversation by following @MVPAward and using the hashtag #MVPvConf.

Register now and feel the power of community!

What a great pleasure for me to be awarded Microsoft Most Valuable Professional on Project! I am really grateful for the recognition. April 1^st 2015, will stay a strange April fool’s day for me. When I receive the email from the MVP programme, I did not say anything to any colleagues even to my wife until I receive another email asking me for my shirt size…

I hope to live up to these great names who made me love Microsoft Project: Vincent, Guillaume, Dale, Ben, Cindy, Ellen, Andrew, Prasanna, Gary, Paul, Sam, Bill…

Thank you guys for welcoming me on your family J

Learn more about the MVP Programme

http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/overview.aspx

For the ones who did not get the time to follow the news….

Windows 8

Anticipated release date: Beta expected "late February"; possible release to manufacturing on x86 and ARM between Q3 2012 and early 2013

Windows Server 8

Anticipated release date: Possible release to manufacturing between Q3 2012 and early 2013

System Center 2012

Anticipated release date: Early 2012, possibly April, to coincide with the Microsoft Management Summit event

SQL Server 2012

Anticipated release date: First half of 2012

Internet Explorer 10

Anticipated release date: Between Q3 2012 and early 2013

Office 15

Anticipated release date: Q4 2012

Exchange 15

Anticipated release date: Q4 2012