Project Management Institute (PMI) is the leading authority in project management, dedicated to guiding the way to project success. Since 1969, PMI has shone a light on the power of project management and the people behind the projects. Learn more about our history and founders.
After months of conversations between Jim Snyder and his colleagues, a dinner in Philadelphia resulted in the decision that a new organization should be formed to provide a means for project managers to associate, share information and discuss common problems. This led to the first formal meeting at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, on 3 October 1969. From this meeting came the birth of Project Management Institute. Shortly thereafter, articles of incorporation were filed in Pennsylvania, signed by five persons, who are officially recognized as the founders of PMI - James Snyder, Eric Jenett, Gordon Davis, E.A. "Ned" Engman and Susan C. Gallagher.
1969-1979: One Giant Leap for Project Management
Apollo takes off, and so does PMI
It may be that the most lasting legacy of Apollo was human: an improved understanding of how to plan, coordinate and monitor the myriad technical activities that were the building blocks of Apollo.
While Apollo was making project history, PMI was starting to build the foundations of project management. The first PMI leaders volunteered their time because they believed in the need to share project planning and scheduling practices. In fact, the organization was almost named The American Planning and Scheduling Society. But the founders realized it was bigger than that—it was about project management. PMI was founded and held its first Seminars & Symposium, “Advanced Project Management Concepts,” in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The First PMI chapter started in Houston, TX. PMI quickly became global, holding another Seminars & Symposium event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. PMI also hired its first part-time employee, and leased office space.
1979-1989: A Time for Change
Motorola invents the world’s first mobile phone, PMI calls on awards and certifications
It weighed 2.5 pounds (1.1 kilograms). It was 10 inches (25 centimeters) long. And it only lasted 20 minutes before the battery died. But Martin Cooper and his team at Motorola had done it: invented the world’s first working prototype of a mobile phone.
PMI continued building its strong volunteer core, chartering 24 new chapters in the United States and establishing its first non-North American footholds in West Germany and South Africa.
PMI hired Bradley Stanton as its first paid executive director. PMI introduced the Fellow Award, its most prestigious individual award. The renowned Project Management Professional PMP® certification debuted, and PMI co-founder Eric Jenett was the first to be certified. By the end of 1989, PMI had 6,199 members, and had issued 264 PMP certifications.
1989-1999: All The Right Moves
Delta Air Lines Terminal 5 takes flight, so does the PMI awards program
The expansion of Delta Air Lines Terminal 5 at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, USA earns the first ever PMI Project of the Year Award. Despite the US$75 million overhaul, the Delta team made sure it was business as usual, delivering the makeover in just 18 months.
PMI built a 6,000-squarefoot (557-square-meter) building in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, USA to serve as its global headquarters. PMI held its first Global Project Management Forum in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, with attendees from 23 countries. PMI released the first edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). The PMI Today newsletter launched, and by 1999, PMI.org attracted nearly 1 million visits.
1999-2009: In the DNA
The double helix is discovered, while PMI doubles down on its global outreach
Once Rosalind Franklin, PhD, James Watson, PhD, and Francis Crick, PhD, discovered the signature double helix structure in the 1950s, nothing was quite the same.
While the double helix was discovered, PMI’s DNA was proving to be made up of rapidly growing international project excellence. Carla Krieger Langsch, from Porto Alegre, Brazil, received the 50,000th (PMP)® certification at the PMI 2002 Seminars & Symposium. PMI held its first Global Project Management Forum in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, with attendees from 23 countries, and also held seminars and conferences in London, Paris, Singapore, and Panama City, and touched base in Brussels. The PMI global DNA continued to distinguish itself through translating the PMBOK® Guide to Chinese, and formally approving the establishment of the Global Accreditation Center for Project Management.
2009-2019: Reaching New Heights
Impressive project management takes building industry to new heights, PMI also reaches for the sky
In 2004, the Burj Dubai (as it was originally named) emerged as a signature stake in the sand. Sponsored by Dubai’s government, it eventually became the tallest building in the world, towering 828 meters (2,717 feet) into the sky.
While the Burj Dubai showcased incredible strides for the Project Management industry, PMI continued to further develop its global standard, opening offices in Australia, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, China, Brussels, India, and Latin America. and launching its Global Executive Council. By 2016, PMI had awarded nearly 150,000 PMP certifications in China. PMI introduced the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®, PMBOK Guide® − Fifth & Sixth Edition, PM Network app, and Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® and the Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)® certifications. PMI was making an impact. With support from PMI, the United States passed the Program Management Improvement Accountability Act. By 2016, PMI awarded nearly 150,000 PMP certifications in China.
2019-2024: Future Forward
A pandemic demonstrates the importance of new technology, PMI realizes the future is the place to be
Operation Warp Speed was a public–private partnership initiated by the United States government to facilitate and accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
While unexpected obstacles and unprecedented times became the new norm, PMI launched a global brand awareness campaign called Make Reality.
2024-Present: Lighting the way forward with purpose
As the world rebounds, PMI defines its purpose and shines a light on what's next
For more than 50 years, our legacy has been rooted in advancing the project management industry. But with immense change comes the need for recommitment. In early 2024, we launched our PMI:Next strategy to move forward into the future, together. We also defined our brand purpose: we maximize project success to elevate our world.
What hasn't changed is the need for career-long learning. To help project professionals navigate this generation's most disruptive technology—Generative AI—we launched PMIxAI initiative. With the right skills, learning opportunities, and resources, AI can enhance project professional's work, not replace them.
It began as a dinner amongst colleagues at the Three Threes Restaurant, a small, intimate gathering place just a few blocks from City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
The dinner was a continuation of several months of discussions between Jim Snyder and Gordon Davis. By the conclusion of this meal, it was decided that a new organization should be formed to provide a means for project managers to associate, share information and discuss common problems.
Ensuing discussions resulted in the first formal meeting at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, on 9 October 1969. The result of this meeting was the birth of Project Management Institute. Shortly thereafter, articles of incorporation were filed in Pennsylvania, signed by five persons, who are officially recognized as the founders of PMI - James Snyder, Eric Jenett, Gordon Davis, E.A. "Ned" Engman and Susan C. Gallagher.
James R. Snyder
Mr. Snyder was a founder of Project Management Institute, a PMI Fellow, its first Executive Director, and a past Board Chair (2013-2014). He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the PMI Educational Foundation, Treasurer of the Delaware Valley Chapter, and a member of the Editorial Review Board of the Project Management Journal. Mr. Snyder, who was casually referred to as the "Father of PMI", was a founding member of the PMI Delaware Valley Chapter and of the Pharmaceuticals Specific Interest Group (SIG). Mr. Snyder also served as the project manager for the construction of PMI Global Headquarters in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA.
Eric Jenett, PMP
Mr. Jenett, one of the five original founders of PMI, was issued the first Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification. A PMI Fellow, Mr. Jenett was President of PMI in 1971, Chairman in 1972 and Secretary from 1975 to 1976. A founding member of the PMI Houston Chapter, Mr. Jenett was honored by PMI in 1975 for his Distinguished Contribution to the Institute. He presented at numerous PMI Seminars & Symposiums, served on a number of panels, and published a variety of articles in the Project Management Quarterly, later to become Project Management Journal®, and in a number of other technical publications. He wrote and lectured on technical and project management topics and had more than 30 publications and presentations.
J. Gordon Davis, PhD
Dr. Davis was one of the original founders of PMI, and member number four of the Institute. As a long-time contributor, he left a lasting influence on both the organization and the profession. Over five decades, Dr. Davis served PMI in many capacities, which included coordinating the Institute’s early engagement with academic partners and serving as a former Vice President of the Institute. He also served on the former PMI College of Scheduling board of directors from its initial founding. Dr. Davis challenged PMI members and volunteer leaders to establish project management as a widely recognized profession and to focus on the multi-disciplinary aspects of project management that play a vital role in bringing projects of all sizes to a successful conclusion. He received nearly every honor that the organization bestows, including the designation of PMI Fellow.
Susan Gallagher
Ms. Gallagher worked in Project Management with her fellow founder James Snyder at the SmithKline and French laboratories in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She participated in the 1969 meeting, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, in which the five original founders and one more trusted person were looking to give a structure to PMI, and where they named themselves in order to cover several positions at the brand new organization. She served as treasurer, vice president of technical services, and director, and presented articles in annual meetings. Along with her fellow founders, Ms. Gallagher’s goal was to bring people from every field of the project management profession together, to learn, share and advance the profession. After she moved to Chicago, Illinois, USA, Ms. Gallagher participated in the PMI Midwest Chapter and played an essential role in the conception of PMI Seminars and Symposiums in 1977.
E.A. "Ned" Engman
Mr. Engman, one of PMI’s five original founders, played a pivotal role in the creation of the PMI. On 29 January 1968, while serving as the national representative of CPM Marketing for McDonnell (now McDonnell Douglas Corporation), Ned’s interest in Project Management led him to send a letter inviting professionals to form an organization dedicated to the discipline, which helped lay the foundation for PMI. While Ned was instrumental in the early growth of PMI, he later pursued his entrepreneurial ambitions. In the 1970s, he founded Mobile Equipment, a truck equipment manufacturing company in Houston, where he applied and deepened his understanding of Project Management principles.
