The Team of UST Inc. Has Only the Best: Another Confirmation Received

Head of Project Management of Unitsky String Technologies Inc. Maksim Gusev received a certificate from the International Project Management Institute. Just over 1,000 people in the world have such a certification. We spoke with Maksim to find out the details.

Maksim, congratulations on passing the exam. Can you please tell us what kind of certificate you received?

I received The Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP). This is a certificate from the Project Management Institute (PMI). PMI is the world's leading non-profit organization in the field of project management, which certifies professionals working in this field. PMI certificates are valued all over the world and are considered a kind of hallmark of a top-level professional. My certificate is called PfMP – Portfolio Management Professional. Today it is the rarest and highest level of certification of a specialist in my field.

Maksim, what does this certificate bring you?

I am now officially an international project and portfolio manager. PMI, as one of the renowned and credible certification bodies in the field, confirms my competence in portfolio management. Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP) means advanced competence in the coordinated management of one or more portfolios in order to achieve strategic goals. Organizations with mature portfolio management practices are 35% more likely to successfully complete their programs. They fail less often and spend less money according to international studies.

The Institute conducts a rigorous selection, so there are only about 1300 holders of such certificates around the world. There are about 15 certified portfolio managers in Russia, and in Belarus only I have such a certificate. I am 31 years old and currently the youngest PfMP certificate holder in the world.

How long have you been going for it?

To obtain such a certificate, you need at least 8 years of practical experience in project management, of which 4 years in portfolio management. I started project management right out of university, so I currently have 10 years of experience in project and portfolio management as a team member, project manager, and project director. While my experience of implementing projects in 6 countries of the world and different areas allows taking a more comprehensive and broad approach to management.

In 2020, I passed the PMI project management exam – PMP (Project Management Professional). This is the most popular certificate in project management, but also one of the most difficult. Then I decided to move on and spent a year preparing for the highest level – Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP).

How was the exam going on?

The exam consisted of 180 questions in English and was limited to 240 minutes. By the way, all questions were taken from the real cases companies face. For example, I had to determine the manager's course of action in case of crisis situations, correctly allocate the budget, manage changes and risks.

What skills do you need to have to get such a certificate?

The most important thing is your personal experience in portfolio management. The more practice the better. A portfolio can also include sub-portfolios, programs, projects and operations, so you need to have a good knowledge of portfolio, program, project management methodology and much more.

Maksim, what does this mean for our company?

To quote one of the standards for managing infrastructure projects: “So large and complex projects require professional project management, taking into account unforeseen circumstances ...” UST Inc. can guarantee project and portfolio management at the highest level, taking into account global trends and tools.

It is especially interesting that PMI is not tied to a specific field of activity. Therefore, specialists who have passed the exam can manage projects in any area – be it IT, mechanical engineering, advertising or any other area.

After all, Unitsky String Technologies Inc. develops and manufactures transport and infrastructure complexes. This process affects several areas: mechanical engineering (track structure), construction industry (anchor and intermediate supports), automotive industry (rolling stock) and IT (automated control system).

Flexibility is extremely important for an executive, as we have a complex and unique product. This allows for a more efficient approach to development and implementation. When a company employee has the highest possible status in management from an independent international organization, this significantly increases the trust of customers.