Purpose, People and AI – Ewa Palarczyk at PMI Global Summit Series Lisbon 2026
During the PMI Global Summit Series Lisbon 2026, one of the world’s most important global events dedicated to project management and organizational transformation, Ewa Palarczyk, CEO of Synergist, took the stage as a speaker, sharing her practical perspective on leading sustainable business transformation by integrating purpose, people and artificial intelligence.
Her session, “Leading Sustainable Business Transformation: Purpose, People and AI for Lasting Change,” focused on how organizations can design the future they truly want to lead – and, most importantly, how to translate ambitious visions into concrete actions starting today.
Sustainable transformation: beyond declarations
In her presentation, Ewa Palarczyk emphasized that sustainable transformation is not about isolated ESG initiatives or “green projects.” Instead, it requires a system‑wide redesign of how an organization operates, creates value and makes decisions.
True transformation means moving away from short‑term KPIs toward long‑term resilience – balancing financial performance with social and environmental impact. A recurring challenge discussed during the session was the gap between ESG commitments and real execution, often caused by fragmented initiatives, lack of leadership alignment, short‑term thinking and ineffective governance.
The three pillars of lasting change: Purpose, People and AI
At the core of the session was a clear and actionable framework built on three pillars of sustainable and lasting change:
- Purpose – acting as a strategic north star that guides decisions, aligns strategy and governance, and builds engagement across the organization. Purpose, as highlighted, is inseparable from leadership: it is leaders who turn purpose into everyday behaviors and long‑term value creation.
- People – because every transformation is, ultimately, a change process. People are the true multipliers of change. Their skills, motivation, sense of ownership and understanding of “why” determine whether transformation efforts succeed or fail. Building a culture of accountability, transparency and co‑creation is essential.
- AI – positioned not as a replacement for human capabilities, but as an enabler and accelerator of transformation. When used responsibly and ethically, AI can significantly enhance decision‑making, execution and scalability of sustainable initiatives.
AI as an enabler of sustainable business transformation
A practical part of the session was dedicated to showing how AI can support sustainable transformation across the entire value chain. Examples included:
- greenhouse gas footprint analysis and ESG reporting,
- optimization of operations and project portfolios,
- predictive maintenance and digital twins,
- climate‑related risk management and scenario analysis,
- support in benchmarking, business model validation and regulatory compliance.
An important message accompanying these examples was the need to address the AI × sustainability paradox – ensuring ethical, responsible and energy‑aware use of AI technologies.
Future Back thinking and the WHY–WHAT–HOW logic
A key highlight of the presentation was a hands‑on demonstration of the Future Back approach, combined with Business Model Canvas and AI‑supported insights. Participants were invited to imagine their organization in 2036, having achieved ambitious sustainability goals, and then work backward to identify key milestones and the first bold steps to take today.
This exercise illustrated how to structure transformation using the WHY–WHAT–HOW logic, grounded in purpose, translated into strategic goals, and executed through projects and programs. The approach was also aligned with the emerging M.O.R.E. mindset discussed across the summit:
Manage expectations, Own project success, Relentlessly reasses, and Expand perspectives.
Manage expectations, Own project success, Relentlessly reasses, and Expand perspectives.
Sustainability as a source of real business value
As observed during the summit, sustainability is increasingly being recognized not as a compliance obligation, but as a source of strong and durable business value. Discussions at PMI Global Summit Series Lisbon 2026 clearly showed that the success of projects today depends less on tools and methodologies, and more on organizational maturity, decision‑making speed, governance quality and human‑centric leadership.
AI competency is becoming essential – not to replace human judgment, but to help it evolve and scale.
Global stage, practical experience
Ewa Palarczyk’s presentation reflected hands‑on experience gained through working with organizations that aim to deliver meaningful, sustainable and people‑centered change. Her participation as a speaker at PMI Global Summit Series Lisbon 2026 confirmed that combining purpose, people and AI is not a theoretical concept, but a practical and effective approach to building long‑term organizational resilience.
The session invited leaders to think future‑back, act boldly and design transformation that truly lasts.
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