PM in the AM chapter event, June 3rd 2026
PM in the AM Chapter Event, June 3rd, 2026, 7AM – 8AM CT
A link to the meeting will be emailed with your registration confirmation.
Speaker Name: James Benvie
Presentation Title: From Impossible to Unstoppable. How the 1948 Berlin Airlift strategies apply to today.
Speaker Bio:
JIM BENVIE, PMP - "THE HISTORY PM" Jim Benvie transforms historical wisdom and critical thinking techniques into powerful leadership tools for today's business professionals. With 40+ years managing multi-million-dollar projects across multiple continents, "The History PM" delivers thought-provoking presentations on pivotal historical events, structured skepticism for excellence, and the evolving nature of leadership.
A recognized industry leader whose exceptional expertise earned him an L1 visa—reserved for professionals with specialized skill. Throughout his career, he was specifically recruited for key leadership positions, including the Martin Decker Totco Service Manager (Europe) role, based on his outstanding reputation.
Jim served on the PMI Houston board for 6 years, maintained his PMP certification for over 20 years, and earned the Distinguished Toastmaster Award. Jim's presentations have earned enthusiastic praise from audiences at conferences nationwide: - "Should be on the History Channel" - "This was my favorite presentation of the day!" - "You made me a history lover today!"
As a speaker with TyauvinOn Solutions and dedicated PMI Houston volunteer for over two decades, Jim challenges conventional thinking by connecting historical insights with contemporary challenges. His philosophy of "Some assembly required" encourages leaders to think deeply rather than seeking simplistic solutions. Invite Jim to deliver a presentation that will inspire your audience while providing actionable insights drawn from history's great leadership and decision-making lessons.
Presentation Description:
In today's world of supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and logistical nightmares, what can leaders learn from history's most audacious supply chain triumph? Join Jim Benvie, "The History PM," as he reveals actionable leadership lessons from a crisis that occurred over 75 years ago yet remains startlingly relevant to today's challenges.
The year was 1948. The Soviets had blockaded Berlin, cutting off all land and water routes to the city. The mission seemed impossible: supplying food, fuel, and necessities to 2.4 million West Berliners through a narrow air corridor—or surrender the city.
The logistics were deemed unfeasible. Military experts were skeptical. Political leaders feared escalation into armed conflict.
Enter General William Tunner—a visionary leader who transformed a faltering operation into a masterclass of logistical precision. Through revolutionary systems thinking and operational innovation, he created a supply chain so efficient that planes landed in Berlin every 30 seconds. This "impossible" mission became unstoppable.
As organizations face today's permacrisis environment—from pandemic aftershocks to climate disasters and geopolitical uncertainties, the Berlin Airlift offers timeless lessons in:
- Crisis leadership when failure is not an option
- Rapid and innovative action to a continually developing situation
- Supply chain resilience during extreme constraints
- Operational excellence under unprecedented pressure
- The importance of inter-service collaboration and communication
- The continual honing of all processes to improve efficiency, effectiveness and safety
- Innovation when conventional solutions fail
Learning Objectives:
- Apply the Berlin Airlift's collaborative leadership model to break down silos during modern organizational crises
- Implement the balance between structured processes and innovative thinking that enabled the Airlift's success
- Leverage the human factors that transformed an impossible mission into an operational triumph
To sign up for the event, go to our menu calendar, click on the event you would like to register for and go to the bottom of the page to register as an individual https://pmi-milwaukee.org/calendar
To claim your PDU after the event (the link works) consult
https://pmi-milwaukee.org/static/uploaded/Files/Documents/How_to_claim_one_PDU_for_a_chapter_event_-_revised_in_March_2022.pdf
For any question before or after the event, please contact speakerscommittee@pmi-milwaukee.org
