Dear colleagues and friends,

It is with great sadness and respect that I inform you of the loss of our beloved founder, visionary leader, and dear friend, Mr. James R. Snyder. He was the last living co-founder of the Project Management Institute in 1969, and the most illustrious of them. We affectionately called him 'The Father of PMI.' He passed away peacefully yesterday February 19th, surrounded by his family.

Jim played a pivotal role in establishing PMI as the premier worldwide organization for project management professionals, fostering collaboration, education, and innovation within the profession. Over the past 55 years, his leadership, strategic insights, and initiatives pushed PMI to reinvent itself, enabling it to become the leading authority in Project Management worldwide, upskilling and reskilling millions of project professionals of all industries and every country in the world.

Jim served in several leadership roles at PMI, including being the first CEO (called Executive Director at the time), and being PMI’s Board Chair in 1970-1971. His volunteering well exceeded his role in the leadership or governance of the institute. He was also a co-founder and was actively involved in his home Chapter, the PMI Delaware Valley Chapter, in the Pharmaceutical Specific Interest Group, and in the PMI Educational Foundation. He also served as the project manager for the construction of PMI’s World Headquarters in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA. He was the first person to be honored with the PMI Fellow Award in 1982.

At the core, Jim was a volunteer, and his many contributions to PMI were achieved in parallel to his remarkable 37-year career at GlaxoSmithKline in computer sciences, operations research, finance, and international marketing, where he was involved in developing and implementing business systems around the world. Upon his retirement in 1997, he served as the Associate Director of Planning & Business Management, and Strategic Product Development at GSK.

Beyond his many achievements, Jim will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, and mentorship. He touched the lives of many with his wisdom, compassion, and integrity. He would credit his wife Ann with the support and foundation to advance the Institute’s endeavors and be part of the operational engine. He would joke that their kitchen table in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, was the birthplace of PMI in its early days, a place where Ann and Jim’s children, Lynda and Doug, also grew up with PMI.

Jim leaves behind an enduring legacy that will continue to inspire project professionals for generations to come. His remarkable contributions to the field of project management have left an indelible mark, shaping the way projects are executed and managed around the globe. His legacy lives on through the countless people and projects he influenced and inspired.

He was one of the first people I met when I joined PMI myself as his distant successor in the role of CEO of PMI. Since then, our conversations and his warm support have been a constant source of inspiration and direction for me personally. The profession and the world are changing, and we will propel PMI into this future while staying true to what Jim wanted PMI to accomplish since founding the Institute.

As we bid farewell to Jim, we celebrate his remarkable life and enduring contributions that helped elevate our profession, and our world. Rest in peace, Jim, your impact will be felt for many generations. Our thoughts and prayers go with his daughter Lynda, his son Doug, and their children.

We will provide details about the services once we have them.

 

Pierre Le Manh, PMP

President & CEO, Project Management Institute