PMO Voices
Ursula Deufemia
A Conversation About People, Process and Keeping It Real
In this PMO Voices interview, we sat down (virtually) with an experienced PMO professional with experience working across energy, utilities and transformation. What followed was a refreshingly honest conversation about what PMO really is, why people matter more than tools, and how psychology plays a bigger role than most of us realise.
Ursula Deufemia’s route into PMO was anything but conventional. A trained psychotherapist who found herself drawn into the world of project governance almost by accident, she brings a perspective that most PMO professionals don’t — one rooted in understanding people, not just processes. We spoke to her about building trust, keeping governance proportionate, and why the human side of PMO will always matter more than the tools.
THE CONVERSATION
Q1 — Let’s start at the beginning. How did you find your way into PMO?
Honestly, quite by accident. My background is in psychotherapy — I was working as a child counsellor in schools. When the organisation I worked for suddenly closed, I needed something to tide me over. Someone in my network was a director at a large energy company and they were crying out for someone organised to help bring some structure into what was a very messy change environment. There was no PMO, no clear governance, no single view of what was going on. I didn’t know Salesforce at the time, but that felt like the easy bit — you can learn tools. What I already had were the soft skills, the people skills. And it turns out those are incredibly useful in PMO. One role led to another, and before I knew it, PMO became my space.
Q2 — You talk a lot about people. How do you see the role of PMO, really?
For me, PMO isn’t just process and reporting -it’s psychology. You’re dealing with people who are under pressure, people who don’t like change, people who’ve “always done it this way”.
You can put as many tools and templates in place as you like, but if people don’t trust you, or don’t understand why they’re being asked to do something, they simply won’t engage. PMO works best when you’re seen as a trusted partner, not the process police.
“PMO works best when you’re seen as a trusted partner, not the process police.”
— Ursula Deufemia
Q3 — Resistance to tools and governance comes up a lot. How do you handle that?
Carefully — and with patience. Mandating tools rarely works. I’ve learned the hard way that “you must use this or else” just creates workarounds. Instead, I try to show people how it helps them. How it saves time. How it protects them when questions come from leadership. Sometimes it’s quicker to sit with someone for 20 minutes and walk through an update than to chase them for weeks. That time investment usually pays off in better data and better relationships.
And sometimes, yes, you do have to escalate — but only when it’s genuinely blocking delivery or creating risk.
Q4 — What about governance and stage gates? Are they still relevant, do you love them?
Absolutely — but only if they’re done properly. Governance should reduce risk, not create bureaucracy. Stage gates are there to protect people and support decision‑making, not slow everything down. If your gate pack is so heavy that people switch off, it’s too much.
I’m a big believer in simple, appropriate governance. Clear decision points. Clear ownership. And just enough structure to give leadership confidence in what they’re seeing.
Q 5— You’ve worked a bit with enterprise tools. Any strong views there?
Yes — the tool should come last. I always start with understanding what decisions need to be made, who needs to make them, and what information they actually need. Once that’s clear, you can work out whether the tool you have is fit for purpose. Data accuracy is non‑negotiable. I’d much rather present a realistic picture than a rosy one. If leadership can’t trust the numbers, the whole system falls apart -and PMO usually ends up taking the blame.
Automation is brilliant when it makes life easier. Less brilliant when it feels punitive or like surveillance.
URSULA'S VIEW ON TOOLS & GOVERNANCE
- Start with what decisions need to be made, not which tool to buy
- Data accuracy is non-negotiable — a realistic picture beats a rosy one
- Automation should make life easier, not feel like surveillance
- Simple, appropriate governance with clear decision points and ownership
Q6 — If you were setting up or inheriting a PMO today, what would your first 90 days look like?
Relationships first. Always.
I’d spend time understanding what already exists, what works, and what really doesn’t. I’d talk to people across the organisation — not just the obvious stakeholders — and try to understand where the pain points are.
From there, it’s about small wins. Tweaking rather than ripping everything out. Iterating, learning, and building trust. PMO maturity isn’t a big bang — it’s gradual.
“PMO maturity isn’t a big bang — it’s gradual.”
— Ursula Deufemia
Q7 — How do you see AI affecting PMO and transformation work?
AI has huge potential, especially in industries like energy and sustainability. But I don’t think it replaces the need for humans in change. Big transformations still need a face. Someone people can talk to. Someone who can listen and explain what’s happening. I worry when AI is used as an excuse to remove that human layer. PMOs evolve — they’re not meant to stand still — but the people element will always matter.
Q8 — What advice would you give to someone freshly graduated or just considering a change into a PMO career?
Be comfortable having conversations — including difficult ones. Communication matters more than any framework.
You need resilience, curiosity, and the confidence to challenge when something doesn’t feel right. And you need to be able to talk to people at every level of the organisation.
If you can find a mentor and get hands‑on experience early, even with small projects, that’s invaluable.
Q9 — PMO can be intense. How do you switch off?
I sing in a choir and I’m heavily involved in amateur dramatics — I’m actually performing in a two‑person play at the moment, which is terrifying and brilliant in equal measure.
Having something creative, completely unrelated to delivery plans and dashboards, keeps me grounded. I think everyone in PMO needs something like that.
Final Thoughts
PMO isn’t about control. It’s about clarity, trust and helping organisations make better decisions. When you get the people side right, everything else becomes much easier.
PMO VOICES SERIES
Real conversations with PMO professionals about how they build, run, and grow PMOs that make a difference.