Meet Mirna, our Project Manager

Meet Mirna, our project manager. Mirna brings a wealth of expertise to our team, backed by her undergraduate studies in Management and graduate studies in Service Leadership and Innovation from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Her diverse career spans multiple industries, showcasing her versatility and leadership. With years of experience leading projects across various fields, Mirna as a PRINCE2 certified project manager seamlessly transitioned to managing projects in the field of quantum at RISE.

Can you tell us a little about your background and how you ended up in your current role?

I have quite a diverse background and have worked in fields such as manufacturing, language education, system administration, translation and others in different countries across continents. While at first glance these fields don’t seem to have many similarities, the thread that connects them all is project management. Whether it’s implementing new ERP systems, developing manuals and training materials, implementing quality systems or developing comprehensive lesson plans, what makes these activities possible and successful is project management even if it isn’t called that. Therefore, it was very natural for me to transition into a role that primarily focuses on project management. Though the topics and titles differ, project management has consistently been present in my work.

In your opinion, what are the most important qualities or skills that a successful project manager should possess?

Some of the most commonly associated skills with project management are organization and planning. These are vital for any project since all projects involve multiple actors and multiple requirements and the project manager has to make sure to organize these factors in a way that will best fulfil the goal and purpose of the project. I often think of it as a large jigsaw puzzle – it’s important to have the right approach to make sure the pieces come together well.

Project management often involves working with people from different countries, languages, and backgrounds. What 3 key aspects would you point out as most important when it comes to teamwork to ensure the project runs smoothly?

Working with diverse teams can be very interesting and rewarding, but it also has its challenges in the way of communication, culture and expectations. In order to make sure the project team works together in a cohesive manner, it’s important to be aware of your assumptions, listen and communicate clearly. We all make certain assumptions based on our own background and experience, but it’s important to be aware of these assumptions and recognize situations in which they may not hold true. When this is recognized, it’s important to clearly state your point of view and listen carefully for possibilities of misunderstandings so they can be clarified as soon as possible.

How would you describe the role RISE has in the projects you are part of?

Though RISE’s roles in projects is usually defined in the proposal stage and both in EuRyQa and PASQuanS2 we are involved in aspects of project management, communication and dissemination activities, our role is also much more than that. We engage in strategic planning, intellectual property management, and the exploitation of project results to maximize their impact. By handling our tasks, we are ensuring that projects are appropriately represented in both the scientific community and the general public, we empower our scientific partners to focus on conducting groundbreaking research with the potential to impact millions of lives worldwide. The RISE team, composed of diverse professionals, supports a wide array of project consortiums tackling various challenges. We are privileged to work alongside leading scientists across Europe and beyond on impactful projects for the benefit of the whole society.