Francis Solomon Knox is the Senior Director of Portfolio Management at Breakthrough T1D, a leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization. Throughout his career, he has led portfolio transformation work across government and nonprofit organizations. In this episode, Steve and Trina explore how Francis brings clarity, alignment, and forward motion to a complex web of stakeholders.
Show Notes
1:00-4:00 | An accidental start in project management
Francis shares how he unexpectedly found his way into project management.
6:00-8:00 | Harmonize, manage, deploy
Francis explains his ability to bring order to complex problems and stakeholder environments. He talks about how every project introduces change, and why thoughtful change management is essential when navigating complexity.
8:00-9:40 | Earning stakeholder buy-in
This part of the conversation focuses on building support for change. Francis discusses the importance of helping people understand the benefits, identifying early adopters, and creating momentum that others can follow.
9:40-12:00 | What it’s like to work at an organization like Breakthrough T1D
Francis gives a look inside Breakthrough T1D and the many teams working together to advance its mission, including research, science, grants, lobbying, and affordable care. Project teams play an important role in supporting and connecting that mission-driven work.
12:00-15:00 | Project management vs. portfolio management
Francis breaks down the difference between project management and portfolio management.
15:00-17:00 | Prioritization, business drivers, and difficult decisions
The conversation turns to prioritization and how PMO leaders help organizations make strategic choices when multiple initiatives are competing for the same resources.
7:00-22:00 | How Breakthrough T1D uses Project Insight for strategic portfolio management
Francis shares how Project Insight helps Breakthrough T1D manage its portfolio with centralized visibility across all projects & programs. The platform helps the team see what is happening, prioritize effectively, decide what needs attention now versus later, and help executives make strategic decisions. Project Insight's Jira integration has been particularly powerful. Teams can work in Jira and their input automatically updates project data.
23:00-24:00 | From chaos to symphony
Francis reflects on the idea that portfolio management is not about controlling chaos for its own sake. It is about creating alignment, rhythm, and coordination across many moving parts, more like conducting a symphony than reacting to noise.
24:00-end | Growing your change management style over time
Francis closes with a reminder that change management is a skill that develops with experience. The more you practice, the more value you can bring to your team, your stakeholders, and your organization.
Project Insight Website
Watch Video Podcast
Subscribe to Wear Your Cape to Work Podcast on:
YouTube
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
RSS