January 23, 2026
Volume 02 - Issue 01
In the Spotlight
Happy 2026 everyone! We are excited to be back shining our spotlight on Rocío Briceño Product Manager and Solutions Architect for Software, Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity Solutions at Northern Trust Corporation and bestselling author of The Practice Guide for Enterprise Agility. Rocío is also the Founder of SiAgile (Social Impact Agile) a movement focused on carrying out social projects promoted by a team of professionals in agility and development aimed at improving quality of life for people around the world.
What first drew you to project management?
Long before I knew they were “project management skills”, I was drawn to organizing, planning, and driving outcomes. I saw how well-run projects could change organizations, communities, and even public systems. That sense of impact is what truly pulled me into the profession. Project management gave structure to my natural inclinations: connecting people, solving complex problems, and bringing order to chaos.
What were 3 key turning points on your career journey up until now? What were the key lessons learned in these moments?
Leading disaster recovery and cloud modernization at Northern Trust.
Co-authoring “The Practice Guide for Enterprise Agility” and the Social Impact Agile Manifesto
Running for Vice President of Costa Rica
Through these moments I learned that leadership is service. Running for Vice President of Costa Rica taught me to navigate complexity, represent diverse voices, and stand strong even in high-pressure, high-visibility situations. It taught me courage, accountability, and the power of authenticity. Thought leadership amplifies impact. When you articulate frameworks and ideas that others can adopt, you stop being part of the conversation and start shaping it. Finally, you can be an exceptional leader but in today’s world, strategy must be paired with subject-matter depth, especially as a technical leader.
Tell us about your work with Social Impact Agile.
Social Impact Agile was born from a belief that agility should not be limited to software—it should improve lives.
Working alongside global leaders like Alistair Cockburn, I created a framework that adapts agile principles to social development, public policy, health systems, and education. Our focus is on using agile to reduce inequality, strengthen public value, and design organizations that are more human, adaptive, and outcome-driven.
It has been one of the most meaningful contributions of my career.
What inspires you to advocate for women in agile?
I advocate for women because representation matters. Agile is about empowerment, and we cannot talk about empowerment without addressing gender equity. I’ve lived what it means to be the “only woman in the room”—the one questioned, underestimated, or expected to work twice as hard to be heard. I’ve learned that trusting your experience is transformational. Women bring collaboration, empathy, systemic vision, and resilience—exactly what modern, agile, organizations need.
What would you recommend a woman following in your footsteps do to successfully step into a VP role from a project management career?
VP roles are earned through impact, visibility, and strategic leadership—not just certifications. Key steps to take include:
Shifting from delivery to strategy. Start speaking the language of value, portfolios, and outcomes.
Become visible. Write, speak, lead, contribute.
Advocate for yourself. Promotions don’t happen just because you work hard; they happen because you ask for the room you deserve.
Deepen your subject matter expertise. You don’t need to be the engineer, but you must understand the fundamentals of the area or industry you want to lead in.
What advice would you give to women who use project management skills but don’t yet see themselves as “project managers”?
Claim your skills. Embrace the identity, pursue training if needed, and confidently position yourself in the space you already operate in. Names matter. Titles open doors.
If you were granted one wish, what is one thing you would change for women in project management?
That women would be believed the first time they speak.
Too often women must defend expertise, prove experience, or withstand subtle forms of dismissal. If organizations trusted and valued women’s voices from the beginning; innovation, collaboration, and project outcomes would skyrocket.
Interested to dive deeper into Agile or learn the fundamentals of project leadership with Rocío’s spin on it? You are in luck! Rocío offers workshops that guide professionals and organizations through the real transformations needed to thrive in a world shaped by agility, AI, and cultural change. Each session blends her research, her thought leadership, and her experience leading transformations globally to help you gain an in-depth understanding.
In-person workshops take place the last Saturday of every month in Washington, DC and online workshops are held the second Saturday of every month via Zoom. Topics include:
• Reimagining Agility (Agile Alliance + PMI)
Participants learn how modern agility goes beyond frameworks—focusing on value, systems thinking, and ways to redesign teams and leadership for adaptability and psychological safety.
• Enterprise Agility & Digital Transformation with AI (based on my book: The Practical Guide for the Enterprise Agility )
Attendees leave with a practical roadmap to integrate AI into business operations responsibly, redesign value streams, and accelerate digital transformation without losing the human element.
• Cultural Transformation & Leadership for Project-Driven Organizations (based on the OCPMA Organizational Culture Project Management Approach)
This workshop helps leaders adopt a new mindset rooted in trust, empowerment, and measurable cultural behaviors that enable high-performing teams.
• Scrum & Agile Certifications Prep
Clear, structured training for professionals aiming to obtain Scrum or Agile certifications, with practical tools they can apply immediately.
• Project Management Essentials (based on the PMBOK® Guide)
Participants learn the fundamentals of project leadership in modern organizations — from planning and risk to stakeholder engagement and delivery excellence.
Learn more and contact Rocío directly through her website here.
Know someone who identifies as female and is doing great work enabled by project management skills? Nominate them to be featured in the Spotlight in an upcoming issue!
Skill Building
Exclusive for paid subscribers and 12 Million Women community members, in each newsletter issue, this section will feature women-focused advice, learning, skill building, or thought leadership designed to elevate your project management practice. This week’s section is written by 12 Million Women founder Megan Johnston.
