Exploring the Project Portfolio Manager's Role: Between a Data Manager and a Strategic Advisor

Many companies adopt project portfolio management processes to manage multi-project environments effectively and efficiently. One of the key roles in this process is assigned to the project portfolio manager. This role is formally defined in various guidelines and standards of portfolio management. However, it is yet insufficiently addressed in the academic literature and the available empirical evidence is scant. This paper seeks to fill this gap. We develop an analytical model combining the company's portfolio management maturity and the portfolio manager's organisational embeddedness. The portfolio manager's role and profile may vary – from an autonomous newcomer to a strongly embedded advisor. At one extreme, the role is limited to the data collection, and at another extreme, it is a strategic advisor to the senior management. This model is applied to analyse qualitatively six case-studies. We argue that the level of company's maturity in portfolio management determines a specific profile of the portfolio manager that needs to fit within the organisational context. On the basis of our findings, we formulate practical managerial implications.