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IIBA Perth: BA vs PM

Wednesday 16 September 2026 · Perth

About the event

Where does the role of a Business Analyst end and a Project Manager begin? That question sparked a lively conversation at IIBA Perth’s “BA vs PM: Arm Wrestling to Ensure Success” panel.

Lane8 co-founder Bart Kuiper joined Kim Andrews, Paul Beattie and Nicola Livingstone to talk about where the two roles overlap, how they work best together and what they have learned along the way.

Watch the video

We asked Bart and Muthu

01What must a BA and a PM agree on for a project to succeed?

For Bart, it begins with getting the requirements right. Otherwise, the team could “quickly and confidently build the wrong thing.”

02Would you ever become a PM?

Muthukumar Murugesan explained why his passion stays with business analysis: “I love and enjoy being a BA. I’m extremely curious.” For him, being a BA means staying close to end users and understanding the real problem.

On the night

BAs and PMs from across Perth filled the room at Edith Cowan University’s Perth City Campus for an evening of honest, friendly debate.

Bart Kuiper with fellow panellists — Bart with his fellow panellists after the session.

Group photo of guests — BAs and PMs from across Perth, together for the night.

Bart Kuiper and Muthukumar Murugesan smiling at ECU — Bart and Muthu at ECU before the panel.

Bart Kuiper listening before the session — Bart getting ready before the panel.

The four panellists on stage — The panel sharing where the BA and PM roles meet.

Bart Kuiper chatting with a guest — Bart catching up with a guest after the panel.

A big group photo of guests — A full room of BAs and PMs from across Perth.

Thank you

A big thank you to IIBA Australia and Edith Cowan University for bringing the BA and PM communities together.

Special thanks to Melanie Gray, IIBA Perth Professional Development Lead, for keeping the conversation lively as our game show host, and to Shauna McGee Kinney, Liam Anderson, Aman Chokhani and Mark Freese for helping make the event possible.

Lane8 on Stage: where our team is invited to speak and share