Table of Contents

Experience

I am the Principal Consultant / Enterprise Agile Coach at Focussed Agile LLC. I am a experienced software development and IT executive with pragmatic, team oriented approach to the enterprise, focused on optimizing the overall delivery process (concept to cash) using Lean-Agile approaches (for example, SAFe, Scrum, Lean, XP) as a “toolbox.” Since 2007 I've has been applying this expertise in large scale Lean-Agile transformations to build sustainable improvements in organizational effectiveness and business agility while enhancing the level of governance.

Details

Transformations

Lean-Agile Transformations are aimed at improving business results:

  • Lead / coached / trained the transformation to the Scale Agile Framework (SAFe) of a petrochemical IT Foundation Infrastructure group, resulting in 100 teams (~1000 people), in 4 countries. Business outcomes include (one year period):
    • Hard benefits delivered: 114% increase
    • Major incidents down 16%
    • Unplanned downtime down 28%
    • Productivity: 43% improvement
    • Responsiveness: 45%improvement
    • Predictability: 67% improvement
    • Resilience as working from home showed no reduction productivity
  • Lead / coached / trained the transformation implementation to scaled Scrum / Agile at GIS software vendor, resulting in 60 teams (450 people) in 8 countries (differing cultures). Business outcomes include:
    • Reduction in end-user defects by 50%.
    • Employee satisfaction at 78% in the new approach.
    • Increased throughput by 150% (average, all teams).
  • Lead / coached / trained the transformation implementation to scaled Scrum / Agile / Lean at engineering software development operation, resulting about 75 teams (550 people) in 8 countries (with similar results to above.)
  • Lead / coached / trained the application of Agile approach to non-software operations such as Marketing, Finance, Support, IT, HR, Projects, infrastructure, and Field Service organizations.
  • Assessed organization, coached Executive Management in transformation to Agile, and trained pilot teams to kick off Lean-Agile transformation in power, banking, and construction firms.
  • Reinvigorated in-place Lean-Agile practices and adopt new scaling approaches through coaching and mentoring at retail and power company.
  • Trained / coached construction company in application / adaptation of an Agile approach to construction industry practice (7 teams).
 

Training

Training is aimed at changing people's behaviors. I have trained thousands of people in the application of Lean-Agile to their environment, including:

  • Team and team-of-team (“train”) kick-off and set up training
  • Role based training for, for example:
    • Product Managers and Product Owners,
    • Architects and Technical Leads,
    • Scrum Masters and Release Train Engineers,
    • Business Owners and Epic Owners, and
    • Leadership at all levels
  • Subject specific workshops, for example:
    • Lean portfolio management
    • Intent based leadership
    • Servant leader behaviors
    • Advanced facilitation
    • Advanced coaching
    • Leadership team as a “team” (e.g. 5 Dysfunctions of a Team)
    • Focus on business outcomes instead of outputs
    • Improving customer and other stakeholders’ engagement and management
    • Establishing a more transparent organizational impediment process
    • Improve individual decision-making based on improved system awareness (e.g. using Cynefin)
    • Measuring and improving your organizational culture (e.g. using SenseMaking)
    • Establishing innovation through a portfolio of “bets”

Courses were either standard courses (for example SAFe or icAgile courses) or custom made for a specific set of needs.

 

Industries and Domains

I have a background in a wide range of industries and domains, and I'm always interested in learning about other areas. I have consulted in a wide range of industries including:

  • Software products,
  • Petrochemical,
  • Banking,
  • Insurance,
  • Mapping and geographic systems,
  • Surveying,
  • Operations and maintenance,
  • Utilities infrastructue,
  • 911 (emergency) systems,
  • Construction,
  • Marine,
  • Nuclear,
  • Metrology,
  • Manufacturing,
  • Building architecture

And a wide range of domains such as:

  • Software architecture,
  • Marketing,
  • Product management,
  • Development,
  • Support,
  • HR,
  • Finance,
  • Leadership and management
 

Culture and Locations

I love to travel and learn about people with different cultures. I have successfully applied Lean-Agile approaches in a wide variety of locations, and therefore cultures:

  • The Americas including USA, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina,
  • EMEA including United Kingdom, Germany, France, Poland, Hungary, UAE, and Israel
  • Asia including Japan, Korea, China, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand
 

Methodologies

I love to learn new things, and help others apply this learning to improve. Examples include:

  • Lean-Agile,
  • Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe; SPC),
  • Scrum (CSM),
  • Lean Software Development,
  • Kanban,
  • XP,
  • Large-scale Scrum (LeSS),
  • Feature Driven Development (FDD),
  • Lean Portfolio Management,
  • Product Management,
  • Architecture,
  • OKRs,
  • Cynefin and SenseMaking,
  • Monte Carlo Simulations for Forecasting,
  • Agile Testing,
  • Agile Modeling,
  • Theory of Constraints,
  • Project Management Institute PMBok (PMI),
  • International Standards Organization (ISO 9001:2008),
  • Organizational Dynamics,
  • Liberating Structures
 

Certifications

  • Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe v 5) Program Consultant
  • Authorized Trainer, since 2015, ICAgile, including Enterprise Business Agility Strategist, Project Management, Testing, Business Value Analysis, and Coaching certificates
  • Cynefin, and Sensemaker (Cognitive Edge)
  • DevOps for the Agile Enterprise (Icon)
  • Org Mindset Enterprise Coach (OMEC)
  • Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
  • Practical Product Management Certification from Pragmatic Marketing

Earlier Career

  • Vice President, Product Planning
  • Vice President, Information Management Products
  • General Manager, Intergraph Corporation (China, Hong Kong)

Education

  • BSc Computer Science and Statistic, Sydney University