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SPEAKERS for the 15th Annual GIVE THANKS FOR SCRUM event (2023)

JEFF SUTHERLAND

Unlocking the Physics of Scrum: Empiricism as the Universal Constant

In an era marked by uncertainty, Scrum stands as a beacon of empiricism, a principle deeply rooted in the very fabric of the universe. Drawing upon Wolfram’s concept of computational irreducibility and the emergent nature of physics, this talk will delve into the raw power of empiricism as it manifests in Scrum. We’ll explore how the physics of work and time converge to define the power of personal and team performance, and how this power is the driving force behind evolutionary survival and complex adaptive systems. Join us to discover how Scrum is not just a framework but a manifestation of universal principles that govern everything from atomic particles to organizational dynamics.

Dr. Jeff Sutherland is an individual that needs no introduction, but let’s take a shot at it.  Jeff is a former US Air Force “Top Gun” and the co-creator of the Scrum framework. This model, developed in 1993 and formalized in 1995 with Ken Schwaber, has since been adopted by the vast majority of software development companies around the world.  Jeff is a leading expert on how the framework has evolved to meet the needs of today’s business. Realizing its benefits are not limited to software development, he has adapted this strategy to several other industries including finance, healthcare, education and telecom.  Scrum and Scrum@Scale are now widely adopted and create hyper-productive development teams.  As founder and Chairman of Scrum Inc., creator of Scrum@Scale, Senior Advisor and Agile Coach to OpenView Venture Partners, Jeff trains executives and shares agile best practices with organizations around the globe.

DAVID WEST

How do you build an empirical organization?   One Product at a time

It seems obvious, but Scrum manages uncertainty by applying an empirical approach.
Incrementally delivering value increases understanding, allowing teams to deliver more value.
The cycle of learning and value. But most organizations are NOT empirical. They are built
around pre-digital ideas, serving a world that is predictable and slow to change. That creates
friction between Scrum Teams and the organization in which they reside. But how do you build
an empirical organization?

In this talk, Dave West, CEO of Scrum.org, discusses the ideas of building an empirical
organization and how the process of change has to be driven by a product-centric approach. He
describes the characteristics of an empirical organization and defines some steps people can
take to influence change.

YUVAL YERET

Using the Scrum Spirit to Unlock Empiricism and Agility in OKRs

Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) are considered a “Modern operating system” by many companies and investors. But the typical implementation doesn’t deal well with the uncertainty and complexity involved in achieving the typical strategic objective whether it requires building a product, innovating a business model, or creating a new cross-functional company capability. In this talk, we will look at common anti-patterns involved in the typical OKR implementation and how the Scrum spirit can help OKR practitioners bring empiricism, empowerment, and continuous improvement to their OKR operating system. This talk is especially relevant to Scrum and Agile practitioners who are looking for creative ways to bring Scrum’s goodness we are so grateful for to the wider organization.

YUVAL YERET is a Lean, Agility and Flow Coach, SAFe Fellow and Professional Scrum Trainer with over 15 years experience helping organizations achieve business agility leveraging agile techniques such as Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, OKRs.  Yuval has experience working with world-class companies in Technology/IT, CPG, BioTech on how to pragmatically achieve agility in complex situations – including designing and building cyber-physical or physical products or in business domains such as Marketing.  Reach out to Yuval at Yeret Agility

DOUG KIRKPATRICK

Doug Kirkpatrick is an organizational change consultant, TEDx speaker, executive coach, author, and educator. He recently released his third book, The No-Limits Enterprise: Organizational Self-Management in the New World of Work, an Amazon bestseller with Forbes Books, and is Founder and CEO of D’Artagnan Advisors, helping companies embrace the future of work. A member of the Forbes Speakers network, he has served as a director on a number of boards including the Association for Talent Development (ATD), the world’s largest talent development association with 35,000+ members in 120 countries, and the Leadership Institute for Development, Education and Research (LiDER) to develop leaders throughout the Americas.

Doug began his career in the manufacturing sector, principally with The Morning Star Company, a world leader in the food industry, as a financial controller. He now engages with Vibrancy, Open Leadership Network, Great Work Cultures, Semco Style Institute, Responsive, Business Agility Institute and other vibrant organizations and leaders to co-create the future of management. His previous books include Amazon bestsellers Beyond Empowerment: The Age of the Self-Managed Organization and From Hierarchy to High Performance: Unleashing the Hidden Superpowers of Ordinary People to Realize Extraordinary Results.

DAN LEFEBVRE

Empirical Mastery: Navigating the Agile Coaching Maze, Elevating Scrum Masters, and Achieving Success

Recently, there have been several companies that have fired their agile coaches and Scrum Masters. Why is that? How do you prevent that from happening in your company? Many Scrum Masters have lost their way (or never knew it) about their accountabilities. Scrum Masters serve the Product Owner, the Developers, and the Organization! That means agile coaches and Scrum Masters have to improve the system, or they are failing. This session will show you techniques for using empiricism and problem-solving strategies to improve the system to demonstrate the value of agilists in your organization.

Dan LeFebvre was the first Certified Scrum Coach in New England with over twenty years in product development as a developer, manager, director, and coach. He has been applying agile practices to successfully deliver products since 2003. He has worked with Dr. Sutherland since 2009. Dan holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Boston University and is a Registered Scrum Trainer Fellow.

LEADERSHIP & DELIVERY TEAM

ANN BREA

Ann Brea is member of the Agile Boston leadership team and is teaming up with Daniel Mezick (listed below) to serve all participants by recording, sequencing and delivering the event.

A Scrum Master and Agile Coach with 15 years of experience leading, training and coaching organizations on their Agile journey, Ann coaches executives and teams across Greater Boston. She is PSK1, PSM-1, OSA1, S@SCP, CSM, PMP, eCommerce, Oracle Database Administrator, and Webmaster certified.

She’s also a 1st degree black belt in martial arts.

JOSEPH DEANGELIS

Joseph is the operational leader of the group, inviting, welcoming and supporting our speakers, and executing our monthly events. He’s been the MC of the GIVE THANKS FOR SCRUM event for 5 years running. Joe works at Microsoft where he leads and coaches process improvement via agile methods.

Here is Joe in his own words, via his LinkedIn profile:

“I am an Enterprise Transformation Leader, Executive Leadership Coach and expertise in Product, Business and Leadership Agility. I am a cultural game changer who can quickly transform any organization to utilize the Agile mindset and frameworks to create instant engagement and higher productivity, while strengthening customer relationships and improving service quality.

“I have been recognized by others for my work ethic and a “do whatever it takes” attitude, as well as for my sense of ownership, passion for my work, providing candid and honest feedback, and an ability to strike a balance between short-term wins and long-term vision. I have expertise in a variety of enterprise technologies and solutions as well as strong experience working with offshore centers of excellence.

“As an organizational change agent, I set a high standard of excellence by example and I care deeply for the people I work with. As a coach I create a collaborative environment where the Agile mindset is understood is adopted by invitation, information is shared freely and safely, and individuals grow in their roles and confidence. I have a proven track record of successfully re-energizing cultures that are collectively aligned to clear and visible business objectives.”

He’s also a serious tennis enthusiast and lifelong player of the game. But .. his kids play much, much better!