Ishwinder Bansal

Top-performing professional with demonstrable expertise in assessing business agility, implementing agile ways of working, and delivering agile solutions. 

SAFe® qualified and technically sophisticated professional with extensive experience in developing and implementing Lean-Agile initiatives and introducing change to organisational procedures. Remarkable efficiency in leveraging agile delivery and relevant processes to facilitate portfolio, program and team level events. Demonstrated success in completing projects and directing multifaceted teams to solve complex project issues, while meeting deadlines within budgetary constraints. Instrumental in project planning and scheduling, data and quality governance, and business relationship management. Strong leader recognised for designing, training, motivating, and enabling cross-functional teams to achieve established goals across complex and evolving environments.

Agile Transformation, Agile Coaching, Agile Delivery Manager, Scrum, Kanban, Scaled Agile

Agile Coach (FinTech sector), Vodafone MPesa Ltd, Newbury, UK 
2019 to Present

Delivered strategic leadership and guidance regarding the transformation of existing waterfall practices to new agile ways of working. Designed the new Target Operating Model with key focus on virtually organising circa 500 resources into dedicated core business Value Streams. Facilitated Agile workshops to embed agile practices and instil knowledge at the outset of project initiation. Coached and developed Agile Release Train leaders, including Release Train Engineers, Product Managers, Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Systems Architects and other business Key Stakeholders. Created and encouraged an ongoing and self-perpetuating understanding of agile methodologies and frameworks. Used Agile Coaching expertise to lead delivery across complex engagements, maximize delivery impact, transform the client's thinking, and influence their decision making through measures, metrics and reporting. 

Key Achievements: 

• Launched the first Digital Agile Release Train comprising of six cross functional agile teams globally dispersed in four continents that reduced the production delivery timelines from 12 months down to 4 months.
• Helped create the Lean Agile Centre of Excellence (LACE) team represented by agile change agents within the organisation to gain momentum and continue to track the transformation progress across the value streams.
• Executed cost analysis across all value streams to report on cost per ART, holding costs within the flow and cost per User Story driving some key decisions to pivot or persevere.
• Led successful launches of two additional Agile Release Trains for the Credit and Business Payments value streams and facilitated PI Planning events
• Identified the need of skills improvement and delivered effective training and mentoring to circa 400 resources to align to the SAFe® target operating model.
• Reconfigured the chosen ALM tool Jira in line with SAFe® that enabled users to sketch out the big picture, communicate plans, and connect the bigger roadmap goals to the team's everyday tasks.

Agile Delivery Manager and Agile Coach, Cadent Gas Ltd, Hinckley, UK
2017 to 2019

Managed dedicated and focused agile teams delivering tactical software products throughout the SAP multichannel functions within the business. Delivered proactive management of sprint planning sessions, daily stand-up meetings, sprint reviews, retrospectives, product demos, and other Scrum-related meetings. Mentored Product Owners to make daily decisions to keep the project in motion and empower them to partner with business stakeholders to make more strategic decisions. Identified Agile actors within the business to streamline on boarding of new projects within the IS department. Implemented test automation, continuous integration and deployment promoting flow and delivery

Key Contributions: 

• Coached leadership teams on agile principles, processes and adoption of the “fail fast-fail often” strategy.
• Delivered web-based solution to replace legacy systems for the Pressure Safety Inspections (PSI) division to enhance safety data capture and reporting metrics within time and budgetary constraints.
• Received key mentions across the organisation for implementing effective agile delivery methods.
• Reduced delivery times by around 40% by introducing and promoting product-based delivery planning over project-based delivery planning.

Scrum Master & Agile Lead, Interserve Construction Ltd, Birmingham, UK
2014 to Jul 2017

Provided effective leadership and guidance to cross-cultural teams, including Business Analysts, System Testers, Software Developers, Product Owners and Application Support to encourage adoption of Agile and lean principles. Acted as Full stack developer and executed testing and commissioning activities as well as delivered guidance on testing and commissioning procedures and documentation.

Additional Experience as Agile Consultant and Delivery Programme Advisory at Invenio Business Solutions (SAP Gold Partner).

BSc (Hons) Multimedia Computing
DeMontfort University, Leicester, UK

GNVQ Advanced in Information Technology
President Kennedy Community College, Coventry, UK