Radhikha Chandrashekhar
Hertfordshire
Summary
I am an enthusiastic, accomplished agile leader/scrum master with extensive experience working in a complex and challenge environment. Facilitating multiple sprints across multiple projects & programmes. Providing coaching and mentoring to project & programme teams in the application of Agile and leading the delivery on specific projects and products as required. I have extensively worked across various globally distributed technical teams from developer, dev ops, third party vendors to senior management in delivering consistent value to the organisation and client. An influential leader who can motivate, mentor, lead and develop large cross jurisdictional teams and key stakeholders, cultivating the right behaviours, values & productivity to achieve objectives, ensuring quality throughout and transforming responsibly. Proven record in the delivery of board level commitments and managing multiple priorities in a pressurised, rapidly changing environment and coaching/supporting others to do so.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work history
Agile coach
Aon
London
11.2023 - Current
- Fostered an environment of continuous improvement, enhancing operational efficiency.
- Implemented process workflows to boost productivity and effectiveness.
- Conducted Agile workshops, promoting a culture of learning and growth.
- Led scrum rituals including daily stand-ups and retrospectives for effective sprint execution.
- Resolved team conflicts, creating a harmonious work atmosphere.
- Facilitated sprint planning sessions to ensure timely project completion.
- Guided teams towards adopting an Agile mindset, improving adaptability.
- Enhanced communication across departments through Kanban board implementation.
Agile Consultant -Scrum Lead
Publicis Sapient- Lloyds Banking Group
London
09.2021 - 11.2023
- Leading the agile transformation within the Cloud Centre of Excellence, Platform Engineering Team of a banking client for teams to adapt agile practices.
- Coaching various technical teams, scrum masters and delivery leads mobilized 9 cross functional scrum teams, increasing velocity, transparency and reducing code quality defects.
- Scrum Master for 4 cross functional squads total of 30 members, facilitating all scrum ceremonies, coaching the individuals and team in being self-organised agile squad.
- Achieved consistent velocity of squad and increase by 25% within two months.
- Facilitating workshops to implementing agile/ scrum ceremonies, overview of value that each of them bring, agree owners of agile roles, especially as the key role of Product Owner was missing.
- Creating an open, transparent environment for the scrum teams to be self-organised and disciplined in agile practices to achieve efficiency, collaboration and empowered enough to say ''No'' to unnecessary disruptions during the sprint.
- Identified and improved gaps in key reports and data from sprints which was impediment for scrum master and leadership team.
- Facilitating, key scrum ceremonies ensuring the teams are able to voice their inputs in a safe environment.
- Identified key gaps in process and agree efficiencies in key aspects like release process, change management and product backlog refinement.
- Coaching leaders and stakeholders in their agile transformation journey such that traditional project plan mindset is changing to pave way for ''agile ready'' workplace.
- Active member in client forums focussed on refining ''Agile Practices '' within the bank.
- Collaborating with agile leader across other accounts within in creating an Agile playbook for Sapient.
- Achieved an increase in employment engagement within the account for Sapient from 14% to 69% which has led to number of initiatives like lunch and learn, virtual socials, define regular one on one, increased open feedback from team members.
- Lead the monthly ''All Hands'' forum for Sapient colleagues across Cloud Services.
Scrum Master
Virgin Media Business
London
08.2020 - 08.2021
- Implementing agile/scrum to the star project in technology solutions department, cloud network solutions project for business clients . I was hired to rescue the behind schedule project and meet the 'go-live commitment.
- Successfully achieved go live date on a behind schedule project within 3weeks of implementing SDLC and Kanban approach.
- Coaching various technical teams and mobilized three cross functional scrum team, increasing velocity, transparency and reducing code quality defects.
- Increased release efficiency through early testing and automation within sprints from 0% to 80% improving quality of sprint and release features.
- Reducing defect rate via improved PR review process, better unit testing, test automation, CI/CD pipeline.
- Facilitating , key scrum ceremonies ensuring the teams are able to voice their inputs in a safe environment.
- Creating an open, transparent environment for the scrum teams to be self-organised and disciplined in agile practices to achieve efficiency, collaboration and empowered enough to say ''No'' to unnecessary disruptions during the sprint.
- Collaborated with release managers and business readiness team to ensure release process aligns with agile practices and provides all stakeholders transparent communication on upcoming releases.
- Analysis of existing Agile practices, building positive relationships with diverse stakeholders, using expert negotiation and influence to embed agile ways of working within the organization culture.
- Mentoring, coaching multiple globally spread scrum teams to refine their scrum practices, scrum ceremonies, monitor sprint progress in JIRA via better estimated story points and improve velocity.
- Increased management engagement via 360 degree retrospective to bring out pain points of the scrum team, agree solution and time lines to continue the momentum and achieve greater quality output from scrum teams.
- Improved efficiency of design implementation and accurate story estimation via increased collaboration within product team and scrum team, reducing technical debt and increments from each sprint.
- Creating phycological safety within the team , so development and test team has space to try fail safe experiments to refine and improve existing practices.
- Communicated clear and concise sprint reports to directors, product managers and business sponsors for increased project transparency , alignment of scrum team and business stakeholders on product vision, customer deliverable per sprint and release.
- Mentored new hires on agile practices resulting in stronger staff development, increased productivity and mature scrum teams.
- Active member of several key project meetings, providing inputs , educating stakeholders, executive members to come on the agile journey to ensure project scope, plan and resource requirements, budget, not only meet contractual client commitments but are also inline with agile practices with a view to make the organisation agile from top down.
Scrum Master - Agile Management Consultant
Adecco Group
London, England
02.2020 - 08.2020
- Freelance Scrum Master - agile management consultant working with Agile Transformation head/ Programme Directors of leading insurance, charity and public sector companies to help implement agile/scrum project methodology to existing projects.
- Coached and guided teams working in traditional waterfall method to agile ways of working and mobilising cross functional scrum teams to increase productivity.
- Analysis of contractor on-boarding hiring, budget management process and technology marshalling change and innovation, bringing fresh perspective, new ideas and keen business intuition to spot growth opportunities, influence business direction, define and drive value.
- Strengthening business agility and viability, by providing strategic review of existing processes. Applying effective agile practices to cultivate team work, foster flexibility, creativity, best ways of working to build value and keep companies competitive in difficult markets.
- Leveraged on-site observation and personal interviews to identify individual employee strengths in areas such as defining project deliverables, tracking success and velocity.
- Presenting recommendation papers to programme directors and board members on solutions.
Scrum Master
Lloyds Banking Group Ltd
London
09.2018 - 01.2020
- Lead scrum training workshops, facilitating set up of agile labs and ensured going support is provided for scrum principals to be implemented.
- Successfully set up managed scrum teams, both feature and component for multiple complex projects simultaneously through effective and fully engaged daily stand ups.
- Increased productivity by 95% of waterfall project by applying scrum principals.
- Rescued failing/ behind schedule agile/ waterfall projects through 'swamp sessions' and applying scrum principles increasing efficiency by 40%
- Kanban and Scrum boards employed in 100% of projects, removing redundant process and increasing velocity by 55% through story pointing user stories and tracking via burn down charts.
- Facilitating 'understand and incubate' sessions for projects to ensure product owner, business stakeholders and scrum teams have clearly agreed and defined epic, user stories and acceptance criteria.
- Role Base Access Control delivered 80% faster and accurately through collaborative working with key stakeholders, managing conflicting requirements, priorities and addressing any risks through regular stand ups, retrospective and product review.
- Delivered automation of ACL on-boarding to Oracle Identity Manager via effective use of SDLC and agile framework 80% faster by refining existing process via sprints, facilitating effective retrospective ,creating cross-functional scrum team and collaborative work within component and feature team.
- Achieved 25% increased productivity and maximizing capacity by adopting optimum approach of one backlog one cross functional scrum team.
- Facilitated backlog creation, prioritization and refinement as Product Owner on behalf of business stakeholders.
- Improved transparency , monitoring velocity ,quality of progress reports to senior executives through use of JIRA Confluence.
- Partnered successfully with application teams, department heads, external vendors to reduce resource cost up to 60% and increase efficiency.
- Raising RFQ, RFS, work request on clarity to engage third party vendors IBM and TCS.
- Working with IBM , TCS project leads and technical teams to ensure the component team and feature team work collaboratively to deliver the requirements efficiently.
- Trained, coached and mentored staff to ensure smooth adoption of new projects.
- Provide accurate ,efficient workload and financial forecasts to ensure project is delivered in budget.
- Secured funding and new project on the reputation merit of scrum team's efficiency and productivity.
- Strategized long-term business needs, driving customer feedback for process improvements.
- Built strong relations with third party contractors and vendors to optimise cost savings up to 30%.
Lead Business Analyst
Lloyds Banking Group
London
06.2016 - 06.2018
- Successfully delivered all Ring-fence regulatory changes to GTB Trade Services system documentation(TI+), off system documentation, digital portal (LOTs, CB external website) ,reporting changes (SAP BO) credit limit systems (Limits & Liability) and process across all markets segments under 5% defects.
- Leading all aspects of system documents (Trade agreements, sanctions documents), off system document(T&Cs, Application form, Brochures, any other Client Correspondence) and Trade Services Online Channel changes, preparing mock-ups, coordinating with business, internal & external legal for any ring-fence specific wording changes, ensuring configuration changes by technical team meet requirements, maintaining detailed catalogue with versions number for all documents and proof reading the final drafts.
- Delivered changes required to Limits and Liability system to ensure sanctioned trade credit limits can be maintained in line with Ring-fence regulation, credit, product and business requirements.
- Identifying data feeds from TI+ to other finance, payment, risk and other downstream systems (Trade Hub, MABE4, UICM, Common System), agreeing requirements and changes with key stakeholders to ensure internal and external reports meet regulatory requirements.
- Risk assessments and analysis completed on business process and data feed changes. Business Process review for impact analysis.
- Impact analysis for Contingency planning, facilitating workshops, documenting and obtaining sign-off from all senior stakeholders across all the areas on agreed contingency plan
- Involved in defining, clarifying, managing changes to project scope definition and 'go/no-go' decisions.
- Translating regulatory requirements to Business , working with Technical teams and stakeholders from all areas in line with both Waterfall and Agile methodologies •Identifying complex project dependencies, impact due to reliance other project's output and managing any conflicting requirements.
- Facilitating workshops to ensure solution design meets business, regulatory requirements and participating in POC (Proof of Concept) where required.
- Review of test scripts and test outputs where required, resolving test queries with SIT/ BAT/QA teams.
- Track defects, agree & co-ordinate fixes with all Stakeholders including Technical and Test teams.
- Tracking, documenting & resolving Business check-out and ‘live proving' incidents
- Prepared training material and delivered training to key business areas on all the business process and system changes.
AVP Business Operations Analyst
Citibank Group
London
11.2011 - 02.2015
- Lead all aspects of Process Mapping, System Testing, MI reporting, liaising with Technical team, Stakeholder Management and Staff training of the system migration process.
- Increased productivity by 65% by analysis ,mapping ,re-engineering, “As Is" and "To Be" processes.
- Working closely with the IT team to ensure the new system was configuration with warning, documents catering to UK financial regulatory requirements for advised trade products.
- Leading user acceptance testing and across global teams before "Go-Live".
- Preparing for "Go-Live" training, preparing process notes, checklist, TAT for each transaction, internal and external client management, managing staffing levels.
- Coaching and mentoring the change related expectations, anxiety and attitude issues in team members.
- Leading all aspects of "Go-Live", MI reporting on errors, providing ad-hoc support to various global teams, conducting regular meetings on the efficiency and accuracy of the system, whilst ensuring BAU was maintained for clients.
- Headed two operations teams of service manager and operation analyst, conducting regular one to one and annual and performance review.
Premier Relationship Management
HSBC
London
09.2010 - 11.2011
- Responsible for managing & retaining high net worth client (5million+) portfolio of 750clients , building excellent client rapport to ensure their financial goals are met and achieving personal and branch's sales targets.
- Approve and assess lending applications up to £250,000; liaison with credit underwriting team for all other applications to ensure mortgage process is smooth for the clients.Ensuring all sales in the branch is audit & regulation compliant.
- Coaching and observing branch team to ensure sales quality is maintained and identify training needs.
Personal Banking Manager
Northern Rock Plc
Edinburgh
12.2006 - 09.2010
- As Deputy Manager Training & motivating members of team is the most important responsibility.
- Coaching & observing staff during sales interview, lead generation & providing feedback on the same.
- Analysed and implemented process improvements for efficiency to the existing internal audit, records filing and diary management process in the branch.
- Conduct full structured financial reviews to proactively increase sales. Achieve & exceed personal sales targets, monitor entire team’s performance regularly.
- Manage& build portfolio of high net worth customer for regular, new business from existing clients and generate recommend a friend business.
- Responsible for running & managing the branch in absence of Assistant or Branch Manager.
- Adhere to all policies & procedure at all times to ensure that all sales are done in compliant manner.
- Provide excellent customer service at all times, deal with customer complaints and ensure account closures are retained.
Customer Sales Advisor
Norther Rock Plc
Edinburgh
06.2006 - 12.2006
- As the top lead generator for financial services and mortgages created and delivered training for best practices of proactive lead generation and objection handling on country wide training session.
- Providing exceptional customer service, conducting savings reviews to ensure proactive cross sales referrals are generated.
- Cash handling, ensuring all policies and procedures are followed accurately to meet all audit requirements.
Human Resources Management Trainee
TATA MOTORS
Pune, INDIA
10.2004 - 07.2005
Education
M.Sc - International Business
University of Dundee
2006
Postgraduate Diploma - Human Resource Management
Symbiosis Institute Of Business Management
2005
Bachelor of Arts - Economics
Ethiraj College For Women
India2004
Skills
- Agile Methodologies
- Scaled Frameworks
- Agile/ Scrum Coaching
- Coaching multiple agile/scrum teams
- Conflict Resolution
- Backlog Prioritization
- JIRA/Confluence
- E2E Project Delivery
- Workshop/Training facilitation
- Business stakeholder and vendor management
- Project management
- Powerful negotiator
- MS Project
PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS
- Brand ambassador of scrum framework and agile promoting benefits of the framework by creating capacity, efficiency across multiple projects and scrum teams.
- Influence, educate and motivate at organizational level change in adapting agile 'new ways of working' at tactical and strategic level decisions.
- Servant Leader with focus on the needs of the team members and the clients with the goal of achieving results in line with the organization's values, principles, and business objectives.
- Ability to apply emotional intelligence enabling “humanised” leadership, embracing doubt when required and ensuring decisions are made to move forward and achieve sprint and programme goals.
- Coaching and mentoring team by managing impediments, eliminate waste, managing the process, managing the team's health, managing the boundaries of self-organization, and effective retros.
- Creating strong, productive, self-managed team, ensuring the entire team supports the implemented Scrum process.
- Making key decisions within a complex, uncertain rapidly changing environment, encouraging and empowering scrum teams to so.
- Practical application in leading high performing teams providing vision and strategy through honest communication and role model leadership.
- Deep understanding of Business Readiness and encouraging the organisation to embrace change.
Certification
- Certified Scrum@ Scale Practitioner
- Certified Scrum Professional - Scrum Alliance
- Certified Product Owner - Scrum Alliance
- Certified Agile Project Manager Practitioner
- ICAgile Agile Coaching ICP-ACC (In-progress)
Key Projects
Ring-fence project, Cyber Security Programme, Oracle Identity Access Manger ACL Automation, Embedding Cyber TOM, Role Based Access Control, MI Hub Tool Build to measure Operations efficiency, Unstructured Data Encryption, Rainbow System Migration, Operations Business Process re-engineering, SDWAN Cloud Console.
Accomplishments
- Extra Mile Award for outstanding performance 2012 , 2013 and 2014
- Best Management Team Award 2015
- Achieved 95% score in 2015 Employee engagement survey.
- Sales Star - top investment products seller 2010
- Best Overall Performer 2007
- Student Union Leader - Campus Recruitment and Event Management
Nationality
British
Timeline
Agile coach
Aon
11.2023 - Current
Agile Consultant -Scrum Lead
Publicis Sapient- Lloyds Banking Group
09.2021 - 11.2023
Scrum Master
Virgin Media Business
08.2020 - 08.2021
Scrum Master - Agile Management Consultant
Adecco Group
02.2020 - 08.2020
Scrum Master
Lloyds Banking Group Ltd
09.2018 - 01.2020
Lead Business Analyst
Lloyds Banking Group
06.2016 - 06.2018
AVP Business Operations Analyst
Citibank Group
11.2011 - 02.2015
Premier Relationship Management
HSBC
09.2010 - 11.2011
Personal Banking Manager
Northern Rock Plc
12.2006 - 09.2010
Customer Sales Advisor
Norther Rock Plc
06.2006 - 12.2006
Human Resources Management Trainee
TATA MOTORS
10.2004 - 07.2005
M.Sc - International Business
University of Dundee
Postgraduate Diploma - Human Resource Management
Symbiosis Institute Of Business Management
Bachelor of Arts - Economics
Ethiraj College For Women