Facilitator – Alan Czako | 10:00 — 11:15
Abstract
In many ways the initial Agile transformation may have been the easy part of the process. We ran it like any other project. It had clear objectives, a budget, and a deadline. As IT leaders, this was just the kind of thing we know how to run well. We created a vision, rallied the stakeholders, and became cheerleaders. During that initial 6-12 months we tore down walls, put up boards, started stand-ups, engaged product owners, and started talking about value. It certainly seemed like the effort had been a success. It was an enormous achievement.
But, there was more. It turns out we had only just begun the effort. People and organizations don’t change old habits easily. Old technologies don’t upgrade themselves or become easier to maintain. Executives still wanted everything they expected, on a specific date, and for a predetermined cost. The Agile transformation requires a lot more operational change within IT and the broader organization than any project can address. This isn’t just about how we build software in IT. It’s about how the organization manages critical assets, budgets, and the people that build, support, and use them.
Join us for an in-depth discussion of the ongoing challenges and opportunities facing senior IT leaders as they tackle the broader changes within their organization.
Facilitator
Alan Czako started his career with CareWorks in January of 2013, as a Director of IT, where he managed the IT systems and infrastructure of the CareWorks third party administrator. In this role he was responsible for addressing numerous infrastructure, operations, and development challenges as well as running an agile transformation. Mr. Czako later transferred his expertise in Agile transformations to a Columbus-based client of Careworks Technology and has been working with that client for the last 6 months.
Mr. Czako has worked in the technology field for over 27 years. Prior to joining the CareWorks Family of Companies, he held the position of Vice President of Information Technology and Delivery for 2Checkout.com. His responsibilities included overall oversight of IT and the delivery of new projects. Prior to 2Checkout, Mr. Czako spent five years at Quick Solutions, Inc. as a Project Manager, Program Manager, and a Solutions Delivery Manager. In these roles, he managed projects and engagements for numerous clients including IQ Innovations, Sedgwick CMS, State of Ohio Attorney General, and Worthington Industries. His background also includes 10 years as the Operations & Infrastructure Manager for the U.S. Trotting Association, and five years as a programmer analyst and project leader for The Limited, Inc.
Mr. Czako attended The Ohio State University for both his undergraduate and graduate studies, earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1987 and a Masters of Business Administration from the OSU Fisher College of Business in 2007. In addition, he holds the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, Six Sigma Green Belt, and Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification. He is a Certified Agile Coach and recognized Agile presenter.
He resides in Galena, Ohio with his wife and daughters. Alan Czako is a long-time member of the Westerville Community United Church of Christ, where he has served on various boards and is currently a high school youth group leader. Within the community he has acted as a poll worker, served on the Westerville City Board of Zoning Appeals, and volunteered in various events sponsored by the Westerville police department. He currently holds a position on the Harlem Township Zoning Commission.
Panelists
Steve Farley is the Vice President of the Application Development Center at Nationwide Insurance located in Columbus, Ohio. He has over 28 years of Information Technology experience with a focus on development operations and the resulting value for business partners.
During his career, Steve has led technology implementations and business capability improvements that have included new product introductions, international expansions, large scale record keeping changes, service center improvements, and internet capabilities that all focused on value based delivery for customers.
In his current role as Vice President of the Nationwide Development Center he leads a team of software development professionals with a focus on delivery effectiveness through Agile practice adoption, Lean concepts, and a culture of Continuous Improvement. The Application Development Center currently consists of 37 agile development teams and is one of the first enterprise-scale Agile organizations to achieve CMMI Level III.
Tim Heller is an Executive Director at JP Morgan Chase & Co in Columbus, Ohio. As Chief Development Officer for the Mortgage Bank accountable for strategic development, he supports numerous development teams around the globe and is leading the Agile Transformation across the organization. He is an experienced Agilist specializing in enterprise-scale Lean management and Agile software development transformations. Tim has played numerous roles in IT over his 20 year career and is an active member of the Agile community. Previously, he helped transform Nationwide’s application development culture through the introduction of Lean and Agile concepts
Rob Richardson is a Technology Executive with over 25 years of experience and currently leading the Enterprise IT Automation and Governance practice for CareWorks Tech. In this role he is responsible for P&L, business development, implementation and most importantly customer satisfaction.
Prior to joining CareWorks Tech, Richardson served as SVP and Director of Application Shared Services where he was responsible for Enterprise Architecture, Application Developments (SDLC), SOA Services, Quality Assurance, Change, Release & Configuration Management, and Application Production Support
Prior to joining Huntington Bank, Richardson served as Chief Information Officer at Worthington Industries where he led several key efforts including a major ERP implementation, Transformational change, Business Intelligence, and Analytics.
Before joining Worthington, Richardson worked at Ashland Incorporated for nearly 9 years, in various IT management roles encompassing various aspects of the IT and business functions. In 2004, he was named as IT Director – Global Architecture & Standards, which included IT Strategy and Performance Management. Previous to this role, he served as IT Director – Computing Services Center, providing a variety of end user support services via a shared services structure to the organization.
Before joining Ashland, Richardson was employed by Alkon Corporation. For over twelve years he worked in varying business roles (technology and customer facing) supporting the manufacturing solutions, customer support, system implementation, software development, system design, technical sales, project management and product management.
He also served as a member of the Audit Committee for the State of Ohio from 2009 till 2012. Richardson earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Franklin University in Electronics Engineering Technology with a minor in Computer Science in 1985. He is married with two children and resides in Blacklick, Ohio.