What I Do
Promote Predictable Delivery
I help teams deliver better outcomes, faster, and more predictably by replacing dysfunctional, wasteful agile practices with value-adding activities and continuous improvement.
Launch Complex Programs
I help organizations run successful, high-stakes programs by breaking down ambiguous large-scale initiatives, aligning cross-functional stakeholders around a shared understanding, clear domain boundaries, and realistic delivery plans.
Empower Teams
I focus on building trust-based, high-performance environments where decision-making authority is moved to the team level, empowering them to solve their own challenges, remove delays and deliver higher-quality outcomes.
Align Teams for Flow
I use Team Topologies and Domain-Driven Design to align how teams and technology work together, reducing handoffs, optimizing cognitive load, and improving performance.
Product & Technical Delivery Highlights
Core Banking & Payments
Supported the delivery of payment platforms, fraud systems, cross-border cash management solutions, and API services for financial institutions.
Data & Compliance
Guided teams in building Wealth Management Data Lake, supporting AML, KYC, and Fraud stakeholders.
Open Banking & BaaS
Facilitated the discovery and development of Open Banking APIs for Account Validation, Track & Trace, and real-time transaction monitoring.
Digital Experience
Supported the delivery of new features for Direct Investing/Online Trading platforms and the implementation of a major specialized Salesforce instance for a banking line of business.
HealthTech
Supported the delivery of a new Pharmacy Management System.
FinTech Ecosystems
Supported integrations with financial data aggregators, accounting software, and Earned Wage Access (EWA) providers.
Experience
Senior Agile Coach / Agile Coach
2017 — PresentAgile by Design
Senior Agile SME and Transformation Coach with a focus on Wealth, Payments, and Healthcare. Expert in sociotechnical design, organizational flow, and creating the conditions for high-performing teams.
workspace_premium Program Delivery
- • Led delivery of high-scale systems and platforms across financial services, healthcare, and technology domains
- • Served as lead coach for large-scale initiatives, training and coordinating multiple cross-functional teams
- • Facilitated collaborative modeling workshops to align stakeholders around complex systems
account_tree Organizational Design
- • Designed operating models for enterprise service lines using modern organizational patterns
- • Coached large organizations through structural and cultural transformations
- • Applied Domain-Driven Design and sociotechnical principles to improve team effectiveness
query_stats Forecasting & Flow
- • Replaced guess-based planning with probabilistic forecasting to provide data-driven delivery commitments
- • Mapped and optimized value streams to accelerate delivery and reduce time-to-market
- • Created portfolio management systems linking strategy to daily execution
groups Coaching & Training
- • Provided cross-functional coaching to a range of roles, including Architects, Software Developers, Directors, and Product Owners
- • Designed and led training programs on agile methodologies, flow, and product discovery
- • Introduced experimentation frameworks to accelerate learning and validate assumptions
Data Analyst
2013 — 2017Rubicon Project
Leveraged data analytics and quantitative methods to support campaign optimization and client reporting within the digital advertising ecosystem.
CrossFit Coach
2012 — 2016West Toronto CrossFit
Coached individuals and groups to improve performance and movement mechanics through structured training programs.
Marketing Specialist
2010 — 2011Microsoft
Supported platform marketing initiatives and ecosystem engagement strategies.
Published Tools
Over the years, I've developed and published a suite of tools to support coaches and managers in improving their team's performance:
Flow & Analytics Platforms
Built SquadView, Team Flow Mapping, and the DelayCost Visualizer to help leadership improve planning, work sequencing, and lead times.
Strategic Mapping
Created the Wardley Doctrine & AI Impact Explorer and Service Maturity Mapping to support developing services focused on identifying and satisfying user needs.
Agile Operating Systems
Designed toolkits in Coda.io, including the Transformation Toolkit, Feature Prioritization Toolkit, and the PopcornFlow experimentation template.
Planning Frameworks
Developed the Agile Big Room Planning tool to streamline synchronization across multi-team programs and the Team Readiness Review to emphasize the importance of creating the conditions for successful teams.
Team Health
Published the Squad Health Check and Lean Waste Retrospective frameworks on Miroverse, currently utilized by the global Agile community to diagnose areas of improvement.
Thought Leadership
Author of Flow Focused, a blog focused on the intersection of Lean, Agile, and systems thinking.
Skills
folder_managed Program Delivery & Project Management
- End-to-End Delivery: Manage complex technical initiatives from discovery through deployment across diverse domains.
- Cross-Functional Alignment: Translate objectives into plans by defining clear domain boundaries, team interactions, and delivery milestones.
- Quantitative Forecasting: Use Monte Carlo simulations and historical throughput to provide data-driven delivery dates and roadmaps.
- Economic Prioritization: Apply Cost of Delay (CoD) and ROI-based frameworks to optimize work sequencing and roadmaps for high-stakes programs.
architecture Product Strategy & Org Design
- Product Discovery: Lean UX, hypothesis-driven development, and MVP experimentation to validate product-market fit.
- Sociotechnical Design: Align team structures with technical architecture using Team Topologies and Domain-Driven Design (DDD).
- Strategic Mapping: Use the Kanban Method and Value Stream Mapping to optimize lead times and organizational flow.
groups People & Team Leadership
- Adaptive Coaching: Mentor individual contributors and leads to improve autonomy, performance, and professional growth.
- High-Performance Culture: Build trust-based environments that push decision-making authority to the team level.
- Operational Strategy: Synthesize complex domain requirements (using EventStorming, C4) into clear team boundaries and streamlined delivery workflows.
- Change Leadership: Guide organizations through structural transformations and mindset shifts using systems thinking and flow-based principles.
build Tools
Jira, Confluence, Kanbanize, Planview LeanKit, Miro, Mural
Professional Development & Certifications
Strategy, Sensemaking & Organizational Architecture
- Awareness in Wardley Mapping GCAT
- Flight Levels Systems Architecture Flight Levels Academy
- Flight Level 2 Design Flight Levels Academy
- Introduction to Flight Levels Flight Levels Academy
- Cynefin Masterclass Cognitive Edge
- Re-wilding Agile Masterclass
- Designing Epistemically Healthy Organizations
- Agendashift Deep Dive
Operational Flow & Quantitative Delivery
- Kanban Coaching Professional (KCP) Kanban University
- Kanban Management Professional (KMP) Kanban University
- Enterprise Services Planning (ESP) Kanban University
- Practical Forecasting Essentials Focused Objective
- Practical Metrics and Coaching Using Data Focused Objective
- Data-Driven Coaching Focused Objective
- Dependency Management Focused Objective
- Fast Flow of Change
- TPS Leadership Masterclass
Technical Product Discovery & Leadership
- Independent Value Streams with DDD
- Domain Storytelling Workshop
- EventStorming Facilitation
- Gherkin Masterclass
- Technical Leadership Masterclass
- Managing Virtual Teams
- Accelerated Performance Program
- Level 1 Empathy Toy Training Twenty One Toys
Expertise & Agile Domains
Testimonials
"I had the pleasure of working with Malcolm on a large-scale transformation initiative, and I can confidently say he is one of the most skilled and inspiring Agile Coaches I've had the opportunity to collaborate with. Malcolm brings a rare combination of deep Agile expertise, strong leadership, and genuine empathy."
"I had the pleasure of working with Malcolm several years ago. He played a key role as an Agile Coach, helping guide the team through priorities, sprint ceremonies, and cross-functional collaboration. Even after many years, I still remember his calm presence and thoughtful facilitation style."
"I was fortunate to work with Malcolm as our Senior Agile coach, and his impact on our team was remarkable. He brought not only deep expertise in Agile practices but also a genuine ability to coach, mentor, and empower individuals to grow."
"I had the pleasure of working with Malcolm, where his guidance as an Agile Coach made a big impact on our team. He brought clarity, patience, and practical insights that helped us improve collaboration and deliver better outcomes.
"I had the pleasure of working with Malcolm... he was always a pleasure to work with, good for a joke or two, but also an insightful discussion. Whenever I collaborated with Malcolm, he instilled confidence into what I was doing and highlighted different perspectives on the task at hand, which I greatly appreciated. His consultation always left me thinking about ways to improve the approach we were taking."
Education
Ryerson University, Toronto
BComm, Business Technology Management