Joe Montalbano

Joe Montalbano

I’m a senior management consultant with over 20 years of experience in software and database development, solution architecture, enterprise software integration, datacenter consolidation and virtualization, offshore software development, and vendor/engagement management.

I’m a SAFe/Agile enthusiast with over 15 years of successful experience leading Agile transformations using Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe in small business, global corporate, government, and consulting settings. Currently I lead a team of seven Agile Coaches/RTEs and Scrum Masters implementing SAFe at a federal government agency where I function as the Agile Practice Lead. Leading this high performing team is the most fun I’ve ever had professionally.

I have a talent and passion for Agile. To me there’s nothing more fun than leading a team of consultants implementing SAFe. In my current role I work with senior government leaders (SES/G15 level) to customize an implementation roadmap that works in their unique and unusually constrained situation, surround the roadmap with a set of OKRs to measure progress, then lead and coach the implementation. I lead training and workshops for government and contract staff, facilitate Portfolio Syncs and ART Syncs, coach teams and leaders, and act as a Release Train Engineer. I am the founder and organizer of the Baltimore SAFe Meetup group.

Over the past few years, I’ve seen first-hand the power of Human Centered Design (HCD) and I’ve been weaving that into my SAFe/Agile transformations with great success. It’s more difficult than you might think though, because both Agile and HCD have conflicting purposes and mindsets. I’m currently working on my second book – Human Centered Agile: A Practitioner’s Guide to Creating Next-Generation Agile Programs using Human Centered Design and Agile. Contract in hand - details to follow when it is signed and finalized. My first book, the Agile Almanac Book 2: Programs with Multi and Virtual-Team Environments was released in 2017 and was an Amazon #1 bestseller.

I have an MBA with a focus in Information Technology from Johns Hopkins University, a Master Certificate in Agile Management from Villanova University. I was personally trained on Scrum and Scrum@Scale by Jeff Sutherland and on SAFe by Dean Leffingwell. My certifications include: SPC, CSM, CSPO, PMP, PMI-ACP, etc.