Michael Ong

I am a computer engineer by trade and started out as a software programmer, researching and developing a system for detecting fraud in call data records. I went on to deliver a wide range of projects for mobile payments, logistics tracking, cleaning inspection, and ecommerce. I was shipping lots of high-quality software, but I always felt like something was missing - the experience of the end user.

In my next role as a project manager at the iProperty group, I trained to be a scrum master and agile coach. I was responsible for organising and facilitating project planning, daily stand-up meetings, reviews, retrospectives, demos, sprint and release planning. An agile way of working helped me champion the needs of the customer and empower teams to solve their problems. After that, I became the UX Lead.

During that year, I met Shane Hastie from SoftEd at a conference in Australia. Unlike other trainers, he wasn't trying to sell something; he was there to share his knowledge and experience. I knew that SoftEd was an organisation I wanted to work with, and a year later, I joined the team as a Knowledge Engineer. That was seven years ago.

My favourite thing about being a trainer and coach is connecting with people and helping them to work in a more humanistic way - a way that creates positive and healthy workplaces where teams thrive.

I also love supporting people as they take the next step into a leadership role. The best advice I'd give to any aspiring leader is to find a mentor. That's why I actively create spaces for people to meet and connect, like learning labs, classes, and agile meetups.

When I'm not coaching or mentoring, I'm cycling. I'm a big lover of long-distance road biking. I once rode 3000km down the US western coastline. But I'm not into the gear. True to agile, I like to keep things simple, and I have a very functional, stripped-down bike from the 1980s.

My certifications

• ICAgile Certified Professional (ICP)
• ICAgile Certified Professional - Business Agility Foundations (ICP-BAF)
• ICAgile Certified Professional - Agile Product Ownership (ICP-APO)
• ICAgile Certified Professional - Agile Team Facilitation (ICP-ATF)
• ICAgile Certified Professional - Agile Coaching (ICP-ACC)
• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)^®, Scrum Alliance^®
• Training from the BACK of the Room! (TBR) Certified Trainer
• Training from the BACK of the Room! Virtual Edition (TBR-VE™) Certified Trainer
• Lean-Agile Procurement (Credential 1), flowdays

My education

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, Nanyang Technological University