Craig Smith

I first encountered agile while working as a software developer at Suncorp. I'll never forget the strangely set-up room with tables pushed together and boxes of sticky notes everywhere. I was sceptical at first, but it wasn't long before I felt like I was beating the bureaucracy of the waterfall approach and shipping software much faster.

Fast forward a few years, and I became an active driver for the new agile culture at Suncorp. I was shoulder-tapped to be the Agile Delivery Coach for their Business Services Division, and I have never looked back.

Following my role at Suncorp, I worked as an Agile Coach at the Australian Department of Home Affairs, GMHBA Limited, and Unbound DNA. Coaching is my passion. I love walking with people on their agile journey and helping them unlock their potential.

Today, I’m the Global Agility Lead at SoftEd. Tapping into my experience as an agile practitioner, I teach most courses at SoftEd and even created some of them. As part of my coaching and consulting role, I’ve supported businesses big and small through their agile transformations and change efforts.

My experience has led to many opportunities in the agile world, including my current position as Agile Editor at InfoQ. I’ve also reviewed numerous books, including Becoming Agile, Agile ALM and Sonar in Action. I’m a former director of YOW! Conferences, the largest software development event organiser in Australia, where I often speak about the importance of an agile approach to software development.

Connecting with like-minded agile enthusiasts is what drives me. I’m privileged to be a board member of the international Agile Alliance, and a highlight of my week is hosting my local Agile Meetup. I also chat with people all over the world on my podcast, The Agile Revolution.

My interest in broadcasting extends outside of work, too. I help run a local community radio station and host a weekly show where I discuss a slightly different topic to agility (but one I equally enjoy!) – entertainment and music. When I need downtime, I like to watch The Simpsons, and I’m also an avid motorsport fan.

My certifications:

• ICAgile Authorised Instructor
• ICAgile Certified Expert in Agile Coaching (ICE-AC)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Business Agility Foundations (ICP-BAF)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Coaching Agile Transitions (ICP-CAT)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Agility in the Enterprise (ICP-ENT)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Agile Product Ownership (ICP-APO)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Enterprise Product Ownership
 (ICP-EPO)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Agile Project and Delivery Management (ICP-APM)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Delivery at Scale (ICP-DAS)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Agile Testing (ICP-TST)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Agile Test Automation (ICP-ATA)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Agile Software Design (ICP-ASD)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Agile Programming (ICP-PRG)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Foundations of DevOps (ICP-FDO)
• ICAgile Certified Professional – Implementing DevOps (ICP-IDO)
• Training from the BACK of the Room! Virtual Edition (TBR-VE™) Certified Trainer
• ISTBQ^® Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL)
• ISTQB^® Foundation Level Agile Tester (CTFL-AT)
• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)^®, Scrum Alliance^®
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)^®, Scrum Alliance^®
• Certified SAFe^® 5 Program Consultant, Scaled Agile^®

My education:

• Bachelor of Information Technology, Queensland University of Technology