Bernd Swillus - Scrum Master (Squad DZB1)

Q: Where is Bernd based?

Bernd is based in Karlsruhe, Germany and can operate in on-site , hybrid , and remote work models.

Q: What languages does Bernd speak?

Bernd speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced) .

Q: How many years of experience does Bernd have?

Bernd has at least 25 years of experience. During this time, Bernd has worked in at least 14 different roles and for 13 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 8 months . Note that Bernd may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Bernd's latest experience?

Bernd's most recent position is Scrum Master (Squad DZB1) at DZ Bank Brokerage .

Q: What companies has Bernd worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Bernd has worked for DZ Bank Brokerage , Sabbatical / time off , Consulting and analysis in the Revenue Squad , Target II Services , and BerD (job-related German language course funding) .

Q: Which industries is Bernd most experienced in?

Bernd is most experienced in industries like Banking and Finance , Energy , and Pharmaceutical . Bernd also has some experience in Information Technology (IT) , Aerospace and Defense , and Education .

Q: Which business areas is Bernd most experienced in?

Bernd is most experienced in business areas like Quality Assurance (QA) , Information Technology (IT) , and Customer Service . Bernd also has some experience in Project Management , Product Development , and Human Resources (HR) .

Q: Which industries has Bernd worked in recently?

Bernd has recently worked in industries like Education , Government and Public Administration , and Professional Services .

Q: Which business areas has Bernd worked in recently?

Bernd has recently worked in business areas like Project Management , Quality Assurance (QA) , and Information Technology (IT) .

Recommended expert

Karlsruhe, Germany

Experience

Mar 2024 - Jul 2024

5 months

Scrum Master (Squad DZB1)

DZ Bank Brokerage

Supporting the team split, then acting as Scrum Master for one of the teams
Organizing and facilitating Scrum and team meetings
Co-preparing and moderating PI planning (squad level) (mix of SAFe and Spotify)
Promoting continuous improvement processes, self-organization and communication

Apr 2023 - Feb 2024

11 months

Vacation, personal development, personal coaching

Sabbatical / time off

Vacation
Personal development
Personal coaching

Apr 2022 - Mar 2023

1 year

Agile Coach / Scrum Master (50%), QA partner (50%)

Consulting and analysis in the Revenue Squad

Creating transparency (for all requirements)
Setting up the working mode (organization, structure, prioritization) in the team
Onboarding future Scrum Masters and QA partners

Jun 2021 - Dec 2021

7 months

Agile test manager

Target II Services

Managing, moderating and coaching the agile sprint test teams (3 teams with a total of 20 testers) in methods and content
Organizing test cycles across sprint teams, especially module testing, technical integration testing and functional integration testing
Coordinating and organizing governance tools: test plan, test specification, test execution and reporting
Responsible for continuous improvement of test processes

Oct 2019 - Mar 2021

1 year 6 months

Scrum Master

BerD (job-related German language course funding)

Managing a large product team of up to 22 members; split into two Scrum teams, one Kanban team and cross-functional roles
Co-initiated the Agile CoP (Community of Practice) in the BAMF
Defined and implemented the DoD (Definition of Done) with the teams
Handling team turnover
Transitioned team work to fully remote for 4 months

Jun 2018 - Mar 2019

10 months

Innovator (33%), Agile Master (33%), Quality Assurance Officer (33%)

Banking Innovation Team

Worked in an innovation team: developed business model, market check, prototype (demonstrator) / MVP and roadmap
Organized, led and refined an "Agile Experience" workshop with LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® materials
Supported the Agile Center in planning and facilitating events, like Fishbowl

Jan 2016 - Dec 2018

3 years

Agile Master (50%), Quality Assurance Officer (50%)

Banks

Performed Agile Master tasks as described in the Scrum Guide
Ensured the team's adherence to agile processes
Organized, coordinated and facilitated project meetings and workshops
Promoted efficient communication within the team through short channels
Supported and encouraged the team's self-organization
Minimized external influences on the team
Identified impediments and followed up until resolution
Fostered an open work atmosphere and resolved conflicts within the team
Drove the continuous improvement process

Jan 2012 - Dec 2016

5 years

Quality Assurance Officer (QSV)

Banks

Executed quality assurance (QA) measures
Created and maintained the QA plan
Organized and conducted reviews and inspections
Ensured audit requirements through formal checks (regarding compliance with the methodology and guidelines)
Initiated escalations when needed
Collaborated closely with project management, test managers and stakeholders
Ensured the necessary information flow for QA activities in the project
Performed GUI tests
Served as a tester in the "Regulatory Reporting" project (Basel III)

Jan 2011 - Dec 2012

2 years

Test Lead, Tester

Air Traffic Management Information System

Planned, prepared, executed and closed the biannual release tests and continuous automated tests (frontend tests)
Set up, installed and configured IT infrastructure / test environment
Supported capacity planning and test Scrum as Product Owner
Monitored automated tests
Reviewed test documents, e.g., test scripts, test records, and automated test implementations
Created, updated and reviewed test scripts
Performed tests and documented test results (release tests and development support tests)
Defined tests for new functionalities / features
Implemented automated tests (unit tests, frontend tests, in-container tests)
Maintained software (bug analysis)

Jan 2010 - Dec 2011

2 years

Tester

Air Traffic Management Information System

Release tests
Pre-FAT tests
Revised FAT test documents
Created test framework for automated tests in Eclipse

Jan 2006 - Dec 2009

4 years

Support Specialist

Power generation / supply

Administration of Active Directory, SAP and Oracle
Implementation of migration to strong authentication using smartcards
Reconfiguration of SAP permissions for all 1000 users for single sign-on
New configuration of Oracle accounts using Oracle Application Server

Jan 2005 - Dec 2006

2 years

Consultant

Call Center

Design and delivery of coaching and training sessions
One-on-one and group coaching, side-by-side sessions, silent monitoring with personal feedback

Jan 2004 - Dec 2005

2 years

Nutrition Consultant

Nutritional supplements

Consultation and coaching
Acquisition of new customers and employees
Communication and behavior training

Jan 2000 - Dec 2003

4 years

Help Desk Technical Team Lead

Pharmaceuticals

Leadership and management of customer service (internal and external hotline)
Creation of standard processes and procedures
Release certification, validation, testing

Jan 1998 - Dec 2000

3 years

Consultant

ERP standard software

Customization of ERP standard software for customers using Troja and SQL databases
On-site consulting at customer sites
Hotline support

Industries Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time. Longer bars indicate deeper hands-on experience, while shorter ones reflect targeted or project-based work.

Experienced in Banking and Finance (7.5 years), Energy (4 years), Pharmaceutical (4 years), Information Technology (3.5 years), Aerospace and Defense (3 years), and Education (2.5 years).

Banking and Finance

Energy

Pharmaceutical

Information Technology

Aerospace and Defense

Education

Business Areas Experience

The graph below provides a cumulative view of the freelancer's experience across multiple business areas, calculated from completed and active engagements. It highlights the areas where the freelancer has most frequently contributed to planning, execution, and delivery of business outcomes.

Experienced in Quality Assurance (14.5 years), Information Technology (13.5 years), Customer Service (9 years), Project Management (5.5 years), Product Development (3.5 years), and Human Resources (3 years).

Quality Assurance

Information Technology

Customer Service

Project Management

Product Development

Human Resources

Summary

Agile Coach / Scrum Master
Test manager / Test expert

Practical experience with agile methods since 2010, in responsible roles in the Scrum environment for over 1,000 consulting days.

Many years of experience in the testing / QM area since 1998, in traditional and agile projects.

Industries: IT departments in banks (financial services); IT processes in government agencies; energy generation / supply; pharmaceuticals

Skills

Applications And Tools

Jira (Dashboards)
Confluence
Miro
Mural
Conceptboard
Ms Teams
Zoom

Test Tools

Micro Focus Alm (Hp Quality Center)
Aqua

Areas Of Expertise

(Senior) Scrum Master / Agile Master / (Junior) Agile Coach
Guiding Teams In Their First Agile Steps (E.g. Transparency, Self-organization, Continuous Improvement)
Scrum, Kanban, Hybrid Approaches
Workshop Design / Planning And Facilitation
Community Of Practice, Organizational Development
(Expert) Tester / Test Analyst
Executing And Documenting Tests
Creating And Revising Test Scripts
Defining Tests
Implementing Automated Tests
Test Management
Leading 3 Parallel Test Teams
Reviewing Test Documentation
(Senior) Quality Assurance Manager (Qsv)
Organizing Reviews And Inspections
Ensuring Audit Requirements
Escalation

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Education

TH Karlsruhe

Diploma in Computer Science · Computer Science · Karlsruhe, Germany

Certifications & licenses

Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II)

Scrum.org

Certified Scrum-Master (CSM)

Scrum Alliance

Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I)

Scrum.org

ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level, CTAL-TM

Executive Assistant

Dale Carnegie Training

Trainer C License in Football

German Sports Federation

Referee

Baden Football Association, German Football Association

Profile

Created

February 2025

Last Update

July 2025

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is Bernd based?

Bernd is based in Karlsruhe, Germany and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.

What languages does Bernd speak?

Bernd speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced).

How many years of experience does Bernd have?

Bernd has at least 25 years of experience. During this time, Bernd has worked in at least 14 different roles and for 13 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 8 months. Note that Bernd may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Bernd be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Bernd would be well-suited for roles such as: Scrum Master (Squad DZB1), Vacation, personal development, personal coaching, Agile Coach / Scrum Master (50%), QA partner (50%).

What is Bernd's latest experience?

Bernd's most recent position is Scrum Master (Squad DZB1) at DZ Bank Brokerage.

What companies has Bernd worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Bernd has worked for DZ Bank Brokerage, Sabbatical / time off, Consulting and analysis in the Revenue Squad, Target II Services, and BerD (job-related German language course funding).

Which industries is Bernd most experienced in?

Bernd is most experienced in industries like Banking and Finance, Energy, and Pharmaceutical. Bernd also has some experience in Information Technology (IT), Aerospace and Defense, and Education.

Which business areas is Bernd most experienced in?

Bernd is most experienced in business areas like Quality Assurance (QA), Information Technology (IT), and Customer Service. Bernd also has some experience in Project Management, Product Development, and Human Resources (HR).

Which industries has Bernd worked in recently?

Bernd has recently worked in industries like Education, Government and Public Administration, and Professional Services.

Which business areas has Bernd worked in recently?

Bernd has recently worked in business areas like Project Management, Quality Assurance (QA), and Information Technology (IT).

What is Bernd's education?

Bernd holds a Master in Computer Science from TH Karlsruhe.

Does Bernd have any certificates?

Bernd has 7 certificates. Among them, these include: Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II), Certified Scrum-Master (CSM), and Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I).

What is the availability of Bernd?

Bernd is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Bernd?

Bernd's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.