Erjola Tona - Agile Scaling Expert, Team Coach

Recommended expert

Munich, Germany

Experience

Jan 2024 - Present

2 years 1 month

Agile Scaling Expert, Team Coach

pragmatic-agility.com

Driving the development of the Pragmatic Agility framework, focusing on real-world, actionable insights and measurement tools for Agile maturity.
Leading the Pragmatic Agility initiative, which integrates Agile principles with data-driven decision-making.
Using Celonis to identify process inefficiencies and optimize workflows for greater agility.
Developing the Data Driven Agility Tool to provide a quantitative approach to measure and enhance performance across teams and organizations.
Establishing a robust 5A Assessment and defining KPIs and OKRs to objectively evaluate and improve company performance, aligning teams with strategic objectives and maximizing organizational impact.
Producing podcasts to share knowledge and insights on management best practices and real-world applications.

Oct 2021 - Oct 2022

1 year 1 month

Putzbrunn, Germany

SAFe / Agile Consultant

Truma Gerätetechnik

Analyzed the status quo, aligned on goals and objectives, and designed the future organization model, principles, and policies for the Truma Alde Framework (TAF).
Conducted leadership workshops on agile organizations, scaling, business agility, and application to the new model.
Led and orchestrated the implementation roadmap.
Delivered trainings, coaching, and knowledge transfer on agile methodologies, lean-agile mindset, SAFe, Scrum, and Kanban.
Prepared and kicked off the framework MVP, guiding towards launch and rollout.

Sep 2021 - Dec 2023

2 years 4 months

Spain

Lead Agile Transformation Coach and Release Train Engineer

C&A

Collaborated with core teams and stakeholders to lead the agile transformation with a focus on optimizing supply chain processes.
Customized tool configurations to suit the specific needs and workflows of Omni-IT's projects.
Fostered initiative transparency, increased communication, and aligned strategy with execution to streamline supply chain operations.
Delivered customized Pragmatic Agility training and workshops.
Developed an agile transformation roadmap.
Conducted agile assessments to track agility improvements over time.
Supported the implementation and customization of agile tools to better support the supply chain management processes.
Actively removed obstacles or blockers that prevented the team from delivering value.
Provided coaching on Scrum principles, practices, and roles, helping team members understand their responsibilities.

Mar 2021 - Oct 2021

8 months

Paris, France

Agile Coach & OKR Coach

FeetMe

Introduced and delivered trainings to ensure all participants had the necessary information about objectives and key results.
Worked closely with leadership to create strategy and top-level OKRs.
Supported teams in creating their own OKRs aligned with top-level objectives.
Guided teams in executing OKRs, tracking progress, and planning for the next period.
Delivered trainings on agile and OKR tools (JIRA, Confluence, UpRaise).
Provided hands-on guidance for effective use of Azure DevOps within an agile framework.
Facilitated initial workshops and ongoing OKR events.
Supported the creation of cross-functional teams and the implementation of the Pragmatic Agility Framework.

Mar 2020 - Oct 2021

1 year 8 months

Tiranë, Albania

Senior Scrum Master / Agile Transition Lead

Alpha Bank

Led cross-functional Agile teams to deliver projects on time and within scope.
Managed project budgets, resources, and timelines to ensure successful outcomes.
Created a cultural shift to enable effective self-organization.
Utilized agile methodologies (Scrum, SAFe, Kanban) to drive project efficiency.
Collaborated with stakeholders to define project objectives and key results (OKRs).
Monitored project progress, identified risks, and implemented mitigation strategies.
Implemented agile toolchains and facilitated agile ceremonies to ensure transparency.
Prepared for further phases of Agile scaling based on SAFe.

Feb 2020 - Nov 2020

10 months

Munich, Germany

Agile Coach Corporate Innovation

B/S/H

Coached and consulted embedded technologies teams on agile methods in pre-development, R&D, and technology-driven product innovation.
Established an agile culture between B/S/H and external suppliers (partner companies, ODMs).
Cultivated focus on business value, teamwork, and technical excellence.
Synchronized agile development within a gateway-based innovation management process.
Planned, moderated, and designed team-building workshops and off-sites for technology clusters.
Adapted, trained, and optimized the agile toolchain (JIRA, Confluence, R4J, BigPicture, Slack/Hipchat).
Introduced incremental and iterative working methods, delivering innovation increments in sprint rhythm.

Oct 2019 - Jul 2020

10 months

Berlin, Germany

Scrum Master

ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE

Trained, coached, and consulted corporate squads on agile methodology and oversaw their development to ensure effective outcomes.
Guided squads through the implementation process and encouraged leadership to embrace agile approaches.
Worked closely with product owners and publisher managers to manage the product backlog and create user stories.
Supported and trained multiple squads in different locations on agile methodologies.
Supervised and moderated Scrum ceremonies and workshops, identified potential obstacles early, and ensured smooth processes with quality assurance measures.
Facilitated events and training on business and product strategy, agile methodologies, and organizational transformation.

Feb 2019 - Sep 2019

8 months

Munich, Germany

Scrum Master, Agile Coach Home Appliances Development

B/S/H

Supported cross-functional software and hardware development teams on team-level agile transition.
Planned, prepared, and delivered training and meetup activities.
Managed stakeholder engagement and collaboration.
Coached product owners, development team members, and stakeholders in agile principles and frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe).
Co-organized, hosted, and facilitated events and training on business strategy, product strategy, agile methodologies, and organizational change.
Prepared and delivered agile trainings and workshops.
Designed and set up a cooperative environment for international excellence teams, including creation of an organizational model, processes, policies, procedures, and toolchain design with the customer’s management team.

Jan 2019 - Dec 2020

2 years

Co-Organizer

Piazza Meetup

Connected strategic planning with execution and established feedback loops to align strategy with agile execution.

Sep 2018 - Jan 2019

5 months

Munich, Germany

Scrum Master

Travian Games

Ensured the teams developing Travian Legends games followed Scrum practices.
Facilitated sprint planning, daily scrums, retrospectives, stakeholder meetings, and software demonstrations.
Protected the development team from outside distractions, impediments, and conflicts.
Worked closely with the product owner on backlog management and continuous delivery of features.
Educated and reinforced Scrum methodology and agile frameworks to team members and stakeholders.
Directed and led the development team from project initiation through final product delivery.

Sep 2017 - Jul 2018

11 months

Tiranë, Albania

Lecturer

New York University of Tirana

Instructed a master’s level class on IT project management and management information systems.

Feb 2017 - Jul 2018

1 year 6 months

Tiranë, Albania

IT Project Manager, Management Consultant

Sigma Shpk

Produced and utilized a personalized and customizable database for quick client information access.
Automated workflows to transition from inefficient manual processes to automated ones, improving tracking and preventing missed activities.
Designed a user-friendly interface with security levels for each user.
Calculated risk management based on each client’s individual profile.
Managed claim processing with high-priority response times and client history tracking throughout the policy lifetime.
Facilitated communication and collaboration flow with the client.
Coached and worked closely with the client’s project director.
Tailored project management processes based on team capabilities.
Employed techniques to increase collaboration, predictability, transparency, and promote a culture of experimentation and innovation.

Nov 2014 - Dec 2017

3 years 2 months

Tiranë, Albania

IT Project Management / Business Development

Elite Travel – Lufthansa City Center

Managed a two-stage project:
First release: Delivered a cloud-based solution with backup system integration with Navision (financial solution), integrated with a frontend to overview upcoming customized marketing offers.
Second release: Enhanced the TOURiSD solution for supplier management, sales and financial operations, record keeping, and customer service monitoring.
Planned, executed, monitored, and controlled the project based on PMI guidelines.
Managed and facilitated the transition to the new working model.
Provided training, coaching, and guidance to teams.

Sep 2014 - Jul 2017

2 years 11 months

Tiranë, Albania

Lecturer

Luarasi University

Instructed bachelor’s and master’s level classes on IT project management and information technology.

Jan 2012 - Dec 2018

7 years

Business Development Manager, Development Team Lead

Infosoft

Led product development and technical realization of a leading integrated ERP software solution for southeastern European markets, specifically the Payroll 4.0 module.
Oversaw features for automatic wages calculation, taxes, performance and qualification management, and documentation compliance with Albanian legislation and banking systems.
Drafted and implemented the company’s strategic development and product strategies.
Oversaw the restructuring of the company from software development to a business solutions firm.
Managed relations and cooperation with business partners.
Conducted management analysis in human resources, management, and accounting/payroll.
Organized and executed client projects, performed situation assessments, and presented strategies to overcome challenges.
Analyzed business practices and recommended improvements, documented requirements, and integrated best practices while evaluating business prospects, goals, and objectives.

Mar 2008 - Feb 2009

1 year

Vienna, Austria

Project Coordinator

ZSI (Centre for Social Innovation) / Ministry of Education and Science Albania

Conducted surveys of public and academic institutes on current Albanian research developments and state-of-the-art ICT R&D technologies.
Facilitated exchange of insights and information to build partnerships between the University of Tirana and Vienna University of Technology.
Increased EU researchers’ awareness of Albania’s research potential.

Jan 2005 - Dec 2011

7 years

Software Developer / Solution Engineer

Infosoft

Directed the company’s software development practice, developing new or improved components/modules for enterprise systems.
Progressed from junior software developer to senior/technical lead.
As technical lead, managed a team of 38 engineers and developers through all aspects of the systems development life cycle (SDLC): planning, designing, building, testing, and delivery, including solution and systems architecture.

Summary

Over 10 years of experience driving Agile transformations in complex, technology-driven environments. Expertise in customizing management methodologies to deliver measurable outcomes and maximize organizational value.

Agile Transformation, Change Management & Cross-Functional Leadership: Led Agile transformations and large-scale change initiatives across diverse industries, including MedTech, financial services, automotive, gaming, media, telecommunications, e-commerce, and tourism. Managed and coached cross-functional teams, aligning them with strategic objectives, creating a culture of adaptability, and ensuring smooth adoption at all levels.

Technical Expertise, Tailored Methodologies & Scaling Agile: Leveraged a strong technical background to communicate effectively with teams and stakeholders, maintaining a clear focus on customer value. Designed and implemented Agile frameworks (Traditional Project Manangement, Scrum, SAFe, Kanban, LeSS), customized to the specific needs of each organization, driving efficiency and productivity.

Training, Coaching & Change Enablement: Delivered Agile training to over 500 professionals, offering specialized courses on roles such as Scrum Master, Agile Product Owner, and Agile Leadership. Conducted extensive coaching and workshops that empowered teams to enhance performance, overcome resistance to change, and sustain new ways of working in Agile environments.

Framework Development: Co-founded the Pragmatic Agility Framework, integrating best practices from Traditional Project Management, Agile, Scrum, and Lean to provide flexible and outcome-driven solutions for dynamic environments.

Languages

Albanian

Native

English

Advanced

Italian

Advanced

German

Intermediate

Spanish

Intermediate

...and 1 more

Education

University of Tirana

Master in Computer Science · Computer Science · Tiranë, Albania

University of Tirana

Bachelor in Computer Science · Computer Science · Tiranë, Albania

University of Tirana

Master of Business Administration · Business Administration · Tiranë, Albania

Certifications & licenses

Agile Leadership Professional Agile Leadership (PAL I)

Scrum.org

Agile Professional Scrum Master (PSM)

Scrum.org

Certified SAFe® 6 Scrum Master

Scaled Agile Inc.

Project Management Professional (PMP®)

Project Management Institute

Scaled Agility SAFe® 4 Agilist (SA)

Scaled Agile Inc.

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Travian Games

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Lecturer

Luarasi University

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ZSI (Centre for Social Innovation) / Ministry of Education and Science Albania

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Infosoft

Summary

Languages

Education

University of Tirana

Master in Computer Science · Computer Science · Tiranë, Albania

University of Tirana

Bachelor in Computer Science · Computer Science · Tiranë, Albania

University of Tirana

Master of Business Administration · Business Administration · Tiranë, Albania

Certifications & licenses

Agile Leadership Professional Agile Leadership (PAL I)

Scrum.org

Agile Professional Scrum Master (PSM)

Scrum.org

Certified SAFe® 6 Scrum Master

Scaled Agile Inc.

Project Management Professional (PMP®)

Project Management Institute

Scaled Agility SAFe® 4 Agilist (SA)

Scaled Agile Inc.

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