Zach Heywood
Digital & Technology Delivery Coach @Kiwibank
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WORK HISTORY
Digital & Technology Delivery Coach @Kiwibank
Wellington, NZ
Working directly with the Data Sub-hub, I currently have two key purposes- Improve WoW and Delivery in Data- Utilise the Improvements in Data to agitate wider change across Digital and TechnologyFollowing observation of the teams in data, the three key areas for improvement were- Improving Agile Ways of Working- Making Things Simple- Improving Psychological SafetyWith no formalised structure of Scrum Masters, a large part of the role is focussed on training members of the team to own their Ways of Working. We have established a WoW forum across the Sub-Hub, developing leaders in this space. I\'m particularly proud of the ownership team members have taken not only with their own Ways of Working, but stepping up to help others develop their skills in this area as well. ACHIEVEMENTSThe Data Sub-hub has a strong focus on metrics, with their key indicators for improvement being Throughput, Average Cycle Time, Deployment Frequency, Sprint Predictability (are we hitting our goals) and the results of Team Health Checks.Between Sep 2024 and June 2025 Average Cycle Time halved, while Throughput & Deployment Frequency doubled. Sprint predictability also improved with the teams now consistently meeting their goals, and Team Health Checks showed an improvement.Improvements in Data were driven by the implementation of the following Practices- Consistent Scrum Ceremonies facilitated by the teams- Consistent Definitions of Ready and Definitions of Done- Automated Team Metrics Dashboard- Consistent Metrics Reviews- Team Health Checks- Story Mapping for Work Breakdown- Refinement Process Overhaul- Three Sprint Plans for Dependency Management- Ways of Working Forum Creation- Empowered Decision Making Through Clear Boundaries of Self Organisation- Measurement of Business and Quality Outcomes- Scaled Scrum Approach across squadsOther coaches were taken on the journey on a number of these practices, before sharing them with other teams across the bank.
EDUCATION
Victoria University of Wellington
Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.), Marketing & Information Systems
SKILLS
ABOUT ZACH HEYWOOD
Hi, I\'m Zach! A people, product and delivery focused Agile Coach, Scrum Master & Business Analyst. I have 10+ years’ experience working in agile environments across the Public, Private and Banking Sectors. I have a passion for Agile Ways of Working, with a goal to help organisations improve their ways of working by focussing on their why. With the drive to deliver great products to customers, I work hard to bring passion and energy to any organisation. While I have had significant success working at a team of teams level, scaling the ways of working has always been a passion of mine. In previous roles I have influenced real change by proving the value of WoW enhancements through real measures and driving that change across the business. Even in roles that target specific areas, the improvements we’ve made have had a profound ripple effectI’m a big believer in the agile value of prioritising Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools, so if you prefer to have a chat rather than read through this page in detail, feel free to close this window and give me a call on 02••••••69. Otherwise, read on…I have experience coaching teams on all of the standard agile areas like: Scrum, Kanban, Big Room Planning, Scrum of Scrums, Estimation, Velocity, Cycle Time, Lead Time, Predictability, Flow Metrics and helping Product Owners visualise the progress towards delivery of the product backlog.I have also utilised my BA background to coach Product Managers, Product Owners and teams on techniques like Story Mapping, Impact Mapping, User Stories, Prototyping, and various tools from the Design Thinking toolbox. As an Agile Practitioner in 2025, I have experience creating both high and low fidelity visual artefacts, as well as the use and administration of digital tools such as Jira, Confluence, Miro and Trello. One of my strengths is the co-creation of Jira Dashboards with teams, allowing them to easily reflect on their metrics with very little admin.I love working with individuals and teams to improve their Agile Knowledge. In 2023 I spoke at the conference Agile on the Beach, on the topic of applying Product techniques like Personas and Empathy Mapping when making Ways of Working changes. I have also run Agile Training in multiple organisations, to help people of varying skill levels to improve their Agile prowess.
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