I work with companies who want to do better at delivering valuable software to their customers.

I work with small niche firms, mid-size companies and Fortune 500 companies. I’ve worked in financial services, insurance, health care and manufacturing, as well as in product  and software-as-a-service companies.

I started my career as a programmer. Because I was good at finding and fixing problems in the code, my company promoted me to a management role (I know, the logic is a little whacky). So I learned how to manage. After holding various management positions, I became an internal consultant at a Fortune 100 Company.

In 1997, I left the world of employment to start my own business, esther derby associates, inc.

I’ve written over 100 articles, and co-authored two books–Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great and Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management. I write about management, leadership, collaboration, organizations and change (or another topic I’m currently exploring).

If you’d like to get a taste of how I approach things, many of my articles are posted on this site.  Head on over to the Articles Table of Contents to find articles from my newsletter, insights, some of my favorite blog posts, and articles that have been published in various print and on-line magazines.

I teach workshops and talk to groups all over the world. I’ve taught in the US, Canada, Sweden, Finland, France, England, China, India, and New Zealand. If your country is missing from this list, we can fix that.

Along the way, I helped found the AYE Conference, and I’m now serving my second term as a member of the Board of Directors for the Agile Alliance. I was also was one of the three original founders of the Scrum Alliance.

I’ve learned a lot about how organizations work through observation and action research. But I’ve got academic credentials, too. I hold an MA in Organizational Leadership and a certificate in Human System Dynamics.

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“I believe that most people want to do a good job. And when faced with tough situations at work, most people choose the best alternative they know. Sometimes people don’t (yet) have effective options. I see my job as helping individuals, teams, and organizations expand their available alternatives and make choices that result in productive work environments.”

Esther Derby