Eight years ago I had a super great opportunity to help NAVTEQ (today is known as HERE) company go through Agile Transformation. Well, it didn’t start with BigBen approach. In the beginning, it was more driven in guerilla tactic in Europe without formal approval. Starting in Kosice, on vendor’s (Ness Technologies Kosice Development Center) side, with a couple of teams developing software and services for NAVTEQ Europe centers. Only after few months, Agile was finally accepted reality by the senior management in Chicago headquarter.
My first flight, together with great Nicole Belisos, to the NAVTEQ headquarter, was at the beginning a hit of two agile approaches. European, focused a little bit more on the soft side, culture, team spirit. Versus American, focused (at that time) on processes, execution, roles and responsibilities.
There was Agile Working Group established already. But, luckily, one member somehow connected EU & US coaching circles. By his personal approach, very warm welcoming and easy start of collaboration. And, of course, the dinner and beer. The team forming at the best.
Jorgen, together with other great coaches, helped to kick-off the NAVTEQ Agile transformation and made it a reality. Well, one of the fastest in the world. On a global scale, the whole organization, products, processes and tools restructured in 2.5 years. Unbelievable, with Scaled Agile Framework version <1.0. Because we have been incubating it at that time together with Drew Jemillo and Dean Leffingwell.
So what shall we say more about Jorgen?
About Jorgen Hesselberg
Jorgen Hesselberg is the author of Unlocking Agility and cofounder of Comparative Agility, a leading agile assessment and continuous improvement platform.
A proven thought leader of numerous successful enterprise transformation efforts since 2009, Jorgen provides strategic guidance, executive counsel, and coaching to some of the world’s most respected companies both as an internal change agent and an external consultant.
He has trained thousands of people on agile and Scrum, disruptive innovation, and enterprise transformation strategy.
If you are interested in how to achieve successful Agile Transformations, Unlocking Agility book by Jorgen is for you. Just published and available on Amazon.
And, if you worked for NAVTEQ, you might remind yourself those great times.
