Gemma Openshaw

At BJSS Ltd, a leading tech consultancy, I serve as a Delivery Manager, a role that spans various client-facing responsibilities, including project management, agile coaching, and scrum mastery. Recently, I’ve been working with Elexon as a Scrum Master, where I lead agile ceremonies and ensure smooth delivery within the Scaled Agile Framework. Internally, I contribute to the Delivery capability by sharing my expertise in probabilistic forecasting with peers. I also participate in knowledge-sharing sessions to improve delivery excellence through DORA metrics, enhancing consistency and quality across client projects.

As a Scrum Master at Elexon, I collaborated with the Platform & Infrastructure (P&I) team within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). My primary goal was to ensure the successful delivery of the Data Acquisition Hub (DAH) as part of the Helix programme, which supports the development of innovative technologies in the UK energy sector. I played a significant role in the Market-Wide Half Hourly Settlement (MHHS) initiative, aimed at modernising the UK electricity market for improved pricing accuracy and reduced consumer costs. Working closely with other Scrum Masters, I coordinated delivery across teams, fostering collaboration and shared objectives. My contributions ensured the timely delivery of essential infrastructure components, aligning teams within a scaled framework while enhancing delivery and risk management transparency. Consulting on behalf of BJSS.

As an Agile Coach at Wealthify, I was brought in through a short-term contract to support the teams in adopting and refining their Agile practices. My key focus was empowering the teams to self-organise, helping them to maximise value delivery while maintaining a sustainable pace. Through facilitated workshops, retrospectives, and agile ceremonies, I created a space where teams could continuously reflect, adapt, and improve. I also introduced probabilistic forecasting as a new approach to managing capacity and predicting delivery outcomes, leading to more accurate planning and greater release predictability. The key outcome of my engagement was improving the teams’ ability to collaborate effectively and deliver value consistently. My focus on fostering a culture of self-organisation and accountability allowed the teams to feel more empowered, positively impacting both team morale and delivery outcomes. Consulting on behalf of Nimble Approach.

As an Agile Coach with Asda, I had the privilege of working closely with the Decision Science & Analytics teams at their head office in Leeds. My role was rooted in guiding these teams on their journey towards embracing and fully integrating Agile methodologies into their daily workflows, with a focus on practices like Scrum and Kanban. I led a series of interactive workshops designed to demystify Agile, helping the teams to understand not just the "how" but also the "why" behind these methodologies. Through a combination of demonstration and practical experience, I facilitated key Agile ceremonies, such as daily stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives, and reviews. My approach was hands-on, ensuring that the teams didn't just learn about Agile practices but actually experienced the tangible benefits they could bring to their work. A crucial aspect of my role was fostering a safe learning environment—one where team members felt empowered to ask questions, experiment, and make mistakes without fear of judgment. I believe that true learning happens when people feel comfortable taking risks. This approach was instrumental in helping the teams to refine their Agile practices over time, leading to noticeable improvements. The impact of our work together was significant. The teams reported improved collaboration, more effective planning, and a sharper focus on priorities. They also developed a deeper understanding of Agile methodologies, principles, and practices, which translated into more streamlined processes and better alignment with business goals. As a consultant on behalf of Nimble Approach, I also provided strategic advice to Asda, helping them to align their Agile transformation with their broader organisational objectives. This contract role, though brief, was deeply rewarding and allowed me to witness firsthand the transformative power of Agile when embraced with an open mind and a willingness to grow.

As a Delivery Manager with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), I had the privilege of contributing to one of the UK’s most crucial government bodies during a time of significant digital transformation. My role was not just about implementing Agile practices but about driving a cultural shift towards a more collaborative, responsive, and efficient way of working. This role required me to work closely with development teams to streamline delivery processes, remove bottlenecks, and ensure client objectives are aligned. The impact was particularly felt at HMRC, where I worked with a DevOps team to address technical debt and improve delivery speed. By refining their agile practices and fostering a collaborative environment, I helped the team deliver more efficiently, benefiting the client’s long-term technology strategy. Consulting on behalf of Equal Experts.

As Head of Delivery at MoneySupermarket.com, I led six agile software teams that developed the front-end and aggregation back-end for credit card and loan comparison journeys on both MoneySupermarket and MoneySavingExpert websites. My primary focus was transforming these teams into high-performing ones, enhancing their autonomy and delivery cadence. Through targeted coaching and introducing iterative improvements, we increased the frequency of releases from 4 to 40 per month, enabling the business to adapt quickly to market changes and customer needs. In addition to my core responsibilities, I facilitated workshops and played a key role in stakeholder management, representing the technical leadership in discussions with product and commercial teams. My expertise was also leveraged during a secondment, where I conducted an agile assessment of a project in the finance department. By educating the team on agile principles, I significantly improved their productivity and focus on deliverables, driving more efficient and transparent workflows.

At AO.com, I coordinated cross-functional teams to deliver retail projects in a fast-paced, agile environment. Given the complex architecture, which wasn't fully decoupled, the delivery of any given project required collaboration across various teams, depending on the project’s specific needs. This meant that I might work with just 3 out of 12 teams for some initiatives, while for more complex projects, I could need up to 10 teams. This flexibility required careful planning and synchronisation across teams to ensure seamless project delivery. I ensured team alignment and facilitated collaboration by managing projects using a Large Scale Scrum (LeSS) approach. The primary goal was to help teams deliver value while maintaining quality, even in complex, multi-team settings. Using agile techniques tailored to the teams' needs, I improved delivery cadence and ensured projects were completed on time, driving better customer outcomes. Though we didn’t specifically follow the SAFe framework, practices like collaborative planning across teams helped us align on goals and timelines. I created a project management community of practice, providing support and fostering knowledge sharing among project managers. This initiative promoted continuous improvement and elevated the team’s skills, enhancing project delivery. By cultivating a culture of collective learning and peer support, the community contributed to long-term project success.

As a Senior Agile Project Manager, I partnered with an Agile Coach to implement Kanban practices across the software delivery teams. My role focused on helping the organisation improve its delivery process by creating a continuous flow and reducing bottlenecks. By introducing iterative improvement methods, I was able to drive teams toward self-organisation, leading to more efficient delivery cycles and better prioritisation of work. This contributed to a significant improvement in stakeholder engagement and project outcomes.