Thomas Baxter
Crestview,FL
Summary
Director, Business Strategy & Agility | Enterprise Transformation Executive | 25+ Years in Leadership | Driving Agility, Strategic Alignment & Business Excellence Seasoned enterprise transformation leader with over 25 years of experience driving organizational agility, strategic alignment, and operational excellence across global enterprises. Expert in implementing Lean-Agile frameworks (SAFe, Scrum, Kanban, LeSS) to connect strategy with execution, enhance delivery predictability, and accelerate business outcomes. Proven success partnering with executives to design Agile roadmaps, optimize portfolio governance, and embed a culture of continuous improvement. Recognized for coaching leadership teams, guiding enterprise change initiatives, and building high-performing, cross-functional teams that deliver measurable value. Skilled in Lean Portfolio Management, Agile metrics (KPIs/OKRs), and technology integration across complex, multi-site environments.
Results-driven leader with strong background in strategic management and organizational growth. Skilled in developing and implementing effective business strategies, optimizing processes, and driving team performance. Known for adaptability, effective collaboration, and delivering measurable outcomes in dynamic environments. Strong communication and problem-solving abilities, coupled with focus on fostering productive and positive team culture.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director, Business Strategy & Agility
Cox Business (NTT DATA)
11.2021 - 09.2025
- As Director of Business Strategy, I oversee the development and execution of strategic initiatives that drive organizational growth, optimize performance, and align business objectives with long-term vision and market opportunities.
- Directed enterprise-wide Agile transformation, launching two Agile Release Trains (ARTs) that enhanced cross-functional alignment, delivery predictability, and program execution efficiency.
- Partnered with executive leadership to design Agile strategy roadmaps and funding models tied to measurable portfolio outcomes and business value delivery.
- Implemented KPI/OKR dashboards and governance frameworks, providing real-time performance insights that strengthened data-driven decision-making across major initiatives.
- Spearheaded a multi-year ad monitoring program, deploying 100+ video units across 50 U.S. sites and completing rollout six months ahead of schedule.
- Standardized program tracking with Jira and reporting dashboards, improving enterprise-wide transparency and increasing delivery predictability by 30%.
Senior Agile Coach
John Deere
01.2020 - 11.2021
- As a Senior Agile Coach, I led large-scale Agile transformations by mentoring teams and executives, optimizing delivery frameworks, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement to accelerate business outcomes.
- Led enterprise-wide Scrum@Scale transformation, embedding Agile practices across technical and business functions to boost collaboration and delivery efficiency.
- Mentored Product Owners and Scrum Masters, strengthening accountability, stakeholder engagement, and customer-centric delivery across global teams.
- Conducted Agile maturity assessments and authored playbooks, standardizing continuous improvement practices and elevating team performance organization-wide.
- Introduced Agile frameworks to product engineering, enhancing cross-functional collaboration between mechanical, electrical, and software teams to accelerate product innovation.
SAFe Program Consultant
AT&T
08.2020 - 07.2021
- As a SAFe Program Consultant, I led Agile transformations by implementing the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), coaching leaders and teams, and driving alignment between strategy and execution to achieve enterprise agility and measurable business outcomes.
- Trained over 100 executives and teams in SAFe practices, driving enterprise-wide alignment, agility, and consistent delivery outcomes.
- Delivered SAFe certification courses across multiple roles, strengthening organizational capability and building a culture of continuous learning and Agile excellence.
- Implemented Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) to enable adaptive funding, empowering value streams and accelerating strategic delivery cycles.
- Replaced traditional project plans with lightweight business cases, reducing decision latency and improving governance agility across portfolios.
Agile Transformational Coach
Fidelity Investments
07.2019 - 01.2020
- As an Agile Transformational Coach, I guided enterprise-wide Agile transformations by aligning leadership, culture, and delivery practices to accelerate business agility, improve performance, and drive sustainable organizational change.
- Led Agile transformation for 14 internal audit squads, embedding Spotify and Scrum models to enhance collaboration and delivery efficiency.
- Developed and facilitated role-based Agile training, enabling consistent adoption and capability growth among Product Owners, Scrum Masters, and executives.
- Reduced audit cycle times by 50%, transforming operations from reactive to proactive and improving overall delivery predictability.
- Introduced governance and review frameworks, strengthening compliance, transparency, and risk visibility across audit functions.
Principal Agile Consultant / Associate Director
Mindtree
04.2017 - 07.2019
- As Principal Agile Consultant and Associate Director, I drive large-scale enterprise agility by shaping strategy, guiding executive transformation initiatives, and enabling organizations to deliver measurable business value through adaptive leadership and high-performing teams.
- Led global SAFe transformations, launching Agile Release Trains and scaling Agile practices across business and technology to enhance delivery performance.
- Advised executives on transformation strategy, designing roadmaps that aligned enterprise objectives with measurable business value and operational excellence.
- Directed Agile adoption at Mondelez International, creating a hybrid governance model that integrated Agile delivery with traditional portfolio management.
- Trained executives and distributed teams across three continents, embedding consistent Agile practices and improving maturity, velocity, and delivery predictability.
Enterprise Agile Coach / Scrum Master / Director of IT
Sedgwick CMS
03.2009 - 01.2017
- As an Enterprise Agile Coach, Scrum Master, and Director of IT, I lead enterprise-level Agile transformations, optimize technology delivery frameworks, and align cross-functional teams and systems to accelerate innovation, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver sustained business value.
- Directed enterprise-wide Agile transformation across Sedgwick's IT organization, improving delivery speed, collaboration, and strategic alignment across three major iVOS platforms.
- Oversaw iVOS implementations for multiple insurance lines, enabling unified operations, reduced cycle times, and consistent service delivery across diverse business units.
- Introduced Agile frameworks and governance, coaching teams and executives to enhance backlog readiness, transparency, and cross-functional delivery efficiency.
- Optimized iVOS as an enterprise claims platform, driving paperless workflows, real-time data access, and automated processes that streamlined claims management.
Education
Ph.D. - Information Systems Technology
University of Phoenix
Tempe, AZ08.2015
Master of Science - Computer Information Systems
University of Phoenix
Tempe, AZ09.2001
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
University of Akron
Akron, OH05.1989
Skills
- Enterprise Agile Transformation
- Lean Portfolio Management (LPM)
- SAFe & Scaled Frameworks (Scrum@Scale, Kanban, LeSS)
- Strategic Planning & Business Agility
- Organizational Change & Continuous Improvement
- Agile Metrics (KPIs/OKRs)
- Program & Portfolio Governance
- Executive & Leadership Coaching
- Process Improvement & Operational Excellence
- Technology Integration (Jira, Rally, Confluence, Azure DevOps)
- Relationship building
- Strategic planning
- Verbal and written communication
- Decision-making
Certification
- SAFe SPC, SSM, SA, SP, LPM, ARCH, APM, RTE
- Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Certified Scrum Professional (CSP)
- Professional Scrum Master (PSM), Certified LeSS Practitioner
- Agility Health AHF, CIC, EBAS
Timeline
Director, Business Strategy & Agility
Cox Business (NTT DATA)
11.2021 - 09.2025
SAFe Program Consultant
AT&T
08.2020 - 07.2021
Senior Agile Coach
John Deere
01.2020 - 11.2021
Agile Transformational Coach
Fidelity Investments
07.2019 - 01.2020
Principal Agile Consultant / Associate Director
Mindtree
04.2017 - 07.2019
Enterprise Agile Coach / Scrum Master / Director of IT
Sedgwick CMS
03.2009 - 01.2017
Ph.D. - Information Systems Technology
University of Phoenix
Master of Science - Computer Information Systems
University of Phoenix
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
University of Akron