A Q&A with Zach Stratenwerth about his role and experiences at Nimble.
Zach Stratenwerth, Managing Consultant at Nimble Approach. Joined Nimble in February 2023.
What’s your role at Nimble and what are you here to do?
As a Managing Consultant, I set an exemplary standard in all aspects of project and product delivery across multiple client engagements. I provide high-quality Agile Delivery services to clients and work with divisional leadership to define and execute strategic business plans.
My journey with Nimble is exciting. We’re working together to expand and explore new horizons, opportunities, and client engagements.
Working in the private sector, I manage several client engagements and relationships. I am responsible for stakeholder relations and commercial management of these engagements, ensuring high satisfaction for clients in their experiences with Nimble. Additionally, I serve as a Principal Agile Delivery Lead for some of our clients, where I am deployed to a client like any other consultant, to deliver excellent results within my discipline.
As an Agile Delivery Lead (ADL), I lead teams and programmes, collaborate with all levels of stakeholders and disciplines, and help set an excellent standard across the business, its vision, culture, people, and clients.
Lastly, I advocate for outstanding delivery principles by implementing and coaching clients in Agile ways of working. This approach harnesses the power of modern technologies and benefits from proactive practices, creating clear and flexible communication.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I have always had a passion for computers and software, whilst this might have classically started with computer gaming, it quickly became the focal point in my academic and professional life. Kicking things off with a Higher Certificate in Information Systems and my first job shortly after as a Junior Software Engineer for a Logistics company in South Africa where I was born.
From there I did my BSc in IT while working and began to discover more about the World of Agile practices and the positive impact it can have within organisations. So while still holding onto my passion for software development, I adjusted my focus to become an Agile Delivery Manager. In doing so, I was able to get more involved and have a greater effect on teams, projects and problems, feeding my desire to grow and learn.
I later moved to the United Kingdom where I did several Delivery Lead roles, completed my MBA and became a consultant. This is where I truly grew as I was able to stretch my skills and learn with many companies and industries in a short space of time.
I am now a dedicated and open-minded Managing Consultant and Agile Practitioner who thrives on helping clients such as Asda, Sky Betting and Gaming, Mina and Lottoland unlock unrealised potential through the implementation of Agile ways of working, 1st Class engineering practices and the best experience possible with Nimble as their trusted Delivery Partner.
Are there any challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Immigrating was to this day one of the most exciting and challenging things I have ever done. Not just around the uprooting of my life and leaving my home, but finding my place again in a new country, understanding local culture and the punch lines to common jokes that were not so common to me was tough and took quite a bit of time.
With the type of work I do as a Delivery Lead I am often in many conversations and it’s a very people facing job. Not quite ‘fitting’ in when it came to UK mannerisms, culture and references made this challenging for a while. But in some ways being from a different part of the world, providing a different point of view and work practices proved useful in many cases.
What do you enjoy most about working at Nimble?
At Nimble you are truly valued and have great opportunities. I believe that the opportunity to grow and learn is always up to an individual, but Nimble does really help you get there. Thanks to the freedom you get at Nimble to try new things, explore new areas and get involved, you can contribute, learn, and grow a lot.
What does a typical day look like for you?
In my Client Agile Delivery role:
- Providing support to my clients in the shape of Agile coaching, workshops and sessions
- Delivering specific project results and outcomes that help drive business success and value for our clients
- Helping improve clients general Agile way of working and best practices in a well embedded way to provide them with the skills needed to continue operation smoothly longer after I have left
- Manage multiple client engagements, covering stakeholder relationships, commercials, team structures and placements and ultimately the successful involvement of Nimble members within clients worlds.
What do you love about working in Tech?
With the great and wide variety of industry exposure I get working in tech and specifically in consulting, I have managed to work in the Financial, Retail, Hospitality, Insurance and Logistics industries.
You get to learn and see a lot of interesting things. Tech in my opinion is one of, if not the only, major industry that has an impact on every other one. Companies can not operate without it and if they don’t keep up with it they will fail, like finance. Due to this, I get to follow the latest innovations, such as AI, Big Data and Cloud Solutions. In 5 years time, it will be something else, and I will be there for that journey.
What achievements are you most proud of?
This role as a Managing Consultant is something I have been aiming for since I knew about this type of role back in my previous role and when I first started consulting.
My Master’s Degree was one of the toughest challenges I have ever faced but was great and I learnt a whole bunch that is very relevant to the job I now have.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
- Rugby (Watching, sadly haven’t played in years)
- Training/Gym
- Video games (when I can)
- Travelling specifically to hot places
Any top tips for people starting out in a role like yours?
Be curious, a questioning mind is a learning mind.
In a role like mine, it is beneficial to know how a lot of different processes and mechanics take place. You only get this understanding and exposure from asking questions and trying to know why things are the way they are, or work the way they do.
What was your dream job when you were at School?
This dream didn’t fall far from the tree, but I hoped for a job in the video gaming industry. So I managed to get the IT part of that correct, but I am still holding out hope for a client in the video game space.
What’s your favourite piece of technology?
I want to say something related to work because that seems like the ‘right’ answer. In that case, whilst not a technology per se, I have to say the discovery and invention of Agile. This sparked a curiosity and drive in me to question the best ways to work in my early career and still does to this day, so I owe it to Agile for what I am and do today.
However, on a personal side of things I have to call out my Xbox. As a hardcore member of the ‘PC for life’ club, getting an Xbox completely changed that for me and I can now casually enjoy the pastime of gaming in a relaxed way when I get an opportunity to.
Where do you think the tech industry can improve?
Because Tech is a very strong driving force in the direction humanity goes in, I think Tech could improve by focusing on how certain tools and innovations are created and utilised.
Tech needs to take on more responsibility in producing useful innovations and tools for society for the greater good, rather than purely focused on financial turnaround. There are already many large companies taking this view, but there is still a long way to go.
