Paul Hodgetts

Agile Logic

Presentation(s): Lean Is More - Using Lean Software Development to Guide Agile Transitions, Absolute Agile^SM - Applying the Synergy of Lean and Agile to Enterprise Transitions

Paul Hodgetts helps teams improve their software development processes using lean and agile approaches. As the founder and CEO of Agile Logic, he has served as a trainer, coach and mentor for agile development teams for more than seven years.

Paul has successfully worked with many clients, including Yahoo!, SAP, Kelley Blue Book, Microsoft, Xerox, Union Pacific and a host of others, across a wide range of sectors and industries. He has been an early proponent and innovator in applying lean and agile principles to the entire software development effort. His recent focus has been on enterprise adoption initiatives, applying agile processes to large multi-product, multi-team projects and projects in challenging distributed and legacy environments.

Paul is a recognized expert and authority in Lean Software Development and agile development principles, practices and leading agile processes, including Scrum and Extreme Programming. He is a Certified Scrum Trainer, and actively contributes to the evolution of the Scrum process. Paul is a published author and a frequent and popular presenter at conferences, professional organizations and user groups.

Justin Yaros

Kelley Blue Book

Presentation(s): Absolute Agile^SM - Applying the Synergy of Lean and Agile to Enterprise Transitions

Justin Yaros is chief information officer (CIO) for Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com). His chief responsibilities include overseeing the growth and expansion of the company's core vehicle information systems database, assisting in building new Internet-powered marketing and data distribution systems, and cutting edge dealer software products.

Since joining Kelley Blue Book in January 2005, Yaros has been significantly growing the company's IT staff to support several new initiatives. Major initiatives include upgrading the company's vehicle information database, expanding its dealer product and service offerings and implementing new initiatives on the Web. Justin has been a key leader and change agent in Kelley Blue Book's lean and agile process transformation.

In addition to his position as CIO, Yaros also plays a crucial role on Kelley Blue Book's Executive Leadership Team, since technology has become central to Kelley Blue Book's overall growth and ability to house, manage and mine nearly 80 years of new- and used-vehicle data.

Prior to joining Kelley Blue Book, Yaros held positions as CIO of Twentieth Century Fox, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Pinnacle Systems. He holds degrees from both Penn State University and the University of Redlands, and currently resides with his family in Palos Verdes, Calif.

Kelley Blue Book has been the most trusted vehicle pricing, values and information resource by both consumers and the auto industry since 1926. Kelley Blue Book's Web site, kbb.com, was established in 1995 and has been named the No. 1 and most-visited automotive information site by J.D. Power and Associates and Nielsen//NetRatings for nine years running. No other medium reaches more in-market car buyers than kbb.com; one in every three American car buyers perform their research on kbb.com.