Agile Big Picture was started in 2016 by our founder, Michael Casey. With SAFe Fellows, SAFe SPCTs, and SPC certified professionals, Agile Big Picture provides high quality SAFe training and assists organizations in making the shift to implementing Lean, Agile and DevOps at Scale using the Scaled Agile Framework®.
Our team has a depth of experience across all levels of the organization - from coaching teams and individuals to advising and supporting the most senior executives. Prior to SAFe we were guiding large complex organizations in Scrum, Kanban and foundational agile practices. With the evolution of agility at scale, we have been leveraging SAFe and the wisdom of Dean Leffingwell and the team at SAI since 2012.
Our founder/CEO and our CTO are both dually SAFe SPCTs and SAFe Fellows. With a current total of 35 SAFe® Fellows worldwide (as of Q1 2022) this makes them two of the rarest and most knowledgeable practitioners in the SAFe community.
Meet Our Team
Michael Casey
Chief Executive Officer
SAFe Fellow & SPCT
Michael leverages 35 years experience in software and systems development. He has held developer, architect and executive roles. Michael actively works in promoting, delivering training in and implementing the Scaled Agile framework.
In 2016, Michael founded the training and consulting organization, Agile Big Picture, with a distinct focus on the Scaled Agile Framework. Michael is a SAFe Fellow, SPCT and active participant in the SAFe community. He is currently part of a team building the "Leadership in the Digital Age" program with/for Scaled Agile Inc.
As a SAFe Fellow, Michael is passionate about supporting organizations to adopt agility at scale in a sustainable way; one that allows agile to become a part of the organizational culture. With his, "Meet people where they are" approach, Michael has the innate ability to understand the needs of people across all levels of the organization, ensuring that the right supports are in place to allow people to rise to the challenges presented by a large scale implementation.
Richard Knaster
Chief Scientist - Value Stream Management
SAFe Fellow & SPCT
Richard Knaster actively works on advancing SAFe’s Lean-Agile methods as a SAFe Fellow and SPCT. He is passionate about helping organizations create a better environment to deliver value, improve quality and flow, and be more engaging and fun. Richard is the co-author of two books on SAFe: SAFe Distilled and the SAFe Reference Guide, a plethora of white papers, and an e-book on VSM in the Digital Age.
Richard has 30+ years of experience in software and systems development in roles ranging from developer to executive, and has been leading large-scale Agile transformations for well over a decade. Roles prior to joining ABP have ranged from development to executive.
Richard is a certified IBM Thought Leader and Open Group Distinguished IT Specialist. He is also a certified SPCT, PSM, PMI Agile Certified Practitioner, PMP, and a contributor to the PMI Portfolio/Program Management standards.
Alex Rhors
VP of Product Management
SPC
Alex is a problem solver and recognized leader with a deep passion for Agile and SAFe and helping individuals, teams and organizations achieve better results by identifying the right market problems to solve and implementing smarter, more efficient ways, of working to get product to market faster. He has a background in Program and Product Management and spent over 15 years in the educational technology field helping to deliver curriculum-based solutions to both the k-12 and higher Ed markets.
He is expert in managing cross-functional teams from conception through product launch, including implementation and management of processes designed to identify value, streamline efficiency, improve quality and bring products to market quickly and efficiently. Alex has led Agile transformations at multiple organizations and successfully implemented SAFe at Scholastic, leading 3 Agile Release Trains through 14 PI’s resulting in the release of industry leading Reading and Math intervention programs for the K-12 market.
Kate Casey
VP of Operations
SPC
Kate is passionate about ensuring that Agile Big Picture is highly responsive to our client needs - delivering on value - enabling those that we serve to thrive as they scale agile. A servant leader at heart, when Kate asks, "How can I help?", please know that you have both an advocate and an ally on the line. Her intrinsic motivation is seeing both the individuals and the organizations that we serve become knowledgable, passionate members of the SAFe Community. Connection is everything.
With a passion for customer experience, Kate strives to ensure that ABP's clients are provided an exceptional experience, without exception. Whether growing client relationships, connecting with course attendees during trainings, or collaborating with colleagues across the SAFe Community, Kate brings empathy for each individual's journey - and an undeniable passion for the Scaled Agile Framework and the SAFe Community as a whole.
Brian Helmey
Senior Consultant
SPC
Brian is a SAFe® 5 Program Consultant (SPC) with over 30 years of experience serving clients across public sector, transportation, education and non-profit organizations. These experiences have provided him opportunities to serve as program manager of many, large delivery teams to provide solutions to address important, complex problems.
Brian’s passion for leading complex transformations and systems integration initiatives attracted him to the SAFe® method. As a program management consultant, Brian helps organizations tackle the inevitable challenges in successfully delivering large-scale initiatives and enjoys teaching and helping others apply lean-agile methods to achieve their strategic objectives.