Michal Epstein

AgileXecutive

Michal Epstein is a Level 3 Ambassador of Agile Academy and a globally recognized Professional Scrum Trainer and Agile Coach with over 15 years of experience helping organizations across technology, social institutions, research, and pharma transform how they work. As the founder of AgileXecutive, she brings both top-down and bottom-up change, integrating frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, and Lean with attention to the invisible forces – identity, trust, resistance – that often make or break transformation.

Michal’s strength is in tuning agile methods to fit each organization’s context rather than enforcing rigid patterns. Her presentations are frequent at international conferences such as Agile Prague, ScanAgile, and Scrum Day Europe, where she shares case studies like enabling biotech companies to increase agility by adapting Scrum for scientific environments. Her teaching is deeply human, insightful yet practical—inviting leaders and teams to step into a culture of trust, continuous learning, and high performance.

Agile Academy Ambassador Level 3

since 2017

active as a trainer

101 - 200

Trainings performed

1501 - 5000

Participants trained

Experience

Michal Epstein is the founder of AgileXecutive, through which she has coached and trained hundreds of leaders, managers, and teams worldwide. Her background spans managerial and professional roles in both software development and large-scale production systems, with responsibilities over QA, cross-organizational Agile culture, and enterprise-level transformation. She holds a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science.

Her consulting and teaching portfolio includes helping Biotech firms adapt Scrum to environments with long R&D cycles, coaching organizations in pharma and scientific domains, and enforcing culture change in complex organizations. She approaches transformation with a systems psychodynamics lens—helping clients surface and address invisible forces (resistance, identity, trust, authority) that influence organizational behavior beyond processes.

As a Professional Scrum Trainer (PST) with Scrum.org since 2017, she delivers training in Professional Scrum Master, Scrum with Kanban, Advanced Product Backlog Management, Facilitation, and other Scrum.org courses. She also provides private coaching, mentoring, keynote speaking, and consulting engagements. Her courses are known for being interactive, visually rich, context-sensitive, and practical.

Languages

English

Industry

Aerospace & Defense
Consumer Products
Financial Services
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Machinery & Equipment
Media & Entertainment
Social & Public Sector
Technology
Telecommunications

Certifications

Agile Academy Ambassador

Certified by Agile Academy Ambassadors are handpicked experts who embody our commitment to advancing Agile education and practice. As trusted professionals, they contribute to the Agile Academy community in various ways, including:

Delivering certified training and e-learning courses to build practical Agile skills.
Providing transformation coaching for teams and organizations.
Sharing insights through articles, case studies, and thought leadership.

If you Want to work with this Ambassador or become an Agile Academy Ambassador yourself? Contact us at team@scrum-academy.com.

Work with Michal Epstein

Michal is open to provide training, coaching and consulting services. Contact us to learn more.

Links, Articles & Case Studies

Increasing the Agility of Biotech Companies by Tuning their Scrum

This case study explores how a biochemical startup developing next-generation fast-charging batteries transformed its R&D processes by adopting and tailoring Scrum. Initially challenged by long development cycles and the complexity of scientific work, the company embraced cross-functional, self-managed teams and high-transparency practices. Through iterative progress and engaging Sprint Reviews, leadership and scientists aligned on rapid experimentation, smarter decision-making, and stronger team commitment. The result: a groundbreaking fast-charging battery developed within three years, with the company now preparing for commercial release. The case highlights the unique challenges of applying Agile in biotech and the crucial role of leadership support and cultural change.

Michal Epstein: Agile Transformations In The Biotech Industry

Michal talks about how Agile isn't just for software. She discusses applying Agile principles in non‑tech environments like biotech, construction; emphasises stakeholder collaboration, value‑driven approaches

Case Study: The Power of Graphic Facilitation in Training

This case study highlights how graphic facilitation transformed a Professional Scrum Master (PSM) training into an engaging and insightful learning experience. By combining Agile coaching with real-time visuals, participants explored team dynamics, roles, and challenges in a more interactive way. From choosing symbolic animals as presenters to visualizing key concepts like technical debt and the importance of Sprint Goals, the facilitation emphasized learning paths, captured participant mindsets, and brought humor into the classroom. Beyond deeper insights, the approach created curiosity, fun, and a lasting impact—so much so that participants even requested sketch training as a follow-up.

Case Study: The Managerial Dilemma

This case study explores the gap between the ideal qualities of a leader—engaging, motivating, and guiding teams—and the reality of promotions based on technical expertise rather than leadership skills. It highlights how managers often fall into directing rather than inspiring, leading to disengagement and task-driven cultures. True leadership, however, lies in vision, humility, trust, and the courage to empower professionals to thrive, while experts act as mentors without authority. Together, they can create motivated, goal-driven teams that achieve lasting success.