Arlen Bankston is an established leader in the application and evolution of Agile software development processes such as Scrum, Kanban, and Extreme Programming, as well as process management methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma. He is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Certified ScrumMaster Trainer, and Certified Scrum Product Owner.

Mr. Bankston has 16 years of experience, beginning in product design, where he leveraged principles of information architecture, interaction design, and usability to develop innovative products that met customers’ expressed and unspoken needs.  

He has led Agile and Lean deployment and managed process improvement projects at clients such as Marriott, Capital One, Neustar, CCP Games, T. Rowe Price, Freddie Mac, and the Armed Forces Benefits Association. Mr. Bankston led novel work to combine Lean Six Sigma process improvement methods with Agile execution to dramatically improve both the speed and quality of business results, as well as early integration of interaction design and usability practices into Agile methodologies, presenting and training frequently at both industry conferences and to Fortune 100 clients.

His recent book, HR and the Agile Organization, describes where human resources fits in an Agile world. Agile methods are all about people; how to help them collaborate, stay more engaged and focused, work smarter and happier, and adapt with ease. In HR and the Agile Organization, Mr. Bankston explores how HR and people operations teams can harness Agile methods themselves while supporting agility throughout the organization, from hiring the right people to shaping the culture through learning and development.