2024 Board of Directors Election: Meet the New Member

As a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization, Scrum Alliance has supported the agile movement as the only member-driven nonprofit certifying body in the agile space. As a trade association, we were founded and funded by the community for the community, a privilege we take seriously. Our organization is governed by a Board of Directors, who is tasked with guiding the organization towards a sustainable future by advising on strategy, ensuring legal and financial best practices, and advancing the mission of the organization.

Who Makes up the Board of Directors?

The Scrum Alliance Board of Directors has a minimum of nine members. Of these, at least five are recommended by a subcommittee on the board, voted on by the full board and known as Board Elected Directors. Three are elected by members of Scrum Alliance like you and referred to as Scrum Certified Members or SCM. One member is the current Chief Executive Officer of the organization.

In building the composition of the Board of Directors, it’s important to have members with a variety of backgrounds and skill sets, including legal, financial, business, leadership, and communication. When new members join the board, their skills and attributes are evaluated on a board skills matrix, which can include categories such as demographic information, previous experience serving on a board, industry, areas of expertise, governance competencies, and more. This gives more insight into how the new board member can contribute to the board. It’s important for the board to have a diverse array of experiences, skills, and backgrounds in order to bring multiple worldviews to the table when discussing strategic objectives.

How the Board of Directors Contributes to the Mission

The Board of Directors develops and sets the strategic direction of the organization, all while keeping the mission and vision as their North Star. They provide advice and feedback to the Executive team in order to approve the strategic plan and budget for the organization. As part of this, they are also there to help foster ethical and responsible decision-making by management and the Executive team. They are also responsible for approving any changes to the governance documents for the organization. 

The board also works with the Chief Operating Officer and accounting team to maintain audit and accounting practices to ensure that the organization is in good financial health. To do this, they make sure that the correct policies and procedures are in place for financial and non-financial risks and reporting.

Meet the New Member of the Board

We are excited to welcome a new member to the Board of Directors, Dhaval Panchal. Panchal is joining our board as a Scrum Certified Member Elected Director, bringing an impressive background in agile transformation and a long history with the Scrum Alliance community.

Dhaval Panchal

I am committed to bringing real-world agility to organizations where trust, collaboration, teamwork, and authenticity are the norm and not the exception. My motivation is deeply rooted in my belief that being agile enables our organizations to become places where we can grow professionally and personally.

My dedication shows in the consistency of my volunteer work over the last 18+ years of being an active member of Scrum Alliance. (Global Scrum Gathering organizer 2018 and 2019; Guide-level programs Certified Enterprise Coach, Certified Team Coach, Certified Agile Leader educator, TAC reviewer/contributor/advisor; User Group sponsor/contributor/mentor; Public Speaker; and Author)

From the start of my career as a Programmer in India to my current role as an Executive/Entrepreneur, I have always been a changemaker. I have led/coached large-scale Agile transformations in the Oil and gas, Banking, Medical, and Gaming businesses. I have frequently worked internationally and experienced the challenges of enabling transformative change first-hand. It is not easy, but it is rewarding.

As a leader, I catalyze change in systems to create empowering work environments where people can become the best version of themselves.

This is what others in the community have to say about me:

“Dhaval is fun to work with. He is never unfazed by challenges and can easily raise the bar in tough situations.”

“I still recall, ten years later, what a powerful impression Dhaval's coaching and instruction has had in my management journey.”

“Dhaval's patience, willingness to listen, and respect for different perspectives created a positive and enriching experience for all of us.”