Zuzana Šochová, the new generation of female IT representative, was elected to the Board of Directors of Scrum Alliance

Signaling a shift in the world's perception of central European IT talent, the global Scrum Alliance has elected Zuzana Šochová as its newest member of the Board of Directors.

Scrum Alliance is a nonprofit association with more than 500,000 certified practitioners worldwide. The Board of Directors sets governance and policy for the organization.

Agile methods are widely used among top IT companies and are getting in focus beyond IT world. “Agile methods are key aspect of organizations success. Nowadays, no business model can be successful without efficient IT. The Agile approach helps us to stay competitive in the area of the automotive industry in Skoda Auto” said Ralf Brunken, CIO of Škoda Auto, and he continues „We are glad to collaborate with Zuzana Šochova, expert in Agile field, to build successful Agile management and leadership.”

Šochová credits the Agile movement for much of this progress.  "We've worked with so many organizations, large and small, and seen the transformation that is possible. Focusing on teamwork, clear goals, honest communication, and really getting to know your customers changes what you make, how you make it, and gives everyone a better result. Most importantly, it's an approach that recognizes the need to recognize and support each other's humanity, finding solutions together instead of looking for someone to blame. That's how being Agile can change everything."

Zuzana “Zuzi” Šochová is an independent agile coach and trainer and a Certified Scrum Trainer with more than fifteen years of experience in the IT industry. She started with agile and Scrum back in 2005, when she was implementing agile methods in the USA. From that time, she has been credited with agile transformation and implementation for many companies and teams around the world.

According to Sochova, "The evolution in the last decade has been remarkable. Today Czech ICT companies are highly respected and competitive. We are known for our professionalism, creativity, and deep technical experience."

"25 years ago, there was hardly any software industry here," said Fred Williams, founder of Williams Technical.  "Now Prague and Brno are both recognized as leaders in developing innovative products for a global market."  Mr. Williams sees a dramatic shift, "Until recently, Czech developers were known for their low wages.  Today, we can see that the quality of work here is as good as Silicon Valley, and oftentimes better."

The influential blog HackerRank has found that Czechs are considered to be among the ten best in the world, while the USA is in 28th place.

Zuzana Šochová represents this shift of perceptions. A graduate of CVUT, she has worked and taught in the USA, Europe, and Asia. She estimates she's trained over 5,000 software professionals in Scrum development methodologies. Known for her rainbow colored hair, ready wit, and deep experience, her election to the Board of the Scrum Alliance is a welcome opportunity to show the world that the Czechs have achieved yet another important mile stone in the transition from authoritarianism to a free and open society.

References:

https://www.scrumalliance.org/

https://www.scrumalliance.org/community/profile/zsochova

https://www.scrumalliance.org/about-us/press-room/press-releases/scrum-alliance%C2%AE-announces-zuzana-sochova-as-new-bo

https://blog.hackerrank.com/which-country-would-win-in-the-programming-olympics/

[Press release in PDF]