“Life Is an Adventure, and You Must Own Yours.”
Phillis Wallach is a dynamic and visionary Agile Coach, Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Business Analyst whose career spans over four decades of innovation, transformation, and service. From Wall Street boardrooms to international orphanages, Phillis has seamlessly blended technical acumen with heartfelt humanity, building high-performing teams and high-impact solutions. Her personal philosophy, “Life is an adventure, and you must own yours,” is evident in every initiative she leads—whether she’s guiding a global agile transformation, mentoring emerging leaders, or bringing joy and structure to underserved communities across the globe.
Her journey began with a degree in Education from the University of Miami, equipping her with the foundation for a lifetime of instructional excellence and leadership. Phillis quickly discovered that her passion for teaching extended beyond the classroom and into the ever-evolving landscape of technology and business systems. Her career pivot into financial services allowed her to blend logic, strategy, and human development—making her a unique force in a world that often divides the technical from the interpersonal.
Phillis’s influence is most deeply felt in the global financial services sector, where she has held key roles at top institutions including Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, and Bank of America/Merrill Lynch. At Citibank, she was entrusted with a major enterprise initiative tied to the Dodd-Frank Act—an intensely complex and high-stakes regulatory compliance challenge. Instead of merely checking boxes, Phillis envisioned a scalable web service platform that not only met compliance requirements but generated $10 million in its first year by being licensed to other banks. This transformative solution is just one example of how she turns problems into profitable innovations.
In every organization she serves, Phillis brings a deep understanding of Agile frameworks—including Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe—and the rare ability to teach these methodologies in ways that teams can truly embody. She holds elite certifications such as SAFe 5.0, IC-ACC (Agile Coaching), IC-ATF (Agile Team Facilitation), and TBR (Training from the Back of the Room), which support her signature approach: learning by doing, collaborating through play, and building systems people believe in. Her workshops are often described as “energizing,” “transformative,” and “fun,” reflecting her commitment to interactive learning and meaningful team growth.
Her talent for designing engaging, results-driven training programs has led her to develop immersive sessions on critical Agile topics such as Team Values, Working Agreements, Definition of Ready (DoR), and Definition of Done (DoD). Using games, exercises, and real-life scenarios, Phillis turns theoretical concepts into team rituals that endure. She has also created custom classes on Jira, User Stories, Story Splitting, and User Story Mapping—core tools that help teams deliver with clarity and speed.
But Phillis’s professional strength is matched by her compassion and commitment to service. As a volunteer with the WorldVentures Foundation, she led fundraising efforts for DreamCourts and traveled to Ecuador to lead an orphanage makeover project that combined infrastructure improvement with joyful human connection. Wherever she travels—and she has visited dozens of countries—she brings her heart along with her passport, often combining personal adventures with purposeful service. Her travel motto is simple yet powerful: see the world and leave it better than you found it.
Phillis currently serves as the founder of Agile Journeys, where she leverages her consulting expertise and love of adventure to guide individuals and teams through both corporate transformations and unforgettable travel experiences. As a USA Pickleball Ambassador, she also merges her professional and personal interests by organizing travel experiences that combine agile learning with active, inclusive recreation. Her recent journeys have taken her across the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and North Africa, expanding not only her worldview but also the lives of those she touches along the way.
Her influence spans far beyond technical systems and strategic roadmaps. Phillis is a culture carrier, a connector of people and ideas, and a tireless advocate for doing work that matters. She has cultivated a reputation as a servant leader who listens deeply, communicates authentically, and inspires transformation not by telling people what to do, but by showing them what’s possible. Her presence on any board would bring instant access to a wellspring of institutional knowledge, innovative spirit, and people-first leadership.
Phillis Wallach is now actively seeking board opportunities in nonprofit, education, tech, and financial sectors where she can share her extensive expertise, support visionary strategies, and help shape the future of responsible, purpose-driven organizations. With a unique blend of executive-level experience and grassroots initiative, she is especially equipped to advise on agile transformation, digital adoption, product development, operational excellence, and cultural renewal. Her life’s work has always been about building bridges—between people and systems, profit and purpose, work and play.
Character:
Phillis Wallach is grounded in service, with a long history of volunteering and purpose-driven travel that reflects her compassion and humility. She treats every team member with respect and believes in lifting others through mentorship, patience, and empathy. Her strong moral compass and “people-first” mindset make her an influential and trustworthy voice at any table.
Knowledge:
With 44 years of experience across global financial institutions and high-stakes transformation projects, Phillis possesses unparalleled expertise in Agile methodologies, regulatory systems, and product development. She continuously deepens her learning through certifications, hands-on experience, and teaching others. Her intellectual versatility allows her to translate complex concepts into accessible, actionable strategies.
Strategic:
Phillis has a rare ability to identify the intersection of business goals, user needs, and team capabilities to deliver sustainable impact. Her transformation work, including launching Citibank’s Dodd-Frank solution into a monetizable platform, exemplifies her strategic mindset. She sees beyond the immediate task and always plans with long-term value in mind.
Communication:
An inspiring storyteller and seasoned facilitator, Phillis connects deeply with people at all levels—technical teams, executives, and clients alike. Her workshops are engaging, memorable, and tailored to real-world problems. She understands that true communication isn’t just about speaking—it’s about creating understanding, trust, and alignment.
www.agilejourneys.net
