I started my career as a programmer. Because I was good at finding and fixing problems in the code, my company promoted me to a management role (I know, the logic is a little whacky). So I learned how to fill the role of manager. After holding various management positions, I became an internal consultant at a Fortune 100 Company.

In 1997, I left the world of employment to start my own business, esther derby associates, inc..

I work with companies who want to do better at delivering valuable software to their customers. I work with small niche firms, mid-size companies and Fortune 500 companies. I’ve worked in financial services, insurance, health care and manufacturing, as well as in product and software-as-a-service companies.

I’ve written over 100 articles, and co-authored two books–Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great and Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management. I write about management, leadership, collaboration, teams, organizations and change (or another topic I’m currently exploring).

If you’d like to get a taste of how I approach things, many of my articles are posted oat www.estherderby.com, including several about retrospectives (look in the tag cloud for retrospectives).

I teach workshops and talk to groups all over the world. I’ve taught in the US, Canada, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, England, China, India, and New Zealand. If your country is missing from this list, we can fix that.

Along the way, I helped found the AYE Conference, and I’m now serving my second term as a member of the Board of Directors for the Agile Alliance.

I’ve learned a lot about how organizations work through observation and action research. But I’ve got academic credentials, too. I hold an MA in Organizational Leadership and a certificate in Human System Dynamics.

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“I believe that most people want to do a good job. And when faced with tough situations at work, most people choose the best alternative they know. Sometimes people don’t (yet) have effective options. I see my job as helping individuals, teams, and organizations expand their available alternatives and make choices that result in productive work environments.”

Reach me at +01 612 724-8114, or by email at derby at estherderby dot com.

*** On the personal side:

At the family holiday gathering in 2009, my sister-in-law informed me I should knit a hat for everyone in the family for the next holiday. I suspect she did not intend for me to take her seriously, but I did. I knit 30 hats last year, mostly between October and December. Lots of fun, especially after I escaped 5-double points hell. My current hat project is limited to new arrivals; most lately Hannah and Lia. And, I’ve taken up color work, which I do badly, but I will be a master by the time I finish the hugh shawl I am working on.

I had another great summer cooking out of the garden. I’ve chronicled some of my garden-to-table adventures here: https://esthersgarden.wordpress.com/.

And I’ve been having fun with my camera and photo editing software.