Chris Matts

Chris Matts is programme manager with a strong background in business analysis and development. He uses real options and agile project management techniques (Lean, Theory of Constraints, Business Value) to optimise the delivery of business value whilst effectively managing project risks. Chris has coached business and project teams in Agile Management, Analysis and Investment Banking for many years. He is a noted expert and speaker on Real Options, Agile Analysis and Business Value. He has a Masters degree in Mathematical Trading and Finance and a Masters Degree in Microelectronics and Software Engineering.

Currently, Chris is a business analyst consultant at Royal Bank of Scotland. Over the past 14 years, Chris has worked on derivative risk and trading systems at JP Morgan Chase, BNP Paribas, British Petroleum, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Chase Manhatten (Pre Merger) and Robert Fleming.

Chris is also dedicated to increasing literacy and math competency for people worldwide and has spent the last five years studying adult learning. His passion for learning has led him to sponsor a school for children living with AIDS in South Africa. Contact Chris at chris.matts@gmail.com .

Presentation: "Realistic about Risk: Software development with Real Options"

Track: XpDay Sampler

Time: Thursday 16:00 - 17:00

Location: Guild Room

Abstract:

This session introduces Real Options and shows how it can help in running your project. Real Options is a decision-making process based on Financial Option Theory and Applied Psychology that can be used to manage risk. Applying Real Options to software development explains why many of the Agile practices are so successful.

This session is about changing people's mindset and behaviour. Whilst looking for a tool to price real options, we found a rational decision-making process based on maths and logic, rather than emotion and intuition. One key to managing risk is understanding the psychological effects of uncertainty, and we can alleviate these by using Real Options to structure our decisions.

This session will help people discover options where they haven't seen them before, making decisions will never be the same again.

Presentation: "Transparency: great leap forward or exposed artery"

Track: XpDay Sampler

Time: Thursday 17:15 - 18:15

Location: Guild Room

Abstract:

Agile propagandists make great claims about the advantages of being transparent about the state of their projects

They fill their walls with index cards and charts that expose their progress to anyone who might be wandering through the room. They have regular, intense feedback sessions where they make it clear to the stakeholders just how many things they need to fix. They claim that this how maturerelationships work and that "Honesty is the best policy".

But is this true? Many of us work in dysfunctional organisations where honesty is the best way to get cheated. Surely Transparency is just not pragmatic?