Greetings!
About me
Cristal Richardson
I’m your Performance Partner at Leanstance, based in the Nordmøre region. Over 25 years in telecommunications and finance have taken me from development and systems work to coaching teams and leaders through complex delivery, with teams across the US, Australia, India, Europe and the Nordics.
Highlights include assisting Capgemini with Volvo contract negotiations, coaching within a major core banking program at Nordea as an An agile coach helps individuals, teams, and organizations embrace a culture shift based on proven human-centric agile principles, practices, and values.Learn more, supporting Yara’s agile transformation within a small area of the organisation, and working as a A Scrum master is the facilitator of scrum, a lightweight agile framework focusing on time-boxed iterations called sprints. Scrum masters act as coaches to the rest of the team, or servant leaders, as the Scrum Guide puts it.Learn more at Hi3G (Tre).
Teams often run on “autopilot”. Lean is a set of management practices that delivers value to customers quickly by cutting delays and waste, improving quality and lowering cost. It rests on two pillars: respect for people and continuous improvement.Learn more and Agile is a flexible, iterative approach to project management that values people, customer feedback and working solutions over rigid processes. Teams tailor practices to their needs, blending frameworks like Scrum and Kanban, and regularly review what works to keep improving.Learn more principles, Systems thinking is a way of understanding how the connected parts of a business and its environment interact to produce outcomes. Instead of treating problems in isolation, it looks at the relationships and structures that link the organization into a whole.Learn more and a direct, value-based approach help uncover the real obstacles, leaving room for better collaboration, faster learning and solutions that are genuinely deliverable.
Hobbies
Experiences
Molde University College in Kristiansund (Molde Høgskolen i Kristiansund) is a Norwegian specialised university, founded in 1994, with a particular focus on logistics; this placement was at its Kristiansund campus.- Updated the PowerPoint for the Lean Production course.
- Facilitated Lean in practice using LEGO.
- Gave a lecture on my experiences as an Agile Coach.
- Took part in supervising students.
- Was part of the work environment.
LeanLean productionLEGO- Bjørnådal ArkitektstudioAgile Coach2023Kristiansund, NorwayBjørnådal Arkitektstudio is an architecture studio founded in 2007, known for a pragmatic yet poetic approach to architecture.
- Facilitated work on the company's ways of working and business goals.
- Worked to build a feedback-driven organization by exploring how to give and receive feedback, while introducing systems for input and feedback.
AgileFeedback culture - Tørristua AS (Leanstance)Performance Partner2021-CurrentlyNorwayLeanstance (Tørristua AS) is a Norwegian consultancy that helps organizations adopt Lean and Agile ways of working.
- Introduce Lean/Agile methods in organizations.
- Encourage changes in mindset and culture.
- Help organizations experiment with changes in teams, structures, leadership styles and ways of working.
LeanAgile 
Capgemini / VolvoConsultant: Senior Agile Coach2021-2022Online from Averøy, NorwayCapgemini is a global leader in consulting, technology and engineering services; this assignment was for the Volvo Group, a Swedish manufacturer of trucks, buses and construction equipment.- Brought together Agile Coaches and Release Train Engineers (RTEs) from several suppliers by establishing a community of practice (CoP).
- Helped start a new project by providing guidance and organizing planning meetings.
- Developed and facilitated a training session to bring all suppliers on board with Agile ways of working.
- Assisted in contract negotiations to move away from project-based deliveries.
- Worked with management to build an understanding of “What is Agile?”.
AgileCommunity of practiceRelease Train Engineer- Capgemini / YaraConsultant: Senior Agile Coach2021-2022Online from Averøy, NorwayCapgemini is a global leader in consulting, technology and engineering services; this assignment was for Yara, whose mission is to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet.
- Used Lean/Agile concepts to encourage a department to start a change process to adapt its IT systems and routines.
- Motivated closing the gap between supplier and customer through a shared roadmap and more collaboration.
- Worked with the parts of the organization that wanted to explore more Agile/Lean ways of working.
LeanAgile - JobbsjansenJobbsjansen participant2019-2021Kristiansund, NorwayJobbsjansen is a Norwegian programme, funded by IMDi (the Norwegian Directorate of Integration and Diversity), that supports newcomers into work.
- Kristiansund voksenopplæring: Attended Norwegian language class while practicing speaking the language with Norwegians.
- Molde University College in Kristiansund (Molde Høgskolen i Kristiansund): Facilitated interactive teaching sessions in which students experienced Lean principles through hands-on exploration and dialogue.
LeanNorskKurs 
Agile Coach2015-2019Stockholm · Copenhagen · Helsinki · Oslo · GdańskSweden · Denmark · Finland · Norway · PolandNordea is a leading Nordic bank; its Core Banking Programme, a multi-year replacement of its core banking systems across the Nordics, was among the largest projects in European banking.- Coached several Scrum, Kanban and non-Agile teams in the Core Banking Program (CBP), Europe's largest change project.
- Facilitated training on ways of working, mindset and values.
- Promoted change by influencing the leadership group and leading by example.
- Helped management explore their own values and the bank's values to make change possible.
- Contributed at leadership level through training and improved communication.
ScrumKanbanAgile coachingCore Banking Program
Tre (Hi3G Access), one of Sweden's largest mobile network operators.- Helped the team change from Kanban to Scrum.
- Facilitated Agile artifacts for the team, including backlog grooming, sprint planning and visualization of work.
- Encouraged pair programming and additional “outside the box” ways of working.
- Helped with team motivation by empowering people to make their own decisions, and took on some of the less “fun” tasks myself so the team could concentrate on new, enjoyable development.
AgileScrumKanbanPair programming- Tre (Hi3G Access), one of Sweden's largest mobile network operators.
- Introduced new ways of working and supported the billing department in improving by using Agile/Lean techniques and processes.
- Began implementing an Agile process, on directives from the business, to speed up time to market (TTM).
- Led by example during the transition from a Waterfall to an Agile business practice model.
- Helped newly formed Cross Functional Teams (CFTs) work as self-contained, cohesive units.
- Helped implement Kanban for the Billing development group.
- Initiated a daily stand-up to address issues outside the Agile functional groups.
- Created a tool used for continuous integration.
- Kept to release plans while managing business expectations of new requirements.
- Used a wiki to document changing processes and encouraged its use to quickly document requirements and release artifacts.
AgileLeanKanbanContinuous integrationWiki - Tre (Hi3G Access), one of Sweden's largest mobile network operators.
- Helped initiate the Billing stability project, including framework evaluation and code clean-up.
- Provided accountability to external groups for Billing deliverables.
- Created a streamlined release process to gain control of what was released to production, including introducing a code review and automated unit test process.
- Coordinated development and release drops between external development groups and Billing.
- Initiated changes to the trunk and branch environments to provide stability to the testing streams.
- Implemented a Singl.eView Convergent Billing (CB) forum to educate, inform and brainstorm on Billing-related items with the Billing Cross Functional Team (CFT) and other external CFTs.
Singl.eView CBCode reviewRelease management - Tre (Hi3G Access) is one of Sweden's largest mobile network operators, offering mobile telephony and broadband to private and business customers.
- Assisted with the upgrade of Singl.eView Convergent Billing (CB) from v5.01 to v6.01.
- Provided solution designs to the offshore team based on functional requirements.
- Implemented process improvements within the development team to improve code quality.
Singl.eView CB 
Vodafone ItalyMentor / Senior ConsultantOct 2009-Jun 2010Skopje, North MacedoniaVodafone Italy (Vodafone Italia) was the Italian mobile operator of the Vodafone Group, headquartered in Milan; it began life as Omnitel in 1994 and was acquired by Swisscom in 2024.- Provided direction on best practices throughout the development life cycle to an inexperienced development team.
- Provided solution designs, including documentation, to support the team during development.
- Helped plan deliverables by providing estimates and feasibility assessments for requested application changes.
- Acted as liaison between the business in Milan, Italy and the development team in Skopje, turning abstract business requests into tangible application concepts and Functional Requirements Specification (FRS) documents.
- Trained junior staff in development best practices for Singl.eView Convergent Billing (CB), the development life cycle and troubleshooting code during trouble-ticket assignments.
Singl.eView CBSolution designFRS documents
Optus, a subsidiary of Singtel, is the second-largest telecommunications company in Australia.- Worked as Business Analyst for the Brisbane team, producing System Requirements Specification (SRS) documents from Business Requirements Specification (BRS) documents after establishing the capabilities of Singl.eView Convergent Billing (CB) and of the upstream and downstream Optus systems.
- Used CB to provide proofs of concept (solution designs) for proposed functional changes.
- Created Functional Design Documents so junior developers could work more efficiently.
- Gave Technical Team Lead assistance to the Brisbane and Bangalore teams on a project basis.
- Provided consulting services, including detailed time and cost estimates for projects.
- Liaised between the Optus business and Intec technical staff to manage expectations throughout the project life cycle.
Singl.eView CBSRS / BRSFunctional design- Hutchison 3G AustraliaConsultant: Solution DesignerMay 2008-Nov 2008Sydney, AustraliaHutchison 3G Australia launched Australia's first 3G mobile network and services in 2003 under the 3 brand.
- Analysed infrastructure with the team and advised on how multiple business systems could be integrated, including Singl.eView Convergent Billing (CB), PeopleSoft, Tallyman, the print vendor and mediation.
- Provided end-to-end solutions for key Hutch projects, including the provisioning and billing of handset insurance and flexible rate plan discounting.
- Helped Billing Operations with solutions around existing workarounds, including root-cause analysis of symptoms and advice on the estimated cost and timeframe of automated billing options.
- Provided high-level analysis of pipeline projects: the systems impacted, the estimated cost of implementation per system and the estimated time to completion.
Singl.eView CBPeopleSoftTallymanMediation 
Tele2's mission is to provide affordable and easy connectivity for everyone, anytime.- Developed within the Singl.eView Convergent Billing (CB) framework in the Applications Enhancements department, covering analysis, design and architecture, solution proposals, implementation and unit testing of Expression Parser Module (EPM) code.
- Worked with the team to develop an integrated messaging system using a Java Message Service (JMS) to communicate between multiple applications.
- Documented development processes on a wiki to promote efficient use of time and share information across functional areas.
Singl.eView CBEPMJMSPerlWiki
Intec BillingConsultant: Senior CB Configuration Specialist / AdviserMay 2006-Sep 2006Bangalore, IndiaIntec, the UK billing software provider behind Singl.eView Convergent Billing (CB). Singl.eView has changed hands several times, from ADC to Intec, then to CSG, and most recently to NEC.- Mentored the Bangalore team to implement a CB phase for MTN Nigeria.
- Guided and advised the new outsourced team, including project managers and programmers, on the skills and methods needed to execute the project plan.
- Acted as liaison between Western management and the Bangalore staff, improving offshore operations across cultural and time-zone differences.
- Made the Bangalore office independent on the CB project by focusing on its process, and wrote procedures to make sure the team understood and followed them.
Singl.eView CB- Intec BillingConsultant: Senior Configuration SpecialistOct 2005-Apr 2006Brisbane, AustraliaIntec was a UK provider of billing and business-support software to telecom operators, best known for its Singl.eView Convergent Billing (CB) platform.
- Designed and configured CB for Carphone Warehouse.
- Connected Cordiant to CB by designing API solutions from the requirements and creating the XML schemas (XSD) for the Tibco adaptor.
- Led the Reporting and Interface team, mentoring 12 offshore team members through unit testing of the Perl-based reports and interfaces run from CB.
- Reviewed documents, configuration and unit test plans to ensure accuracy and completeness.
Singl.eView CBXML / XSDTibcoPerl 
Electronic Data Systems (EDS)Consultant: Senior Programmer AnalystMar 2005-Sep 2005Plano, Texas, United StatesElectronic Data Systems (EDS) was an American IT services company based in Plano, Texas, acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2008.- Led the technical delivery of a six-month Singl.eView Convergent Billing (CB) implementation for a large US bank, from requirements through design, configuration and testing.
- Automated payments with a real-time interface between CB and multiple financial institutions that adjusted amounts for declines.
- Delivered a new usage framework and a financial reporting system for a large financial account.
- Verified each project through change control, test plans and string testing.
- Helped plan the product roadmap with Product Management, and presented architecture and direction to internal teams, customers and prospects.
Singl.eView CBTest planningChange control
Allegiance Telecom / XO CommunicationsProgrammer AnalystApr 2002-Feb 2005Plano, Texas, United StatesAllegiance Telecom, a business telecom carrier acquired by XO Communications in 2004.- Cut configuration time for phone-usage companion products from over two weeks to under one day by creating a flexible framework.
- Coordinated the automation of cancelling and selling multiple products on a consolidated framework.
- Created and tested voice and data products from Marketing’s requirements, including usage tariffs that turn switch data into billable CDR charges in line with the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and business rules.
- Built a SQL Server report framework that helped management meet customers’ service level agreements.
Singl.eView CBPerlSQL Server- Allegiance Telecom / XO CommunicationsSystems Integration AnalystMar 2001-Mar 2002Plano, Texas, United StatesAllegiance Telecom, a business telecom carrier acquired by XO Communications in 2004.
- Built a real-time credit-card payment interface between Singl.eView Convergent Billing (CB), VisaNet and multiple financial institutions that automated payments and handled declines, cutting manual work by about 75%.
- Created a call-detail-record (CDR) import using the vendor’s Data Interface Language, and defined the data flow for CDRs arriving from multiple vendors.
- Implemented a usage error framework that reduced another department’s research and correction time.
Singl.eView CBVisaNetCDRDIL - Allegiance Telecom / XO CommunicationsSenior Financial Systems AnalystApr 2000-Feb 2001Plano, Texas, United StatesAllegiance Telecom was a US competitive local exchange carrier providing telecom services to businesses; in 2004 its network and customers were acquired by XO Communications, a national provider of local telecommunications and broadband services focused on business customers.
- Automated general-ledger posting of billing transactions with an interface between Singl.eView Convergent Billing (CB), JD Edwards and Oracle Financials, plus reconciliation reports for Accounting.
- Automated accounts receivable for about 100,000 monthly-billed customers (previously tracked in Excel), reducing the team from three people to one.
- Built a VBA application with an MS Access front end that pulled consolidated reports by customer size, market and revenue, helping Marketing offer more profitable rate plans and Finance spend less time gathering data.
Singl.eView CBJD EdwardsOracle FinancialsVBAMS Access 
LCRA is the Texas public utility serving the state through water stewardship, energy and community services.- Restructured pricing for four city utilities and one electric cooperative, recommending electronic meters that charge for peak and off-peak hours so fees tracked usage.
- Recommended tailored rate plans for residential, commercial and high-peak customers, from car dealerships to churches and factories.
- Presented findings to city councils and helped implement the new rates, giving cities a revenue source beyond police ticket fines.
MS ExcelMS AccessMS WordMS PowerPoint- LCRA is the Texas public utility serving the state through water stewardship, energy and community services.
- Managed investment accounting for a $900M+ portfolio, in line with GASB 31.
- Built an MS Access system that automated bank-data import and payment reconciliation, cutting reconciliation time by two-thirds.
- Helped prepare and present the income statement and balance sheet to the Texas Legislature every quarter, helping LCRA comply with its governmental reporting requirements.
MS ExcelMS AccessMS WordMS PowerPoint
Education & Certifications
Education
- M.B.A., MISThe University of Texas at Dallas2003
- B.B.A., ManagementThe University of Texas at San Antonio1998
- B.B.A., AccountingThe University of Texas at San Antonio1998
Certifications
- Deep Time Walk FacilitatorDeep Time Walk C.I.C2026
- Facilitator of TransformationCorp Evolution2018
- The Responsibility ProcessThe Responsibility Company2018
- Certified Scrum Professional®Scrum Alliance®2018
- SAFe Program Consultant (SPC4)SAFe2017
- Certified Wallbreakers FacilitatorWorkz2017
- Certified LeSS PractitionerThe LeSS Company B.V.2016
- Certified Business FacilitatorFacilitators International2016
- Certified ScrumMaster®Scrum Alliance®2014
Thank you for contacting me, I'll reply to you very soon.
Sorry, there is an instability, try again later, or contact me via email or social media.
Contact