About
As an accomplished Agile Release Train Engineer and Scrum Master at Ally Financial, Mashia Tate brings over seven years of expertise in Agile methodologies and leadership. In her role, Mashia drives seamless collaboration and innovation across pivotal teams, including those in the Auto, Insurance, and Product Delivery sectors.
Mashia's career is distinguished by her remarkable contributions and leadership. She co-led the Career Development in Action Series, which was instrumental in shaping career growth strategies within the organization. Additionally, she was a co-creator of Ally's first Black Tech Week and Hispanic & Latino Tech Week, showcasing her commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.
In 2023, Mashia earned her MBA, further enhancing her strategic and leadership capabilities. Her achievements are complemented by her recognition with the prestigious LEADing the Way award in 2021, underscoring her impact and dedication.
With a comprehensive background in Agile management, Mashia expertly manages global software development teams and spans the entire Software Development Life Cycle and DevOps. She also leads workshops on topics such as Emotional Intelligence, Design Thinking, and Agile methodologies, reflecting her dedication to professional growth and knowledge-sharing.
Mashia Tate is not only a leader in Agile Management but also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, significantly contributing to Ally Financial's commitment to creating an innovative and inclusive workplace.
Projects
The Career Development in Action series was an innovative program designed to elevate employee career growth and align it with organizational objectives. The comprehensive initiative consisted of four key sessions aimed at crafting the five-year career plan, identifying strengths, developing a path for skill development, and taking strategic action once the plan was developed.
A distinctive feature of the series was the training provided to 9 leaders across the enterprise, who were equipped with the Socratic method of questioning. This training enabled leaders to act as career coaches, helping employees uncover their career truths. Each leader was tasked with coaching five employees through personalized one-on-ones, providing career advice, and ensuring the completion of their 5-year career plans.
Developed in collaboration with HR, the program emphasized the importance of employee ownership and stewardship of their careers. The initiative supported career growth by aligning individual development with organizational goals and drove overall organizational success. This session will explore the design, implementation, and impact of the Career Development in Action series, showcasing its effectiveness in fostering career development and enhancing internal mobility.
Side Projects
Speaking
Do you want to take the reins of your life and master the art of creating meaningful experiences? Join us for a transformative workshop that guides you through the design thinking process, empowering you to craft powerful affirmations that will shape your future. In this workshop, you will gain a profound understanding of design thinking, apply it in your everyday life, and connect your affirmations with actionable steps while building a supportive network of like-minded peers. Together, we'll explore why it matters, the essence of the design thinking process, and delve into its core principles: empathy, ideation, and experimentation.
Workshop Highlights:
Empowerment Through Affirmations: Harness the potential of affirmations to set clear intentions and manifest your desired experiences.
Understanding Design Thinking: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the design thinking process and how it can be a powerful tool for life transformation.
Everyday Application: Discover practical steps for integrating design thinking into your daily routine to effect positive change in your life.
Peer Connection: Foster meaningful connections with fellow participants to support and hold each other accountable in pursuing your goals.
Exploring Core Design Thinking Principles: Delve into the fundamental pillars of design thinking, including empathy, ideation, and experimentation, to supercharge your problem-solving skills.
Immerse yourself in a transformative workshop dedicated to the practice of self-compassion. In today's fast-paced world, we often neglect our well-being, putting the needs of others before our own. This workshop offers a space to prioritize self-compassion and self-care through active meditation, meaningful discussions, practical desk exercises, and progressive self-assessment check-ins.
Workshop Highlights:
Discovering the Art of Self-Compassion: Delve into the transformative practice of self-compassion, understanding its significance and the positive impact it can have on your life.
Mindful Meditation for Self-Kindness: Learn and experience the power of mindful meditation techniques to foster self-kindness, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being.
Thoughtful Discussions: Engage in open and supportive discussions with fellow participants, sharing insights and experiences, and gain a deeper understanding of self-compassion.
Practical Desk Exercises: Incorporate simple yet effective desk exercises designed to relieve tension and promote physical wellness during your daily routine.
Progressive Self-Assessment: Regular check-ins and guided self-assessment exercises to track your personal growth and development in practicing self-compassion.
Awards
The LEADing the Way award is among the highest recognitions an employee can receive at Ally Financial. This award celebrates the top 1% of employees who are customer-focused and champion the Ally culture.
This award celebrates Ally employees who display the Ally LEAD core values and create measurable, meaningful change within the organization.
The award celebrated my leadership as president of the National Society of Black Engineers and Lawrence Technological University Alternative Spring Break.
Work Experience
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Managed 3 complex projects, ensuring efficient execution, and handled complex inter-team dependencies.
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Led the successful delivery of 26+ customer-facing features improving user experience and driving customer satisfaction.
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Orchestrated cross-functional release coordination involving 7+ teams ensuring all releases adhere to strict timelines and quality metrics.
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Reduced post-release incidents by 30% by shifting left through rigorous testing and continuous integration pipelines.
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Achieved a 95% deployment success rate, minimizing rollbacks and ensuring high system availability for business-critical applications.
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Lead a team to execute 20+ releases per quarter, reducing release cycle time by 25% through improved automation and streamlined processes.
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Provided detailed reports and updates to senior management, handling high-pressure communicationseffectively for mobile and Utilize Confluence and Jira to track performance, identify roadblocks, and drive data-driven decisions for continuous improvement.
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Organize and quarterly lead planning, review, and retrospective meetings to enhance product development efficiency and effectiveness.
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Proficient in mobile and web application development, with hands-on experience in delivering user-centric solutions.
Certifications
This is to certify that I can do the following:
- Empower and lead an Agile team.
- Facilitate Agile events like iteration planning, team sync, and iteration retrospectives.
- Help teams plan and complete their work.
- Execute the principles of servant leadership, which are crucial for key SAFe team roles. These skills will enable you to develop high-performing, engaged, and continuously improving teams in your own organization.