"Every once in a while in your career you run across someone who is special and who makes a dramatic impact on you (positively, that is). Rick is one of those people for me (and I suspect for many others). While at UPMC Enterprises, I had the benefit of getting to work with Rick when I was initially a Product Manager, but then became even more fortunate when I switched roles to the Agility Team and became a Scrum Master where I reported to him.
I'm going to do Rick a disservice and tell you that he is dynamic, thoughtful, energetic, inventive, inspirational, articulate, consultative, and driven. Those descriptions are woefully inadequate, he's so much more than that. Take what you know about those things and amplify them by a factor of maybe 50x, and you might only then begin to approach what and who Rick is.
With Rick in your corner, you feel like you and your team can accomplish anything. He is truly gifted in his ability to break down the most complex things, figuring out the most advantageous way for them to flow and then lead the charge in driving it forward, all while making it look so simple and logical. Rick also doesn't know how to say no to pretty much anything. Instead, he's the guy who asks, "well, how can we try to do it"? He is truly an innovative agent of change, but it's never done abrasively or without thoughtful consideration and then execution.
If you're serious about transformation, implementing and achieving optimal operational flow, and aligning it all strategically with the vision and mission you have for your organization, then you NEED to get Rick on your team! Once you do, buckle up and watch him work his magic. You'll wonder how you did anything successfully before working with him."
"I had the opportunity to work with Rick directly during our time together at UPMC Enterprises. Rick is a thought leader in the area of SDLC processes and execution strategy. He brings a rare combination of big-picture awareness, detail-oriented mindset, clear communication, and technical excellence to the table. He helped us revamp portions of our SDLC activities to help drive measurable team efficiency as well as clarity to our stakeholders. He not only managed his direct reports and oversaw our SDLC tooling, but also helped coach other team members about the best practices of agile methodologies. I would not hesitate to recommend Rick and his efforts."
"I had the pleasure of working with Rick on a large-scale Atlassian migration impacting 30,000+ employees. His technical understanding of the products, along with his approachable demeanor and natural leadership tendencies, made Rick a key piece of the team, without which we never would've succeeded. Not to mention, this particular project was completed over a holiday, during which Rick was always accessible and willing to troubleshoot. Rick was an asset to our team, and I'm confident he'll bring the same qualities to future teams."
"I had the privilege of working closely with Rick for a span of 15 months. From day one, his unwavering passion for Agile methodologies, the Software Delivery Life Cycle, and Leadership was evident in our conversations. Rick’s vision extended beyond merely fulfilling the role of a Scrum Master; he embraced the broader scope of an Agilist."
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Rick played a pivotal role in shaping the Agile culture within the UPMC Enterprises MyUPMC team. His tireless efforts focused on refining the process management framework, ensuring its continuous evolution. Collaborating with business partners, Rick meticulously fine-tuned the process, exploring every avenue possible. He not only oversaw the process but also meticulously monitored and automated key metrics to facilitate continuous improvement. These metrics not only formed the bedrock for refining best practices but also expedited the creation of bi-weekly reports. Rick’s adeptness extended to implementing numerous automations within JIRA and other Atlassian tools, resulting in significant time savings and budget efficiencies.
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Beyond his technical prowess, Rick’s leadership skills were instrumental in our collective success. His people-first mentality fostered professional growth and maintained a healthy work-life balance—an aspect often overlooked. Without hesitation, I wholeheartedly recommend Rick Pollick for leadership roles across industries. His impact is undeniable."