Scrum Master for Two Teams

Name: Cynthia D.
Job Title: BT Scrum Master

Aligning on values
I first joined Discover in April 2016 as a part of the Business Technology (BT) Risk and Compliance team. At the time, I was looking for a company that provides its employees with good work-life balance, has values, is going in a direction I agree with, and has amazing people. Discover marked all the boxes and today, I am the Scrum Master for two teams, the Authentication Infrastructure team and the Identity & Directory Services team.

Tools for self-discovery
Discover gives us so many great resources and opportunities to advance our career and networks—both professional and personal. From the Development Central training portal to one-on-one conversations with leadership, I feel I have the opportunity to figure out how I want to grow my career which is very important to me.

I’d like to say that I’m in a unique position—I have a business degree and experience in both technical and risk areas. This combination significantly helps me in my current role as a Scrum Master, as well as bringing a different perspective to the table. Having been an engineer for a few years, I understand the processes and can relate to team members. They also don’t need to explain technical details to me, because I was once in their shoes. On the other hand, my business degree and risk experience give me a unique perspective from my peers and I ask questions and look at situations differently. For instance, I always ask – “How can we communicate this change so our end users fully understand and don’t require follow-up questions?” This saves us time in development and ensures we deliver a quality product.

An opportunity to fall in love
This year, I transitioned from being an engineer into my current role—a Scrum Master and I absolutely love it. This role keeps me in the technical world and allows me to help enhance current processes, shield my team from distractions and interruptions, and help them become more efficient and effective in everyday work.

Hard work pays off
I love that Discover gives us the opportunity to acknowledge the great work our peers do through various channels, including recognition points to peers and the President’s Award. The greatest award to me is the acknowledgment and appreciation for the work that we do every day. So, when I was nominated and won the President’s Award last year, it meant so much to me that my passion and efforts were not going unnoticed.

Coworkers worth celebrating
As cliché as it sounds, it’s the people who keep me here at Discover. I have gained so many friends as well as grown into the person I am today. At my wedding, I had a whole table full of my Discover friends, and though I’ve only been here for a few years, I have made lifelong friends.

In Corporate America, it’s difficult to find a company that truly cares about you as an individual. Not only is Discover one of those rare companies, but Discover also has company values and beliefs that prove it is looking out for its employees and customers.