Why I Pursued the Scrum Master Certification as a CRO/CIO (And What I Learned)
If you’ve worked your way up in a company through sheer grit and learning-by-doing, you might relate to this.
I didn’t take a traditional route to leadership. I started at UsedCardboardBoxes nearly 15 years ago in a labor role. Over time, I grew into operations leadership, sales strategy, and ultimately my current dual role as Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Information Officer. Much of that journey came through real-world learning, mentorship from our Founder/CEO Marty Metro, and the ability to solve problems quickly and implement solutions even faster.
That said, I’ve known for a while that even the best instincts can have blind spots.
Why I Took This Certification
While I have a 2-year degree in Business Administration and Accounting, my 4-year degree is in Chemistry. I’ve been able to lead by learning and adapting, but I’ve also felt a personal responsibility to continue formalizing the gaps in my business foundation. Walking the floors of Fortune 100 manufacturing plants and sitting across from Directors responsible for hundreds of people, I’ve realized how critical it is to not only lead well but to speak the language of modern business.
Taking the Scrum Master Certification was part of a broader goal: one professional credential per year. I’ve fallen behind on that pace, so this was my move to reset and reinvest in my own growth.
What Surprised Me
Scrum isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a structured, collaborative framework that encourages reflection, adapts to change, and empowers teams to deliver better outcomes, faster.
The most surprising insight for me was that Scrum Masters aren’t managers. They’re facilitators. They protect the process, not dictate the output. That challenged some of my own default leadership tendencies, where I lean heavily into problem-solving and strategy. Sometimes, by solving too quickly, I can unintentionally limit my team’s space to contribute creatively. That’s something I want to work on.
How It Applies to My Work
At UCB, we’re already using Agile principles without naming them. We adapt constantly to meet customer needs. But now, I have a clear framework to help our teams reflect more, collaborate better, and build backlogs that truly prioritize customer value.
This certification helps sharpen my ability to lead major projects, especially as we continue investing in new technologies, internal tools, and customer-facing features.
Even more importantly, it keeps me walking the walk. I believe deeply that leaders should invest in themselves, not just for career gain, but to grow into the version of themselves their team deserves.
What’s Next
I’m stacking this credential alongside my Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and plan to follow it with an Agile Professional certification, then a Project Management credential. Not because I need letters after my name, but because I believe in continuous improvement, professionally and personally.
If any of this resonates with you, especially if you’ve built your leadership style from the ground up, I hope it inspires you to keep learning. Our careers evolve. So should we.
