Linda Maines, CSPO, CSM
Linda Maines, CSPO, CSM, is an accomplished Agile Delivery Lead at Capital One with a career spanning more than two decades across technology, financial services, government contracting, and business development. She brings over eleven years of hands-on experience coaching and leading Agile software development teams using Scrum and Kanban methodologies, supporting organizations such as Capital One, SunTrust, Anthem, Fidelity and Worldpay. Known for her collaborative and value-driven approach, Linda enables individuals, teams, and value streams to deliver meaningful outcomes while navigating complex, fast-changing environments. Throughout her Agile career, Linda has served as a trusted servant leader, facilitating core Agile ceremonies, managing VersionOne, Jira, and Rally boards, and removing impediments to keep teams aligned and productive within the software development life cycle. Her expertise extends beyond delivery to include cloud compliance, operational controls, and cross–line-of-business communication. Prior to her Agile focus, she spent more than 12 years in project management, consistently delivering initiatives on time and within budget, including highly visible cloud migration and vendor-led programs. Linda’s professional foundation is further strengthened by more than 20 years of success in business and sales leadership, public relations, contract management, and business process engineering. A proven business developer and top-performing sales leader, she has driven significant market growth and managed Department of Defense projects with budgets ranging from $150K to $12M. A high-energy, adaptable leader, Linda blends business intelligence, governance awareness, and customer-focused strategy to help organizations and teams thrive through change.
• Agile Professional Product Owner
• CSM
• University of Phoenix - B.S.
• Women in Technology
• Volunteering
What do you attribute your success to?
I lacked confidence early in my career. People around me had more confidence in me than I did. I embraced this and built my self-confidence out of my experiences of success. I only planned one career, that was being a Para-legal. The other careers came based on a door opening and someone saying, you should apply for this position, you would be good. I did not fear trying something new and I always worked hard jumping into a new role wanting to understand what was required of me and what my managers expectations were.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don't regret being aggressive, you can always apologize if you have a positive outlook on things and smile, your manager will forgive. They always did.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Get all the certifications in Agile and AWS you feel you need. There are some great Agile books out there. Here are my top two:
Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins
Agile Retrospectives by Esther Derby and Diana Larsen
When it comes to pay, I always asked my husband what I should ask for during the annual review phase. Whatever he said, I always doubled it. I learned early that women customarily never got paid in comparison to men in the same role; so, I decided early to change that in my career.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Learning AI and leveraging it to help improve your quality of life. We will still need humans for this work!! Always seek out a mentor where you work with each role you do. This is a huge plus to get someone else's perspective before you "react" to a situation if you question yourself. Over time you will learn to trust yourself.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I see my important values should align with the core Agile principles while prioritizing the specific needs of a highly regulated industry. These key values include:
Integrity
Transparency
Compliance
Risk
Management
Continuous Learning
Locations
Worldpay
Charles City, VA 23030