Born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Tom Auld was driven to succeed in all of his interests from the time he could walk. After graduating from O’Gorman High School, he pursued his passion for hockey and golf at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, where he earned a degree in Economics.
Tom began his career in banking but soon discovered an opportunity to merge his technical skills with his passion for business results. For the next five years, he embarked on a consulting journey across the United States as a Software Engineer, helping build some of the earliest desktop applications and websites in the burgeoning world of computer science and e-commerce.
During his time in software consulting, Tom recognized the importance of combining his technical skills with a focus on business results. This realization led him to become an early adopter of Project Management techniques, and in 2005, he earned his PMP certification. The PMP certification became a cornerstone of his career.
By 2009, Tom accepted a position with a mid-sized national consulting firm to spearhead the establishment of a local office in the bustling Twin Cities. Armed with his unwavering determination and a vision for success, Tom set out to transform the small team of three into a thriving powerhouse.
Through his exceptional leadership skills and extensive network, he orchestrated an astounding growth story, expanding the office to over 150 employees and witnessing a remarkable leap in annual revenue from $1 million to an astonishing $126 million in just five years. Tom’s unwavering commitment and strategic acumen solidified his reputation as a transformative leader, forever leaving his indelible mark on the Twin Cities’ consulting landscape.
While working at Target Corporation, Tom had an embarrassing, career-defining moment. He realized that there had to be a better way to build digital solutions, and thus began his deep dive into the world of agility. Drawing upon his background in economics, he embraced the concept of maximizing benefit while minimizing effort and investment. He understood the importance of building just enough of a working product to determine its value to customers before scaling further.
Tom’s expertise in agility found a perfect match when Guidant Corporation (later acquired by Boston Scientific) sought his help in establishing the first data warehouse and business analytics solution. Leveraging the Scrum framework, Tom handpicked a team of talented, cross-functional professionals who successfully implemented the solution within a remarkable six months. This achievement propelled Tom to replicate his success in multiple other areas.
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Fuelled by his desire to disrupt conventional consulting engagements, Tom founded Auld Consulting and Auld Real Estate in 2014. He embarked on an experiment to apply Scrum outside of software development. In just six months, Tom purchased, renovated, and sold a house for a 37% profit. This success paved the way for 14 more projects aimed at improving the community by providing high-quality, affordable homes.
Tom’s dissatisfaction with the traditional 12-week discovery phase in consulting engagements inspired him to develop a groundbreaking approach. He crafted a 12-week consulting solution that integrated training, strategic consulting, coaching, and the delivery of tangible results from day one. No more empty slide decks and exorbitant bills—instead, immediate value creation.
In 2015, the University of Minnesota recognized Tom’s expertise and entrusted him with the role of Associate CIO. Tasked with programs exceeding $100MM in annual spending, he initiated an agile transformation that propelled the university’s rankings among top institutions. Through the largest public implementation of Salesforce.com, engagement programs for students and parents were launched, revolutionizing the university’s service delivery.
In 2017, a local agile training company recruited Tom as their Chief Operating Officer. He built a consulting team to complement the training offerings, and utilizing the 12-week framework, he led the consulting business to reach an annual revenue of $3MM. Notable successes included helping Thrivent Financial overcome an 18-month development bottleneck and delivering a much-needed product.
By 2019, Tom decided it was time to focus entirely on his dream company, Auld Consulting. Built upon two pillars, the organization specializes in building world-class products, teams, and organizations that customers adore. Through their revolutionary twelve-week consulting solutions, combining training, strategic consulting, specialized coaching, and frequent product releases, they eliminated the wasteful discovery phase, providing immediate value at a fixed price.
In 2019, Tom was also recognized as a pioneer in agility based on his success with agile in real estate. His Agile12(™) approach was featured in the best-selling book “The Scrum Fieldbook” by J.J. Sutherland.
In 2023, Tom’s dedication and expertise were recognized with the prestigious designations of Registered Scrum Trainer™ and Registered Scrum@Scale Trainer™. These accolades acknowledged his extensive experience and his ability to engage learners through interactive exercises.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Tom established the “Fear of Becoming Obsolete (FOBO)” video series in 2023. Drawing from his own fear of obsolescence, he aimed to help others navigate their careers and stay relevant in an ever-changing job market.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Tom cherishes time spent with his family, indulging in travel, and the pursuit of golfing excellence.
Tom Auld’s journey is a testament to the power of passion, innovation, and perseverance. His relentless pursuit of excellence has revolutionized consulting engagements, transformed organizations, and empowered individuals to thrive in the face of change.
- Founder and Chief Product Owner of Auld Consulting and Auld Real Estate
- Registered Scrum Trainer
- Registered Scrum at Scale Trainer
- Trained over 5000+ as Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Agile Leaders, and Scrum At Scale Practitioners.
- COO at Agile Training Organization
- CIO at the University of Minnesota
- Product Coach for Trissential at bp
- Enterprise Agile Coach & Trainer Leading the Product Owner Maturity Initiative at Optum (Consultant)
