ABOUT AGILICIST
A boutique that's lived the problem, not studied it.
We've handled real complexity, driven change and delivered under pressure from the inside. You get senior, outcome-driven people who know what works because they've done it themselves.
Embed
Senior specialists in 2 weeks, teams in 5
Senior delivery people who've done this from the inside, embedded with your teams to make the redesign hold. We leave capability behind, not a dependency on us.
Redesign
Engagements from £50k
We re-optimise the operating model around what actually needs to change: how funding moves, how decisions get made, how work flows, and how fast you learn. Targeted, not a two-year transformation. We start with a bounded pioneer area and prove it before we scale it.
Senior people only
No pyramid and no junior consultants learning on your budget. The people who scope the work are the people who do it: practitioners who've run these redesigns inside regulated enterprises where getting it wrong has real consequences.
Framework-agnostic
We don't impose a methodology. We diagnose first, then build what fits your context. Sometimes that uses an existing framework, sometimes it means building something bespoke. We do what's right for you, not what's in a playbook.
Outcomes, not decks
We embed, execute and stay until the numbers move. We leave capability behind rather than a dependency on us. The result is a delivery system your teams can run without us in the room.
How we compare
Why clients come to us, and why the big firms bring us in.
The Big 4
Agilicist
Who does the work
Junior teams at senior rates
Senior practitioners only
What you get
A framework and a deck
A redesign and the outcomes
Speed to mobilise
Weeks of onboarding
Consultants in 2 weeks, teams in 5
Approach
Their methodology, applied to you
Framework-agnostic, built to your context
After they leave
You're on your own with it
Capability stays in your teams
Value
Premium for the brand
Senior expertise, no consultancy premium
The big firms often bring us in behind the scenes for exactly this expertise. You can go straight to the source.
OUR APPROACH
Adapt. Align. Accelerate.
ADAPT
Understand the system
Deep diagnosis before action. We learn what's working, what's blocking, and what's hidden, before we change anything.
ALIGN
Connect strategy to delivery
A clear line of sight from intent to what teams do day to day. Less firefighting, clearer priorities, governance that enables rather than blocks.
ACCELERATE
Tune for flow
Speed built on clarity and alignment. Metrics, fast feedback and outcomes you can measure, rather than a count of features shipped.
The Founders.
Agilicist’s core offering is powered by Partners steeped in experience, who competently blend Business Strategy and Product Delivery with deep Agile mastery to drive tangible client results.
Partner & Training Lead
Abbas Dhanani
Abb is an all-round technologist who specialises in Agile coaching, training and transformations with particular expertise in scaling agile for the enterprise. He cut his teeth as a PRINCE2 Project Manager before moving to agile and has over 24 years’ experience across a number of industries across both public and private sectors. Abb has spent time in a number of reputable consultancies including: Ernst & Young, PA Consulting, Capita and Agilicist. Industries: Financial Services, Gaming & Betting, Government & Defence, Professional Services Specialisations: Transformation Rescue, Scaled Agile Delivery, Strategy-to-Execution, Team Performance "Developing teams isn't about choosing the best framework; it's about mastering core principles and building the competence to execute when reality challenges the plan."
Partner & Transformation Lead
Darren Emery
Darren brings 15+ years of experience in product delivery, lean and agile transformations, and portfolio optimisation for mid-to-large enterprises. Before co-founding Agilicist, he led a 250-person development organisation at a FTSE 100 sports betting firm, driving over 60% revenue growth by reshaping delivery to be outcome-focused and strategically aligned. He specialises in connecting leadership strategy to execution, known for challenging conventional frameworks and embedding sustainable, high-performance habits across teams and portfolios. Industries: Financial Services, Sports Betting, Gaming & Technology Specialisations: Strategy-to-Execution, Portfolio Optimisation, Organisational Agility, Scaled Delivery, Product-Led Growth "Agile isn’t broken. It’s just buried under frameworks."
Partner & Delivery Lead
Simon Maurer
Simon brings 20+ years of hands-on delivery experience, having progressed from developer to programme manager leading multi-million-pound transformations across financial services, sports betting, FMCG, insurance, telecoms, and pharmaceuticals. He specialises in large-scale programme delivery, organisational alignment, and embedding high-performing delivery practices at scale. Simon combines technical depth with pragmatic leadership, ensuring transformations are delivered efficiently while driving measurable business outcomes. Industires: Financial Services, Sports Betting, FMCG, Insurance, Telecoms, Pharmaceuticals Specialisations: Scaled Delivery, Programme Management, Agile Leadership, Organisational Alignment "You can plan all you want - but delivery is where the real story, and the real risk, unfolds."
Subject Matter Experts
Product Specialists
Senior Product Owners and Product Managers with 10-15 years building and scaling products.
Adeeb Khan
15+ years helping architect high-performing product organisations and transforming strategic challenges into market-defining opportunities.
Ben Golob
With over 15 years in Senior Product Management, Ben is a proven expert in launching and scaling complex digital platforms, including AI and data-led products.
Technical Specialists
Architects, DevOps Leads, and Quality experts with deep technical expertise.
Andrew Cheeseman
28+ years helping architect high-performing product organisations and transforming strategic challenges into market-defining opportunities.
Brendan Gowing
Brendan specialises in technology leadership with a focus on start-up and scale-up delivery. He has helped numerous founders take their idea from concept to market and fixed productivity issues for teams already struggling in their marketplace. Brendan has written 4 patents and holds a Ph.D. in distributed computing systems.
Sonia Maurer
Hands on Test Specialist with 20+ years’ experience across Telecoms, Finance, Healthcare, Retail, Betting and Gaming. Skilled in complex testing delivery and driving quality across the software lifecycle. Focused on growing teams’ testing capability, embedding best practice and fostering continuous improvement. Balances strategic vision with hands on execution to deliver robust, reliable solutions in demanding environments.
Alex Kaiser
Alex has over 30 years of IT delivery and transformation experience, with a hands-on background across development, testing, and leadership. He helps organisations streamline work, uncover opportunities, and deliver value faster, focusing on collaboration, team empowerment, and lasting ways of working.
Delivery Experts
Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, and RTEs certified across multiple frameworks.
Magdalena Valkova
Maggie is a hands-on Agile delivery specialist with strong product expertise.
With a background in psychology and statistics, she combines human insight with data to drive agility across sectors including investment banking, defence, and HR.
Ian Jones
A transformational Programme Director with over 15 years’ experience delivering executive-led change in regulated industries. Skilled in platform replacements, digital product development, and large-scale tech adoption, with a strong track record of guiding leaders through complex transitions.
Steve Roy
Steve is an Agile consultant who has supported teams across industries, from software development to HR, marketing, and operations. He now focuses on helping leadership teams drive enterprise agility, particularly in football and the energy sector.
Talk to people who'd actually do the work
No account managers, no junior teams. A. 30-minute call with a senior practitioner.