6 Agile Software Testers that are changing the industry! | Part 2

From software testers and quality engineers to coaches, meet the people committed to shifting the software testing industry. One thing that they all have in common is the urge to share their knowledge and continue supporting others. Connect with the speakers below and get inspired!

If you want to see the first part of the keynote speakers’ presentations, click here.

?? Vincent Wijnen

It doesn't matter if it's about deciding the approach or cranking out some helpful code; Vincent will get it done. With 16 years of experience in the software industry, Vincent has become a fierce advocate for his expertise in test automation, focusing on the why and how rather than the what.?

Contribution to the Community:

• Vincent loves to host PowerPoint roulette and organize game shows at conferences
• Once per year, Vincent volunteers as a tour guide at Open Monument in Utrecht. He gets assigned a building, has to share the history, and prepares a story for visitors all day. This allows him to practice and refine his storytelling skills.

Vincent's boundless enthusiasm for test automation and community and unbridled passion for teaching and coaching are some of the reasons we asked him to be one of the keynote speakers for Agile Testing Days 2024. Vincent and Paul will present together on Tuesday.

Vincent's Keynote:?To Heck With Your Automation Principles

?? Heather Reid

Heather’s career path is incredible. She studied Chemistry and Mathematics, then started working as a mathematician, later worked in the pharmaceutical/ diagnostic industry, and is now working in the software industry as a Team Lead at Glofox. Heather’s journey is packed with incredible wisdom and experience in different sectors.?

Contribution to the Community:

• As a community manager at the Ministry of Testing for five years, she had the opportunity to connect with, build, and learn from the international software testing community.?
• Her e-book “30 Things Every New Software Tester Should Learn” is on the “100 Best-Selling Software Testing eBooks of All Time” list.
• She has helped moderate online tech communities and organized meetups in Ireland.

Her constant desire to learn and explore new things is worth sharing with an international audience, and there is no better place than Agile Testing Days. We are glad to welcome Heather as one of our keynote speakers. Together with Lena Nystr?m, she will delight us with her anecdotes and experiences.

Heather's Keynote:?I'm managing just fine!

?? Rahul Verma

Rahul Verma, a perpetual student of testing, has collected over 20 years of practical experience. His journey in software testing has seen him build test automation frameworks in Python and Java, delve into web security, white box testing, and web performance testing, and explore the realm of Gen AI.

Contribution to the Community:

• He created Arjuna, a free, open-source, modern, Python-based test automation framework.
• He constantly shares his knowledge on Linkedin and the trendig blog.

His wide range of experience, his skill in delving deep into topics and creating useful content and takeaways for others, and his willingness to share his knowledge online motivated us to give Rahul the role of keynote speaker in 2024. We look forward to him doing his magic on the Agile Testing Days stage.

Rahul's Keynote:?The Travelers of Testing and a Journey of Streets

?? Jenna Charlton

Over a decade of experience as a software tester and developer advocate has Jenna in their bag. They are passionate about risk-based testing, building community within agile teams, and developing the next generation of testers and A11y.

Contribution to the Community:

• They share their learnings, thoughts, and experiences in their blog “They Wrestle with Tests” and “Qase,” promoting best practices and innovative approaches to common challenges in the field.
• Jenna's work emphasizes the human aspect of software quality, advocating for a balance between automation and manual testing to ensure comprehensive coverage and understanding.?

We are glad to welcome Jenna as one of our keynote speakers. Their passion and engagement with the software testing community are a perfect match for the broad audience of the Agile Testing Days.

Jenna's Keynote:?Testing, Identity, and Symbols

?? Portia Tung ? The Play Alchemist

One of Portia's goals is to reconnect you with your greatest superpower. She is a play alchemist, executive, and agile coach with 20+ years of experience. Combining her skills with her desire to bring about positive and enduring change, she has stumbled upon a wholesome way of leading she calls Playful Leadership.

Contribution to the Community:

• Author of The Dream Team Nightmare (www.agileadventures.org), the first ever Agile novel where your decisions determine the outcome of the story
• Founder of The School of Play (www.theschoolofplay.org), dedicated to promoting happier adulthood through lifelong play.

Portia's combination of leadership coaching and business strategies should be widely known in the testing community. Therefore, we are happy to have her as a keynote speaker at Agile Testing Days 2024.

Portia's Keynote:?Playful Leadership

?? Tariq King

Tariq King is a recognized thought leader with more than 15+ years of experience in the software testing industry. He has gained experience in engineering, DevOps, and AI/ML. He is the Vice President of Product Service Systems at EPAM and Chief Executive Officer of Test IO.?

Contribution to the Community:

• He has published over 40 research articles in peer-reviewed IEEE and ACM journals
• He also has written book chapters and technical reports for Springer, O'Reilly, Capgemini, Sogeti, IGI Global, and more.

Tariq King's active engagement with the AgileTD community and his dedicated work in AI are admirable and are also why we are honored to have him as a keynote speaker again this year.

Tariq's Keynote:?Humanizing AI

Let us know in the comments below if you have had the pleasure to meet any of the wonderful people mentioned above, and subscribe for more insights about the software testing community.?

Important Dates -? the Agile Testing Days

• Online Tickets: The Online Pass allows you to attend the event from anywhere. It includes 60+ live-streamed sessions hosted by 59 international speakers (including the keynotes, talks, and deep-dive talks) and on-demand sessions before and after the conference for 6 months.
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