Next up in the Meet the Speakers series is UKSTAR Speaker Paul Colllis.
Paul will present his session ‘Changing software delivery culture through test assurance and learning frameworks‘ on Tuesday 28th at 10:50 a.m.
How did you get started in software testing?
I fell in to testing in the late 90’s. I was working for Swiss Re at the time and they took over another company. Both companies had old mainframe applications that would not support the new organisation or Y2k ready. My role in Swiss Re at the time was one of data analytics and MI reporting and so I was asked to help define and test the migration rules from the legacy system to the new application. I went back to the business side (actuarial department) afterwards but very soon realised that being on the IT side was more for me.
Who inspires you?
I don’t have one person that I can answer this. My parents, obviously. My children have inspired me too. From a work aspect, I have been fortunate to work with some people that have supported me and helped me become better.
What do you see for the future of software testing?
I believe software testing will exist in some form. The role of a tester has and will continue to change. New disrupters, new technologies, new working practices will effect how testing will progress. I see the role of a “tester” reducing but the tester has unique skills and abilities to adapt, and I see them taking roles as automaters, quality advocates, scrum/agile coaches and skills to support successful change programmes.