BCS SIGiST Summer Conference 2025

Emily O'Connor 

I started my career as an eager Computer Science graduate and developer, with managers describing me as "not content with simply following instructions", so perhaps it was obvious that I'd settle into a career in testing!

(LinkedIn)

Jit Gosai 

itesh brings over two decades of expertise in testing to his role as Principal Tester at the BBC. He supports teams in creating high-quality products and aims to embed quality into every aspect of their work. He shares his experiences at conferences and through his newsletter.

(LinkedIn)

(Bluesky)

Beth Probert 

Beth Probert is an award-winning software engineer and PhD researcher specialising in in satellite communications. With over five years of experience in safety-critical software testing, she is now at the University of Strathclyde’s Applied Space Technology Laboratory, researching the impact of decentralised, autonomous satellite networks on space sustainability.

(LinkedIn)

Ruona isikeh 

Ogheneruona Maria Esegbona-Isikeh is a data journalist with a robust background in technology. She earned her Master's degree in Data Journalism from Birmingham City University, where she was drawn by the UK's rich diversity and the opportunity to engage with individuals from various cultural backgrounds.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Ogheneruona has contributed to scholarly research, co-authoring articles on the integration of artificial intelligence in education and the transformative impact of STEM fields on educational technologies.

(LinkedIn)

Gerie Owen 

Gerie Owen is QA Engineering Manager at Roobrik. She manages test teams, and writes on technology and testing topics. She chooses her presentation topics based on her experiences in technology, what she has learned from them and what she would do to improve them. Gerie can be reached at gerie@gerieowen.com.

(LinkedIn)

Andrea Jensen 

Andrea began her tech career by chance in 2011 and has worked as a tester ever since. In 2023, she took on a leadership role, embracing the challenges it brought. Today, she is working as a tester & team lead in the maritime industry. Outside of work, she enjoys tea and the works of Tolkien.

(LinkedIn)

(Bluesky)

Sivaprasad Pillai 

Sivaprasad is the Director of The QE Hub, a prominent Quality Engineering organisation focused on delivering innovative technology solutions and helping clients achieve operational excellence.

With over 18 years of experience, he is recognised as a dynamic and versatile technocrat. He is known for his leadership in driving impactful Quality Engineering services for large-scale transformation programs within the Retail and Financial Services sectors.

Sivaprasad is also an active contributor to the software testing community, regularly participating in podcasts to share his expertise. At the National Software Testing Conference 2024, he delivered a session on "Seamless Customer Experience: Conquering Retail POS Testing Challenges with Best Practices" and was a panellist at the International Software Testing Conference Step-In Summit 2024.

(LinkedIn)

Daniel Emakporuena

I am Daniel Emakporuena, Data Mentor and AI researcher with a strong background in data analytics. I am currently exploring AI creativity and AI-assisted learning facilitation. My focus in using Data and AI to solve human problems, assist innovations and make long-term impact.

(LinkedIn)

Bryan Jones 

In testing for 36 years, worked in most sectors and done every testing job going from machine code reviews to being Director of QE & Testing. I am on BCS Edinburgh and Scottish Testing Group committees. I host the Quality Blether podcast, and present at conferences and IT community events.

(LinkedIn)

Callum Akehurst-Ryan 

Callum (he/him) is a testing specialist and quality coach with over 17 years of experience across a range of different industries and development methodologies. With a focus on holistic quality engineering and exploratory testing, Callum teaches others in core and agile testing concepts. He’s also a kick-ass dungeon master!

(LinkedIn)

(Website)

Ima Effiong 

Ima-Abasi is a passionate and dedicated QA Engineer with a strong focus on improving software quality through collaboration and innovation.

With expertise in manual testing and agile methodologies, she is known for working closely with developers to deliver high-quality products. Over the years, Ima-Abasi has developed a proven track record in identifying and resolving software defects, ensuring smooth functionality, and enhancing the user experience.

Always eager to learn and adapt, Ima-Abasi stays updated with emerging technologies and continuously seeks to improve software testing processes to drive excellence in product quality.

Beyond her professional work, Ima-Abasi is passionate about personal and professional growth. She is a mentor with actionable career advice to help career switchers navigate their journeys in tech.

(LinkedIn)

Chris Briggs 

Having fallen into Quality by accident eight years ago, Chris has never looked back! Since that initial UAT project, Chris has added API & UI automation, performance testing, and now leadership skills to his toolkit.

When not testing software (and things), Chris loves to read, write, and make things with his hands.

(LinkedIn)

Leela Putten 

With over 15 years of experience in the IT domain, Leela Putten is a passionate, creative and versatile IT Specialist Consultant. Born in Mauritius, she works across international clients providing solutions, training and guidance in security and performance engineering, DevSecOps, test management, and quality assurance amongst others. Outside of work, she loves to travel and connect with her friends and family.

(LinkedIn)

Ludovico Besana 

Ludovico, born as a Full Stack Developer, discovered his true passion for quality later in his career. With a background in Full Stack Development, he possesses a strong technical foundation and a deep understanding of software systems. As an Automation and Open Source enthusiast, he focuses on efficient and reliable testing methodologies. Currently, he works as a Senior Test Engineer.

(LinkedIn)

(Website)

Toni Ramachandani 

Toni Ramchandani, VP at MSCI Inc., is a visionary leader specializing in AI, Generative AI, QA, DevSecOps, and cloud technologies. A conference speaker, corporate trainer, and author of the book A Generative Journey to AI, he excels in innovation and tech leadership. Passionate about sports, adventure, and continuous learning, he drives excellence in technology and beyond.

(LinkedIn)

Arya Antony 

Arya is an engineering leader, Vice President at U.S. Bank (6+ years), leading AI, cloud computing, digitalization, and government regulatory projects for the U.S. and Canada. With over 15 years of experience, currently pursuing a graduate program at Stanford Engineering on AI. Holds a postgraduate degree in Cloud Computing from Texas McCombs and a Master's in Computer Science from SASTRA University. Prior to U.S.Bank worked for Target corporation corporation and Nielsen on various engineering roles.

(LinkedIn)

Manu Philip 

Visionary technology executive with 17+ years of experience leading digital transformation, enterprise architecture, and large-scale innovation across Fortune 50 retail. Proven track record in delivering AI-driven, high-impact solutions across payments, point-of-sale, and omnichannel systems—empowering operational excellence at scale. Recognized for fostering a culture of innovation and mentoring emerging tech leaders. At Target Corporation ($106B), led strategic engineering initiatives that transformed store operations and digital commerce nationwide. Passionate about advancing STEM education and shaping the future of technology through innovation, mentorship, and purposeful leadership. Holds a degree in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering.

(LinkedIn)

Maaret Pyhajarvi 

Maaret Pyhäjärvi is an exploratory tester extraordinaire and Director, Consulting at CGI. She is an empirical technologist, a tester and a (polyglot) programmer, a catalyst for improvement, a speaker and an author, conference designer and a community facilitator. She has been awarded the two prestigious global testing awards, Most Influential Agile Testing Professional Person 2016 (MIATPP) and EuroSTAR Testing Excellence Award (2020), selected as Top-100 Most Influential in ICT in Finland 2019-2023 and awarded Tester Worth Appreciating Award in Finland 2022. She’s spoken at events in 28 countries delivering over 500 sessions.

With over 25 years of exploratory testing under her belt, she crafts her work role into a mix of hands-on testing and programming, and leading and enabling others. She leads TechVoices enabling new speakers, volunteers in Selenium Project Leadership Committee driving standards-based browser automation, blogs at https://visible-quality.blogspot.fi and is the author of three books: Ensemble Programming Guidebook, Exploratory Testing and Strong-Style Pair Programming.

(LinkedIn)

Victor Oriakhi 

Victor Oriakhi is a Hardware Design Engineer with expertise in IoT, AI, and testing methodologies for embedded systems. He has experience in hardware-software integration, cybersecurity for IoT devices, and automation in product testing. Victor is also a peer reviewer and mentor, contributing to advancing technology through research and practical innovation.

(LinkedIn)

Melissa Fisher 

Hey, I'm Melissa! I am currently a Quality Engineering Lead and my background is in software testing. I enjoy solving problems and getting involved in the tech community.

(LinkedIn)

Nagesh Deshpande 

I am an Empirical Learner, Podcast Host, Speaker, and Community Builder who has grown successfully from a Tester to an Agile Coach.

(LinkedIn)