Hi, my name is Stu Johnson, and I'm a
Head of Testing.
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Finding Quality
I left university without an obvious destination, gaining experience in 10 different industries in 10 years.
Quality was the common denominator.
When I took my first job as a software tester, things just “clicked” - I had found my vocation.
Into Leadership
Within a few years, I was leading my company’s community of practice, bringing us together to form a charter and establish a new mode of working.
Shortly afterwards, I was promoted to Head of Testing.
Leadership has been even more of a “coming home” for me, as I have found it deeply satisfying to improve the working lives and careers of those I lead.
Background
Education
BA (Hons) Philosophy and English Literature, University of Sussex, 2003-2006
Work
Head of QA, Aptem, 2022-present.
Head of QA, WorkForce Software, 2018-2022.
Senior Tester, Workplace Software, 2016-2018.
Tester, Domino’s Pizza, 2015.
Tester, The Open University, 2014-15.
My Philosophy
Advocate - Educate - Innovate
Quality advocacy
The most essential role testers play in an organisation is becoming advocates for quality. It’s no use to have wonderful testing if you aren’t building with quality in mind from the requirement stage forwards.
The best testers prevent bugs, rather than catching them.
whole-TEAM education
Following the above, it’s clear whole teams need to focus on quality to deliver a product without the waste of bugs. This means having the whole team understand some of what has historically been the tester’s role.
The best teams frequently test together, understanding quality as a group.
Cutting edge innovation
Once the essential principles of quality are understood, teams can “lift off” using exploratory testing, powerfully designed automated tests and other strategies.
The best organisations pick the right strategies and are led by the needs of their teams to do their best possible work.
TRUST OVER MICROMANAGING
Competency frameworks, peer reviews, positive feedback loops, belief and empowerment.
TRUE vALUE OVER METRICS
User-first mentality, end-user feedback, high level involvement in defect fixing.
COMMUNITY OVER FLYING SOLO
Communities of practice, Three Amigos, community ownership of standards, a real voice.
HOLISM OVER TUNNEL VISION
Big-picture thinking, design level testing, Product Owner allyship. Genuine responsibility for the product.
QUALITY OVER BUG FINDING
Exploratory testing, performance testing, accessibility testing, thinking about more than the feature at hand.
“Every test is a question; every question a test.
The best testers prevent bugs, rather than merely catching them.
Testing is a whole SDLC activity.”
I’ve worked with every testing team through these maxims and they have never led me wrong.
Peers say...
Rien sach, deputy ceo of aptem
Stu Johnson is a very capable software engineering leader, with a strong background in the QA discipline of software development. During our time working together, Stu has progressed rapidly from a senior test engineering to a software development manager, broadening his skills and knowledge along the way to become a very well rounded software leader.
Stu has had one of the most profound influences on my thinking as a technology leader. Stu helped me to better understand the value of advocacy within the QA space, and to look for it as a measure of a good QA discipline and its constituent members. Stu has led the cultural shift related to quality and its association to building great product, and has helped push our company to integrate a quality-focused mindset across the board.
Stu has always been willing to put the needs of the company first, and has contributed in many areas that were not directly his responsibility. It has been great to see Stu take on other areas of responsibility and have a big, positive, material impact on these areas in very short time. This speaks to Stu's ability both as a business leader to recognise challenges and tackle them, and as a people leader to be able to build relationships and lead groups of people to a more successful place in a short amount of time.
I would have no hesitation in recommending Stu for an engineering leadership role in the future. Stu's background in QA is a significant strength, and Stu leverages that to good affect across the engineering discipline. Stu works best in a supportive environment with peers to collaborate with and a clear vision to achieve.