Because of the current economic climate our publication has started a series of discussions with professional individuals meant to engage our readers with relevant companies and their representatives in order to discuss about their involvement, what challenges they have had in the past and what they are looking forward to in the future. This sequence aims to present a series of experiences, recent developments, changes and downsides in terms of their business areas, as well as their goals, values, career history, the high-impact success outcomes and achievements.
As the founder of Test Masters Academy, Anna Royzman provides educational events for software test and quality assurance professionals who want to advance their careers. With 20+ years’ experience in the QA industry, she loves keeping up with technology and the latest trends in software testing and quality engineering.
In 2011, she started sharing her expertise as a public speaker and trainer focusing on leadership, cross-functional team collaboration, testing strategies, coaching in agility and experiential learning.
Tell us more about your role in Test Masters Academy?
I founded the Test Masters Academy in 2015. It is an educational initiative whose goal is to offer high quality content to Software Testing/QA professionals and IT leadership. I am the visionary, identifying company strategy and development. Also, for the last several years I am the organizer of several annual conferences and online events under the company brand.
What is the most difficult part of your job? But the most rewarding one?
The most difficult part of my job is to stay on top of new developments in the industry. You cannot really take a vacation from it. It’s also the most rewarding one; as my goal is to make this knowledge educational for our audience: build new training and classes, invite speakers, organize round tables on hot industry topics, discussing both challenges and opportunities.
Is there anything that you would change about your professional path?
Not really. My professional path is the journey from the hands-on individual contributor to manager and director, to internationally recognized keynote speaker and expert, and to the company founder. The years of practical experience is what builds the expertise. It helps me to offer advice and coach people in my community. Naturally, I pay close attention to aspiring women leaders and offer support to their professional development path.
What’s your key strategy for the development of your company?
The key strategy for development of our company is providing the opportunities and delivering the quality content. We find new voices and put them on stage, discover new ideas and highlight the emerging topics and practices that drive the industry forward. This requires us to keep up with the latest developments in technology, business processes, and management, look up innovative companies and build a large international reference pool of speakers.
What do you think about the next period of time, keeping in mind the pandemic and the new business climate? How will your industry be affected?
Our industry has been affected the most, as any public event business. Throughout the years, we held international conferences in New York; the essence of our business was to bring together thought leaders and attendees from many countries of the world, offering them face-to-face opportunities to network and share ideas. Now we need to find the new ways of collaboration; develop innovations in the online space.
What books do you have on your nightstand?.
Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Managers by Johanna Rothman and Esther Derby, Agatha Christie’s novels, and Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.
