From Gatekeepers to Quality Coaches

May 15, 2025

Create Memory
Kat Obring presenting at Leeds Testing Atelier, standing beside a projected slide titled “Test Planning Workshops,” which outlines steps for running collaborative test planning sessions.
In this memory: Kat Obring

Kat Obring’s talk at Leeds Testing Atelier explored how QA roles can evolve from blockers at the end of a pipeline to enablers of quality throughout it.

Kat shared practical ways testers can shift into coaching roles, such as running test planning workshops, pairing testing sessions with developers, and leading quality-focused retros. She also addressed the reality that many developers haven’t been taught much about testing, and how QA professionals are well-placed to lead that learning to help everyone contribute to quality.

Learning and Development Lead
She/Her
My main aim is to help software testers turn their vast knowledge and skills into bite-sized chunks suitable for the community to digest.
Sign in to comment
Explore MoT
Don’t Be Left Behind: Close the Gap Between Test and Delivery image
Wed, 12 Nov
Align testing and delivery to reduce lead time and improve deployment frequency.
Cognitive Biases In Software Testing image
Learn how to recognise cognitive biases, explain what they are and use them to your advantage in your testing
This Week in Quality image
Debrief the week in Quality via a community radio show hosted by Simon Tomes and members of the community
Subscribe to our newsletter
We'll keep you up to date on all the testing trends.