For me, the various software development disciplines are complementary, and they are more effective when each discipline understands the fundamentals of the others. Testers especially need to have many strings to their bow as they are also an information conduit, seeking information and getting it to people who can benefit from it. My view of testing and software development is heavily influenced by my martial arts background. I hold a 5th Dan in kendo and represented Australia several times at the world kendo championships. Just as with kendo, or anything worth mastering, software testing requires consistent and deliberate practice with the intent to improve. Software testing has been a huge part of my life for more than fifteen years now. I’ve built and led teams in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom at companies ranging from small start-ups to enterprise-level multinational corporations, including heading up software testing for the European Product Development department at eBay. I’m now the managing director of House of Test UK. In addition to my company duties, I like to run workshops and speak at conferences around the world. There are some really interesting developments in the software testing industry. There’s a critical mass of skilled practitioners connecting with one another to share their experience and skills, and I’m excited to be a part of it.