Callum Akehurst-Ryan: What does modern quality look like?

Talk Description

In this episode of Leading With Quality, Ministry of Testing CEO Rosie Sherry speaks with Callum Akehurst-Ryan, Staff Quality Engineer at ArtLogic. Together they explore what modern quality leadership looks like in practice.

Callum shares how his role spans strategic initiatives and everyday coaching, supporting teams while nurturing a culture of quality across the organisation. From running small experiments and building trust with developers, to influencing change through visibility and iteration, Callum explains how quality leaders can lead without being dogmatic.

You’ll hear about:

• Guiding teams through culture change without overwhelming them
• Using data and coaching to drive initiatives like shift-left testing
• Navigating the realities of being the most experienced quality specialist in the room
• Why psychological safety, context, and community matter more than ever
• The evolving role of testers and what “generalist quality leadership” looks like today

If you’ve ever wondered what leading with quality looks like in a modern team, the trade-offs, experiments, quiet wins, and opportunities to build lasting change, this episode will leave you inspired and better equipped to do the work.

Rosie Sherry

She/Her

CEO & Founder at Ministry of Testing

I've been working in the software testing and quality engineering space since the year 2000 whilst also combining it with my love for education and community building.

Callum Akehurst-Ryan

He/Him

Staff Quality Engineer

Hi I'm Callum, a software tester and quality coach in London. I talk about exploratory testing, test strategy, diversity & inclusion and building testing in agile teams / startups.