Gary Hawkes: All roads lead to quality

In this episode of Leading With Quality, Rosie Sherry chats with Gary Hawkes, QA Lead at Ito. Gary’s road into quality wasn’t planned, but over 30 years of working in tech, he’s found that quality has always been at the centre of what matters.

Together, they explore how Gary’s experience in accounts, development, support, and testing shapes his approach to quality leadership today. Gary shares how his team avoids rigid structures, how they’ve redefined roles to reduce silos, and why caring deeply about people leads to better outcomes. They also dig into the responsible use of AI, the role of continuous conversation, and how KPIs can be a tool for care, not control.

You’ll hear about:

• Why manual testing still matters, and how to elevate it
• Rethinking structures and roles to increase flexibility
• Using KPIs to create insight, not pressure
• How Ito is exploring AI with caution and care
• How leadership can mean showing others the power they already have

If you're looking for grounded ways to lead change, this conversation will help you think about structure, culture, and care in new ways.