Hi I’m Callum! a Software Tester based in London.
Throughout my 15+ year career I’ve had a variety of roles as a Test Engineer, Test Lead, Project Manager and Agile coach. As a result I have a well rounded approach to leadership in an Agile environment, both as part of test and the wider team including stakeholder management and the provision of team KPI.
I specialise in full stack exploratory testing, embedding Agile testing into start-ups, human factors testing and quality reporting.
I’m an established conference speaker and host for events running practical workshops on the topics of diversity, exploratory testing, agile testing and testing tools.
Available topics for talks:
- Diversity in Testing
- OWASP ZAP Workshop
- Docker Workshop
- Exploratory Testing Workshop
- How D&D made me a Better Tester
- LGBTQIA+ History
Talks
- Diversity in Testing – BCS (Nov 2022)
- Do we all need to be SDITs? – Hainton’s Newcastle (Nov 2022)
- SmartCherrysThoughts.com (Sept 2022)
- Host – TestBash UK (Sept 2022)
- Tester Island Discs Ep. 58 – Ministry of Testing (Aug 2022)
- Being LGBTQ+ in Tech – BCS (June 2022)
- Host – TestBashX Edinburgh (April 2022)
- How Gaming made me a Better Tester – TestBashX (March 2022)
- Testing in Story Shaping – Youtube (March 2022)
- Interview with Callum Akehurst-Ryan – Nicola Lindgreen (March 2022)
- OWASP Security Scanning Workshop – Propel QA (Feb 2022)
- Host of Test.Bash; – Ministry of Testing (Oct 2021)
- Exploratory Testing AMA – Ministry of Testing (April 2021)
- Conversations: Exploratory Testing – TestBuddy (March 2021)
- Exploring the use of Exploratory Testing – QA in London (May 2020)
- Introduction to Docker – Quality Advocates (May 2020)
- Should we all become SDITs? – iO Virtual Meetups (May 2020)
- Testing in the DevOps World – Scott Logic (April 2020)
- Exploratory Testing Workshop – Quality Advocates (Feb 2020)
- “Yes And…”; using Improv in Agile – Scott Logic (March 2020)
- How Diversity Helps Testing and Analysis – Blackmetric (Dec 2019)
- Testing Progressive Web Apps – NE: Tech (Nov 2019)
- Exploratory Testing Lean Coffee – Scott Logic (Nov 2019)
- Testing Progressive Web Apps – Test.Bash(); (Oct 2019)
- Diversity of Thought in Testing – South West Test (August 2019)
- Diversity of Thought in Testing – MOT Newcastle (July 2019)
Kick Ass Dungeon Master
I’ve been a DM for the last 15 years, running D&D campaigns across multiple editions (most recently 5th edition). By engaging players as characters and weaving narrative through descriptions and storytelling, I ensure my players have full autonomy in the worlds I create.
I was the first Dungeon Master hired by a UK charity (SurvivorsUK) to use Dungeons and Dragons in group therapy sessions.
I’m currently running a Curse of Strahd campaign because who doesn’t love spooky season?!
Callum Akehurst-Ryan's Testing Blog 