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On the 12th of May 2026, the fully independent, punk, Leeds Testing Atelier returns at The Tetley for a day of learning, collaboration and laughs!

Check out our awesome speakers!
Rick Spencer
I was a tester for almost 20 years before moving into an engineering team leader position for the last 6 for a global SaaS company. I am always focused on quality software delivery and process improvement.
Test Data Driven Development
Rather than using requirements to drive feature changes then independently written test scenarios to validate the behaviour of software, test data can be used. Over the last 6 years I have refined a development approach which starts with the requirements for a feature and with the Business Analyst or Product Owner, specifying how this feature will alter the input data to produce an output. Yes this methodology is specific for the type of features my team delivers but it can be used to identify regression in any system which processes data. With the input and output data, my engineers update the build process to insert this data and once the new features have been delivered, validate the output using UI automation, exactly as the output data was specified by the BA or PM. This approach has ensured that customer defects over the years have remained very low.
Hitesh Kataria
I’m Hitesh Kataria, currently working as Group QA Manager at Le Creuset, where I lead the QA strategy and implementation across a broad mix of technologies and platforms from cloud-native apps to on-prem systems. With over 15 years in the field, I’ve worked across front-end, back-end, mobile, and enterprise applications, building test automation frameworks and driving performance, API, and database testing practices. I’m a big believer in balancing strong engineering with human-centred practices. I’m a certified Mental Health First Aider and advocate for psychological safety in QA and tech teams. Outside of work, you’ll often find me behind the decks as a DJ or attending OurYourHouse a community-driven meetup that promotes mental wellbeing through music. It’s where my passion for tech and people meet.
Scaling QA Strategy Across a Global eCommerce Ecosystem
In this session, I’ll share the journey of transforming QA at Le Creuset from a fragmented and reactive setup into a lean, structured, and automation-first function that supports a truly global operation. Le Creuset’s digital landscape spans multiple regions, languages, tax structures, and business models. Our ecosystem includes eCommerce websites, point-of-sale systems, wholesale APIs, Microsoft D365 F&O, and Dynamics AX for warehouse and finance. Building a consistent QA approach across such varied technologies and teams was a real challenge. The shift began with moving from defect detection to defect prevention. We started embedding QA earlier in the lifecycle, focusing on building quality in from the start rather than testing it in at the end. We introduced an automation-first mindset and scaled our test execution from 1,000 runs over eight months to 1,000 runs in a single day using tools like Virtuoso and Power Automate. But the biggest lesson was that tools and frameworks only take you so far. Real transformation came from investing in people through coaching, upskilling, and creating a culture that sees quality as a shared responsibility. If you’re navigating legacy systems, expanding test coverage, or building a global QA team, this talk will offer practical insights and a few lessons learned the hard way.
Chris Warren
I fell into software testing over 15 years ago and have spent all that time in consultancy environments seeing different problems from different client perspectives. Mainly working in the test automation space I'm really excited about how AI is going to make my life so much easier or should I be worried that it's going to make me obsolete? Away from my desk I'm a husband, a dad, a football fan and a dog owner. I've also been known to go for the odd run.
I Let an AI Agent Write My Test Strategy. Here’s What Happened.
In this session, I will explore the practical capabilities of Generative AI and how it fits into the software lifecycle from a senior testing perspective. Moving beyond simple code snippets, we’ll look at what happens when you give an AI agent the keys to the repo. During this live demo, we will; Demo a functional web app built exclusively using Claude Code; Task the agent with analyzing its own repository to propose a test strategy and generate a suite of automated tests; Introduce breaking changes to the application to see how the agent adapts, "self-heals" the tests, or where it ultimately fails. This is a live demo, so anything could happen. While Claude is crunching its numbers, I’ll share thoughts and stories from a recent real-world engagement where we exclusively used Claude Code to develop and test a new greenfield application. We'll discuss the ROI, the frustrations, and why the "Human in the Loop" is still the most important part of the stack.
Crispin Read
Accidental Founder and CEO of The Coders Guild. Occasional government botherer. Long-time advocate for alternative pathways into tech and general social value busybody.
Testing for Social Mobility
Software testing is one of the most accessible routes into tech — but we’re still missing the people who’d thrive in it. At The Coders Guild, we’re starting a new initiative this quarter called Find Your Hidden Testers helping companies uncover potential testers within their own organisations.
Richard Adams
I'm a former quality coach with ~14years experience in software (plus 2 in games) across a mix of roles from testing to development. I'm really passionate about testing and quality.
Let's Go Security Testing
Through a mix of slides/explanation and hands on exercises, we'll look at performing some basic security testing, like modifying client side validation, XSS and SQL injection. People would need laptops, although I could provide a couple and pairing would be advantageous.
Colin Wren
Colin is a Senior Software Engineer by day and wannabe Product Engineer at night. He helps run the LeedsJS and MoT Leeds meet-ups, and when not writing code, can be found failing to merge Chiptune and Doom Metal into some horrible hybrid that no one but him would ever want to listen to.
How testing saved my side-hustle
Join Colin as he tells you the tale of building his first native iOS app, the struggles he encountered trying to build a new product on a new tech stack and how the simple act of writing test cases helped him succeed when everything seemed to be falling apart.
Stephen Platten
Stephen is an award winning (European Software Testing awards, TESTA) tester and QA, with a passion for test improvement and development. I have worked in most aspects of electronic engineering/software engineering. He has a passion for testing and understanding complex applications, technologies, and projects. To quote him, "I want to be the best manager, tester, and coach I can be, to be "The Stoic Tester"
When Testing Feels Uncomfortable: Using Friction as a Quality Signal
Good testing rarely feels smooth. This talk reframes discomfort, resistance, and uncertainty in testing as signals — not problems — and shows how experienced testers can use friction to guide better decisions, conversations, and outcomes.